I bought this mostly because of the stupidly, unapologetically pretty cover, and I wanted to show my support to the new comic book shop that opened in my local mall. And because it's Harley Quinn, duh.
For as it turns out, 'Harley Quinn Vol. 3: Clown About Town' can be understood and enjoyed fine if you had only read the first volume like me. These newest 'Harley Quinn' comics are such silly and joyful fun. They're hella cartoony, but not shallow. Most importantly, they stay true to what makes Harley Harley; what makes her her. What makes her tick.
Tick, tick, tick, and then BOOM!
She's such a charmer, and very smart. She is everything that comes with the word caper. A clown lady and teacher who never wants to play by any rules. For all her jokes, banter, mayhem, mischief, destruction, hyena-loving, and general non-law-abiding and antiheroism, she cares deeply for people. She's a glitzy, not-so-ditsy psychologist to be taken seriously.
I love her.
And her supportive girlfriend (wife?) Poison Ivy.
She's mostly in her classic 'Batman: the Animated Series' Harlequin costume here, too.
In this volume, we are treated to: Harley's surprise birthday party, featuring cameos of Catwoman and Power Girl; the Body Doubles (a lesbian criminal duo); Mr. Freeze; Maxie Zeus (though I don't particularly care for a man who thinks he's a literal god); Officer Donna Pulaski, a new hardass villain from the Gotham PD with a personal vendetta against Harley and all costumed vigilantes; Robin (Tim Drake?); new henchmen, Harmada (whose power is she has a model ship on her head) and Vampire Squid (an electro octo-man scuba diver, basically) (they're not very good); and an ending about justice, bringing people together, and the importance of female role models.
Oh, and interspersed between issues are Harley's bizarre dream sequences (except for the first one, which is just a Looney Tunes homage). They're an excuse for different writers and artists to make fanfiction/multiverse versions of her, but they're funny and fun and I don't care. I especially love 'If Books Could Kill', which is explicitly about fascism, and how book banning is fascism. Harley Quinn says learn to read and write and spell, you dolts! It turns out the sequences do kind of fit into Harley's story and arc in this volume. Canonically, they represent different parts of her psychosis - her dependencies, fears and insecurities. They make for great Harlivy fics, too.
On the subject of the LBGTQ+ rep, 'Harley Quinn Vol. 3: Clown About Town' also contains a bisexual buddy comedy/ hero and antihero team-up. They talk about their feelings and experiences concerning their queer identities, and it is part of how they (well, the one, actually, the reluctant one) realise they share more in common than they thought. It's nice stuff to see - really see - in a modern DC comic. Well done.
Plus, on the deliriously happy and girly trade cover, Catwoman is eating a rainbow cake. And how bright is Harley's smile! It is all about Pride!
(Happy Pride Month everyone, BTW.)
'Harley Quinn Vol. 3: Clown About Town' - the whole comic is spectacularly, celestially, colourfully goofy. And thoughtful and heartfelt. And funny as $*&!@!
Harley Quinn is as wanted, needed and relevant as ever.
Welcome back, girl!
Now to read the second volume! What were volume 3's couple references to Brother Eye about, I wonder...?
Final Score: 4/5
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