Harley Quinn #1 Review

Harley packs up her worldly possessions, moves into her new digs and plays “who are the people in the neighborhood” with a friendly Danzig lookalike and a couple of assassins.

The Good

Harley #0 kicked ass. I went on the record as such and suggested that it would be a tough act to follow. I also went so far as to call Chad Hardin out. Chad Hardin: your lines and Alex Sinclair’s colors throughout this issue are exceptional. The opening sequence where Harley (whist atop a Harley) bonds with, then rescues a dachshund from its hipster owner was hilarious and perfectly framed. The exchange of glances and shared tears followed by an explosion of rage was masterful. Splash pages and insets are detailed and rich with humorous easter eggs. Conner and Palmiotti chose a bizarre place to start this tale, but are making it work. Who would think that Harley inheriting real estate, becoming a landlord and having to find a straight job would be workable? Narration services are provided by combination of a stuffed beaver and Harley’s inner thoughts. So perfect and so funny. The entire book has the look and feel of Posehn, Duggan and Moore’s current run on Deadpool minus the Mavel bashing

The Not So Good

Every joke, every act of violence and even the lettering of both are excellent and thoroughly entertaining. The only thing that keeps this book from being a version of comic book perfection is the cover. To me, the cover of a great book needs to be an amplified version of the interior artwork. Maybe this is just more kudos for Hardin, but the Conner and Mount’s cover doesn’t cut it. Harley’s posture looks odd and the jingle bell necklace (while festive) and hammer handle draw attention to her neck. This creates an odd focal point that doesn’t really work. Covering 2/3 of the cover with stars and a black background? Seems like someone ran out of time or energy on this one.

The Bottom Line