Graphic Novel Review - 'Harley Quinn, Vol. 2: Eye Don’t Like Me' by Tini Howard (Writer), Sweeney Boo (Artist, Colourist), Steve Wands (Letterer), Various Artists and Colourists, and Backup Writers, Artists and Colourists

I read the third volume before the second volume of this run of 'Harley Quinn' - the former happened to be in my local mall's comic shop - and I'm glad I did. It turned out to be fate, because I don't think I would have carried on with this series after reading 'Harley Quinn, Vol. 2: Eye Don’t Like Me'.

It's bizarre and out-there like the first volume, but it's not always as fun. Here, it's just messy, incoherent, confusing, haphazard, jumpy, and fast paced at a breakneck speed. There're blatant plot holes and editorial issues. There's barely any time for the reader to breathe, and to process what the hell is even happening and why. Almost nothing and no one is explained properly. 65% of the time reading I was like, "Who are these characters, and why should I care?"

What is the deal with the multiverse/Warworld hyenas? What are they doing and why? What is their motive? Why should I care about a clearly evil place like Warworld anyway? And why are Harley's community college students, who ostensibly play bigger roles this time round, so underdeveloped with barely a presence?

The first issue, right off the bat, unintentionally sets up some major problems to come: It immediately introduces us, very poorly, to Janet, who you won't know at all unless you've continuously read Poison Ivy's comic run at the time, and she is never seen or mentioned again after the first four pages. What a waste.

Speaking of, the ending of the volume is one of the most abrupt I have ever seen in a comic. It's like the creative team were given only two pages left to wrap everything up. It's utterly underwhelming, frustrating, and renders the rest of the volume's arc pointless.

The arc being, supposedly, Harley Quinn versus a multidimensional Brother Eye.

Not that it matters, but slight spoilers ahead:

Brother Eye or the Brother Eyes or the Brothers Eye or whatever is a poorly established, poorly explained villain and threat. They're not one big mastermind behind everything, but a boring, generic collective. There is no mystery reveal to this hivemind; they exist and they want to use and screw with Harley - something about how she's a potentially effing powerful weapon because she's handled the most trauma out of everyone in the DC multiverse, which, like, um, what? no? - like a multidimensional bully, and that's it! By the end, the inconsistently-named-and-blamed-and-claimed villain's forced assimilations and murders are forgotten about!

Even Harley isn't like herself, at least at the beginning, where she is inexplicably mellow, forgiving, quiet, and just goes along with the multiverse WTF-ness, and doesn't interject any arsehole character's longwinded speeches with her quippy dialogue and jokes. She gets over this, thankfully, but what was with her character in the first issue? At least she ends that by getting snappy and sick of "multiversal crap. I have been doing that nonstop."

Yeah, Harley, the readers sympathise.

So 'Harley Quinn, Vol. 2: Eye Don’t Like Me' is an off and random mess of a comic.

Still, it is definitely not without its positives:

The artwork is very nice, colourful, and expressive. Different artists got to work on this, and it shows off their talents beautifully.

There is a new character, a robot multiversal P.I. named Lux Kirby, who is very interesting, adorable, and a new partner and friend to Harley. They are also nonbinary.

Kevin returns! He plays an important, humanising part in the story, and he remains important to Harley's character. (Though why do neither Lux nor Kevin appear in the third volume?).

Harley's dream sequences in between the issues are lightyears more interesting than the main plot. They're so fresh, varied, creative and fun, and awesome to look at!

There is a cartoony universe - the one that features Looney Tunes-esque animal characters such as Captain Carrot - where Harley and Ivy are Harely Quinn and Python Ivy. Why couldn't we have spent more time in fun multiverses, like the previous volume?!

And like with volumes 1 and 3, volume 2 is awash with love for Harlivy. Harley and Ivy's relationship is one of, if not the top highlight, of this run of 'Harley Quinn'. They're a brilliant couple, lovingly and thoughtfully written. They're the one reliable and satisfactory constant in the series.

In conclusion, 'Harley Quinn, Vol. 2: Eye Don’t Like Me' is disappointing and not well written, but it is Harley Quinn, and she kicks arse and saves the multiverse yet again, and learns to love herself again, and that others love her too, for who she is. It is a confidence booster and a depression beater in comic book form, even though the ending is far too rushed and tacked on for it to leave much of a lasting impression.

Meta commentary about Harley's popularity is included, and it links to Oh Brother Eye's fixation on her. However, as I have to keep repeating myself, this ends up not mattering in the grand scheme of things.

You can read 'Harley Quinn Vol. 3: Clown About Town' after 'Harley Quinn, Vol. 1: Girl in a Crisis' and not miss anything important - I'm happy the series vastly improves after the middle volume. Only read 'Harley Quinn, Vol. 2: Eye Don’t Like Me' if you're a completionist and love Harley Quinn that much, like me.

It's like a guilty pleasure, and guilty ride for little old moi. A least some of the jokes and dialogue are good.

Final Score: 3/5