I'm excited to get into this. I'll just review each issue in this new 'Harley Quinn' collection - go!:
1. 'Harleen: Red' - A sequel one-shot to Stjepan Šejić's masterpiece, 'Harleen'. The only thing I'll slightly spoil is that Poison Ivy is Harleen's saviour. Šejić's OTP ship has come true...kind of. Ivy being Harley's salvation without it being too explicit that they're a romantic pair is a theme in a lot of the issues in this omnibus. It's a little frustrating - WTH, DC? - but hey, they're together, and what's more, they're awesome together.
2. 'Fashion Victim' - Harley enters a catwalk runway against Catwoman to one-up her on social media. It's as silly as it sounds. Who knew being a Gotham crime queen was so prestigious and glamourous? The story also kind of pays homage to 'Cruella', if that was intentional. Additionally, Harley talks to her stuffed beaver, and she and Catwoman make a good team and friendship at the end. Killer Frost cameos. "Indeed. Real life is nothing compared to online validation."
3. 'Get Yer Story Straight' - Three crooks in a bar recount each of their versions of the story of how they stole Harley's Joker gas bucket from her. Of course in the end she outsmarts them and takes it back. It's fun and goofy stuff.
4. 'Who Diss?' - Harley enters a rap battle and is surprisingly good at it, thanks to her psychology background in spotting her opponent's weaknesses to get them served. I'm no rap expert, so I don't know how good any of these lyrics actually are. Ivy is in this and she is wonderful. Scarface is in the rap battle, too. This is another story where Harley and Ivy are an ambiguously sapphic duo.
5. 'The Life and Death of Harley Quinn' - Not sure about it. It has the ugliest and messiest art of the collection. It's short, and ends with a bang. I guess the randomness and madness of it all is intentional. And does Harley ship herself with Plastic Man? WTF? Starro the Conqueror guest stars in one panel.
6. 'Black, White Knight, & Red' - A sequel one-shot to 'Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn'. It's all right. It's funny, touching, and it highlights the best of Harley in that series. A short and sweet Valentine's Day special.
7. 'Give Me A Break' - A comedic Harley and Ivy comic that looks like it came out of the funny papers. Except it is more violent. Ivy is the serious and pissed off straight man (woman?), and Harley is the silly, airheaded screwup and foil of the duo. Hilarity ensues.
8. 'The End of the Line' - Heh, love this one. Big-haired and big-shoulder padded Harley gets trapped in a subway train in New York, wanting to arrive at Coney Island. There are subway pirates (yes, you read that right), and a group of them are called the Manspreaders. I absolutely love it. Every joke and pun land and work spectacularly. The whole comic, filled with 70s and 80s movie references, is comedy gold. Very clever and uproarious.
9. 'Indianna Quinn' - An archaeological quest for the fountain of youth, staring Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. Pursuing them are Batman - and Batgirl! Another favourite of mine. I've already said this a bunch of times, but it bears repeating: the two ladies work so well together, don't they? That ending...no way it could be interpreted as ambiguous. An awesome action adventure (alliteration!).
10. 'Sunshine Getaway' - The worst in the omnibus, with the worst art and story. Yes, screw it, its art is worse than in 'The Life and Death of Harley Quinn'. Harley is on holiday (in Florida?) and an ex of hers dognaps her hyenas. She tortures and fights her way to getting them back. It's very meh. Who cares. Moving on.
11. 'Hypothetically Speaking' - Now THIS is more like it. My absolute favourite of the collection. I won't dare give anything away, but trust me, it is worthy of an Eisner Award. It resembles the best episodes of 'Batman: The Animated Series'. It showcases Harley at her cleverest. She is amazing, and she doesn't actually have to do anything - physically - to prove it. Oh, I can't resist giving away one thing: Batwoman is in it. 'Hypothetically Speaking' - a Harley Quinn masterpiece, and that is not hypothetical.
12. 'Harley Quinn & the Annihilators' - Never been a fan of Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner's run and take on Harley, so this didn't do much for me. The humour is pretty terrible, lame, juvenile and try-too-hard, and really, who cares about this Harley's group of friends? They're not memorable, and again, they're lame. I think the only thing I found to be genuinely funny here is this line, said by what's-his-face in a pizza coma: "Oh, why couldn't we have found a subway car full of knife-wielding mass murderers...I could be blissfully dead right now."
13. 'Red Ink' - Harley becomes a member (the only active female member) of the Legion of Doom. It almost entirely takes place in the Hall of Doom, where nothing actually happens. But it's pretty funny, especially with its supervillain banter, shading and roasting. Bane has his surprising moments, and character development with Harley. Snowflame is mentioned. Nuff said. Favourite funny line coming up: Harley: Probably explains why I'm in such a crazy hurry!, Baker: You are? 'Cause when you started talking, I was clean shaven.
14. 'Fixer-Upper' - A somber, more introspective Harley tale. It revolves around her abusive and literally destructive relationship with the Joker. It's a good, sad character growth piece. Its art and style are similar to 'Batman: The Animated Series', containing heavy 'Harleen' and 'Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn' layers to it. But did Harley seriously refer to Ivy as her "gal pal"?! I hope that changes in the future, after this version of Harls breaks up with Joker.
15. 'Happy Thanksquinning' - Now we come to the Christmas and New Year Harley Quinn stories. In 'Happy Thanksquinning', there is a riot at Arkham at Thanksgiving, featuring Lock-Up, Bane, the Penguin, the Riddler, and Killer Croc. Harley escapes, and the comedic holiday special takes a surprisingly sad turn. I really felt sorry for Harley, as she tries to find loved ones - or just anyone, or anything - to celebrate Thanksgiving with. Her jubilant and partying spirit is crushed. What does she have to be thankful for? Spoiler - of course it's Ivy she ends up celebrating with. Our favourite Gotham clown crime queen steals her a couple's gift and returns to Arkham for her. Harley explicitly says that she loves Ivy - and she kisses her on the cheek. She is her real family now. They are each other's family. Contains a good little, much needed shade against Columbus, to boot. The closing line? "Besides, I can always break out again on Black Friday!"
16. ''Twas the Night Before Quinn-Mas' - Oh great, a spinoff of Palmiotti and Conner's Harley Quinn, with funky and ugly artwork. But some of the jokes are legitimately funny, while others are still lame and juvenile. It's basically about Harley playing Santa Claus, and that's all you need to know. I also realised from reading this issue that one of Harley's friends, Red Tool (or just Tool, because laugh dammit laugh! We're desperate!), is like DC's ripoff - er, parody - of Deadpool. A parody of a parody? That doesn't work. A friendly homage? Maybe. Nonetheless, WTH?
17. 'The Morning After' - Harley wants to make Boxing Day just as special as Christmas Day, and Ivy has to suffer through her hijinks with her. There are nuns, orphans, mobsters, and a criminal rent-a-Santa. It's another very funny one, although the rent-a-Santa's real name being Norm Titsworth is...yeah. Harley and Ivy are the ambiguously sapphic duo once again, even when the comic begins with a narration box saying, "But once Harley and Ivy were through mistletoe kissin'..." (were they kissing each other or other people?), and it ends with them walking out together, arms on each other's shoulders, and the clown antiheroine calls her redheaded horticultural gal pal, "Sweetie". Wait, why does a cartoony talking horse sing us out as the comic finishes? That has never appeared before.
18. 'Eight Nights of Harlequin' - A confusing one, especially at the end. Harley is confidant and murderous - truly like a female Joker in red and black, and with fair hair in pigtails - as she explains the story behind Hanukkah (or Chanukah) and its meaning, while both in and out of prison. She's half Jewish. Is this officially part of Harley Quinn's character? Is it canon? I can't remember if I've ever seen this explored in any media about her. 'Eight Nights of Harlequin' seems tonally confused, to go with its other confusing elements, in terms of story, character and dialogue. It's all at once dark, humorous, shocking, sad, touching...to fit with a psychotic Harley Quinn? Eh...
19. 'Harleen's Half Dozen (Plus One)' - Ahh! Yes! Brilliant issue to end the omnibus on. Paul Dini and the 'Batman: The Animated Series' crew are back! This new story features, and highlights, Roulette, Cheetah, Baby Doll, March Harriet, Jenna (?), and Roxy Rocket, as well as Harley, Catwoman and Ivy. How long has it been since we've seen most of the formerly mentioned girls!?This is so much fun! It's like Looney Tunes. There's a prize-fight venue ring, a robbery of lots of cash, flamethrowing, zapping, laser-sawing, drinking, Harley affecting a silly Southern belle accent, and just all-around cartoony mayhem and destruction and things blowing up - with an all-female cast! Ivy kisses Harley here, and holds her hand and affectionately calls her "Peanut". These bad girls kick off the new year in Vegas. 'Harleen's Half Dozen (Plus One)' - another love of my life!
So there you have it. The collection of comics is called 'Harley Quinn Black + White + Red' for a reason - the colouring of each comic consists of mainly these colours. It's a unique yet suitable stylistic and creative choice when telling stories about the Clown Princess of Crime. There are exceptions, however, such as the grey in 'Indiana Quinn' and the pink for Harley and Ivy's hair in 'Who Diss?'.
Overall, a great modern comic issues/tales assemblage for any Harley Quinn fan.
Final Score: 4/5
No comments:
Post a Comment