WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Detective Comics #1051, now on sale from DC Comics.
Over the years, the villains that comprise Batman's rogues gallery have become nearly as iconic and beloved as he is. His enemies are typically characterized as mentally ill maniacs or corrupt criminal masterminds, and are rarely portrayed as having any degree of humanity. This is definitely the case with one of his oldest villains, the Penguin, whose incarnations generally range from a violent and deformed gangster to a vile Gotham City businessman.
The typical depiction of the villain has changed in "House of Gotham: Chapter Five," a backup story that appears in Detective Comics #1051 (by Matthew Rosenberg, Fernando Blanco, Jordie Bellaire, and Rob Leigh). This tale introduces the Penguin to a wayward Gotham youth, who he promptly takes under his dark wing. Although this story is filled with the Penguin's usual debauchery, it also depicts him as a rather ironic father figure. The result is a Batman villain who just might be a much better dad than Bruce Wayne.
How the Penguin Adopted the Boy
The story "House of Gotham" has Penguin adopting The Boy, who is fated to become Nero XIX, a figure who was prominent in the "Future State" storyline. The Boy had been in Arkham Asylum, but he is freed thanks to the pull and money of Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. The Penguin, who has The Boy live in his iconic Iceberg Lounge. Although his living quarters leave much to be desired, he's given a rather exorbitant stipend from Cobblepot, and is free to do as he pleases outside of his working hours.
The Boy is later accosted by a crook working for Cobblepot, who doesn't realize that he has essentially become the adopted son of the Penguin. After beating up The Boy in exchange for extortion money, the would-be hood violently learns the error of his ways at the hands of the notorious Gotham City villain. After realizing too late what he has done, the crook is killed by Cobblepot in front of his young charge. Although his actions go against the desires of his "ward," the Penguin seems to be genuinely fond of him, asking him how his day's been and if he's had any fun. He also picks up his dropped toy, clearly wanting the child to have it. This, when combined with his suddenly letting an orphaned kid live in the lap of lecherous luxury, makes the bird-like villain eerily similar to Batman.
Is The Penguin a Better Father Than Batman?
It's not hard to draw comparisons between the Penguin's relationship with the Boy and Batman's relationship to his Robins, particularly Dick Grayson. After all, Bruce and Oswald are both rich and respected men in Gotham City, although their origins are very different. Cobblepot's upbringing has rarely been spotlighted as thoroughly as that of other DC villains with the exception of Penguin: Pain and Prejudice. This shows his younger years as not being particularly rosy, and if his canon backstory reflects this it makes sense that he'd want to keep another downtrodden Gotham youth from befalling the same circumstances.
He shows a seemingly legitimate interest in what The Boy does, something which is actually rare for Batman outside of superhero work. Again, this could be Cobblepot, in his own demented way, trying to give the kid something of a normal childhood, while also availing him of other things such as a job. Dick, Jason and Damian have never been shown having jobs while under Batman's care, and it's interesting that Penguin would do this and have his "son" fend for himself and earn money. Of course, the job is with Penguin, but it begs the question of why Bruce never brought his wards into his family business. Even if they didn't stay with it, they could use the experience to find jobs of their own.
Of course, it remains a possibility that Cobblepot is keeping the Boy around for a more nefarious reason other than simple benevolence. Still, it's very unusual to see one of Batman's most violent villains show such "warm" emotions and seemingly surpassing Bruce Wayne in the area of being a suitable father figure.