Graphic Novel Review - 'Harley Quinn Vol. 1: No Good Deed' by Stephanie Nicole Phillips (Writer), Riley Rossmo (Artist), Gene Ha (Artist)

'Harley Quinn Vol. 1: No Good Deed' - another DC surprise from my local comic book shop. I can almost never resist a 'Harley Quinn' product, and thank goodness, it turned out to be money well spent.

It is the most recent 'Harley' comic I've read, and it is from the current DC comics canon. The story is set after The Joker War, a DC event I'm not that familiar with, and Harley is back in Gotham City, after some incident with Poison Ivy which, again, I'm ignorant of (and the comic won't elaborate on it). Now she wants to move towards the heroine part of her antiheroine reputation, becoming one of Gotham's protectors, much to Batman's wariness and annoyance.

Specifically, she wants to help the clowns - the former henchmen and henchwomen of the Joker during the war, now remorseful and reformed - who are targeted by Gotham's angry citizens. And by Hugo Strange, who has morphed into broken and destroyed Gotham's political darling, and who is pushing to clean up the city of clowns; to "help" and "rehabilitate" them. Personally I don't see how Gotham is any worse than it has ever been before - I mean, hello, it's always been a lawless, toxic shithole - something that Harley points out through a raining-and-growing-with-care metaphor - but anyway: Harley genuinely wants to help these people who, like her, were in a bad and vulnerable place in life when they were taken in by the Joker and his words; they were also manipulated, taken advantage of, driven to do crime. Equally victims as well as criminals, they deserve a second chance, and Harley wishes to befriend them - notably the sad and sweet Kevin, a new bestie - and set them up for a healthy and happy path, such as through a support therapy group.

She is a psychiatrist, after all. She is technically qualified. And it is as much for her benefit, her steps towards redemption, as well.

But Hugo Strange and his goons won't have any of that. They will sabotage her efforts, and torture and obliterate her, Gotham's Clown Queen, at any cost.

Other characters featured include Killer Croc, Solomon Grundy, and Catwoman, in the final, awesome issue where she and Harley team up, similar to the Gotham City Siren days. Good times.

It seems that with 'No Good Deed', with a new writing team, DC has Harley Quinn on a serious, story-driven direction, with actual character development. No more of that tasteless and disgusting "shock humour" nonsense from Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti that desperately tried to emulate Deadpool. Harley deserves better treatment than that. We've seen from brilliant modern comics such as Stjepan Šejić's 'Harleen' the potential, the sheer scope, of what can be taken with her character; in stories that are love letters to her creation, which take her seriously - as an academic-turned-victim-and-villain-turned-tragic-figure - and take her to new, unexplored, clever, dark places. She deserves an arc, and growth that is grounded in reality, alongside funny and witty comments. She's smart, she makes jokes, but she herself isn't the punchline - not the unironic, un-self-aware, battered punchline, the way the Joker would have her be.

FYI: Joker does not appear once in this comic. Harley truly has moved on, as her own independent identity. Her mark on pop culture is cemented: she's a risen star, and has been for years and years.

There is no more queerbaiting, either. Harley and Ivy are a couple, at last. No teasing, no double entendres, no ambiguous interpretations, no retrograde backtracking - in a flashback, they go on a romantic date and rampage, they are sweet with each other and confess their love for one another. They share everything. Ivy gives Harley a young plant to take care of - a symbol of Harley herself and her blossoming relationship with her Pammy. Her Red.

They kiss.

It's official.

I think they're still together, and they will reunite in later books. I hope they do; they are just perfect together. Ivy is what Harley needs, and vice versa.

The art is a little sketchy and cartoony, but it isn't over the top about it. It's fun and colourful. It's appealing even in the serious scenes, of which there are many. It suits Harley and what she's about in the comic. What a beautiful, tragic, sad clown of a gal.

I love Harley Quinn. I've been a fan ever since I began seeing her in her very first appearance, in 'Batman: The Animated Series', some six years ago now. In only under thirty years she's grown staggeringly, outrageously popular in the world of superhero pop culture and mainstream entertainment. There is no medium, no age group, that she hasn't been exposed to, and appealed to greatly. Wherever she goes, she conquers. And she is everywhere. Heck, my four-year-old niece cosplayed as her this Halloween!

It's not really surprising - she's awfully complex, exciting and captivating. She can be interpreted in a whole slew of different ways. The colourful, loud, proud, outspoken, versatile, thrilling, unstoppable, emotionally vulnerable yet available Harley Quinn, a clown lady and former abuse victim who does whatever she wants and says whatever she wants, is who women want to be, and who men want to be with; and who women want to be with, and who men want to be. A queer icon indeed! She is an empowering influence to many differing sorts of people. She is sympathetic and inspiring.

She is so beloved, so adored, that she has joined the rank of the DC Holy Trinity and other superheroes (and villains) in worldwide popularity and historical, cultural significance. This praise is heaped on a female character, too. All things considered - the horrifying reality where, let's face it, most human societies on earth hate women with a deep, primeval, feral and deadly passion - this is meaningful and powerful. A miracle.

Harley Quinn is a miracle, and a gift to the world of pervasive misogyny and general malignance.

I know I'm rambling too much here, but I wish to express how much I love her character.

Harleen Frances Quinzel - A doctor, a psychiatrist, a therapist, a clown princess - and queen - of crime, a villain, a sidekick, a girlfriend, a mallet-nut, a baseball bat-nut, a psychopath, a victim, an antiheroine, a Suicide Squad member, a Gotham City Siren, a Bird of Prey, a girlfriend again - to another woman, a complex LBGTQ idol, a comedienne, a superstar, a leader, a gang leader, a singer, a roller derby champ, a lover of hyenas and other animals, a daughter, a sister, and an Amazon sister. She has been it all.

'Harley Quinn Vol. 1: No Good Deed' is the start of an ongoing storyline, so not everything is developed properly, and it is a rather short volume. It doesn't fill the reader in on what happened in previous interconnected DC events, not really. But it is a vastly enjoyable 'Harley' comic, which I recommend to any fan. Go ahead and read it, as well as other contemporary titles with profound versions of the character like 'Harleen' and 'Breaking Glass'.

It's sweet stuff.

Extra note: Harley obtains - well, steals - a Grundy plushie! From Hugo Strange!

Speaking of plushies, Harley very briefly owns a stuffed unicorn toy in one scene. An intended allusion to Deadpool? I'm not sure how I feel, concerning that.

Final note: I love that the trade title references one of my favourite songs from one of my favourite musicals. It suits Harley and the comic in a lot of ways.

Final Score: 4/5