Contains spoilers for The Penguin Episode 1

The Gentlemen of Crime has finally arrived in Episode 1 of HBO’s “The Penguin,” showing a seedy story of criminal dominance unfolding while the Dark Knight isn’t around. But while Batman might not be present, a pivotal moment of the Caped Crusader’s history seems to be ingrained in this portion of Oswald Cobb’s (Colin Farrell) rise to power and it involves his all-new protege, Victor Aguilar (former “Runaways” star Rhenzy Feliz). We don’t want to speak too soon, but given how their partnership has begun, there’s a chance that Victor could be on the flight path of a former Robin, and maybe end up just as bad.

After making the power vacuum of the Falcone family even wider by killing Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen), Oz’s efforts to hide the evidence are met with a crime being committed against him. Hauling the body to his car, Oz bumps into Victor right as he’s trying to take the rims of his vehicle. What’s interesting is that this chance encounter mirrors the very same one that was had between Batman and Jason Todd, who would become the second Robin after Dick Grayson in Batman #408 and later emerge as one of DC Comics’ most hated characters.

It’s far too coincidental not to be a nod to Todd’s origin story, but could the other key chapters of that particular Robin story establish a dark future for Oz and Vic together?

While the two might be on good speaking terms now (mainly because of Vic fearing for his life), we’ve got seven more weeks before we see how well-hatched The Penguin’s plan of taking over Gotham really is. How many more bodies will get added to the pile? How many friends will become enemies, and will one of them end up being Vic, who could take a leaf out of the book belonging to the Red Hood?

Bat-fans will know that Jason Todd’s time as the Robin was cut abruptly short in “A Death in the Family” which saw Joker beat the Boy Wonder to death and leave the Caped Crusader without a sidekick for some time. That was until 15 years later when Jason returned to exact his revenge against the Clown Prince of Crime and the hero who failed to save him.

With that in mind, could Oz and Vic be on a similar path, with a double cross leaving the latter getting left behind by his new mentor, only to apply his own bit of retribution after The Penguin’s wingspan stretches fully across the city? This kind of tale riddled with treachery and revenge wouldn’t just be an homage to one of Batman’s most iconic chapters, but the stuff that classic crime sagas are made of. Power is hard to get and even harder to keep hold of. We just wonder if Oz’s new boy will be the one to take it from him as “The Penguin” continues.