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by Aaron Nash
I am ashamed to say that before this I had read very little/next to nothing featuring Harley. In fact, in recent years I haven’t really read any DC stuff apart from the odd Aquaman comic. With the whole New 52 thing and the big upcoming event convergence, I had no idea where to start. I’ve been tempted to read Harley after hearing some fantastic things, but at the same time I always thought that she looked like DC’s answer to Deadpool. As I am not Deadpool’s biggest fan, I kind of put it off until I decided recently to just give it a try.
The first book comprises issues 0-8 of the New 52 Harley Quinn solo series and I guess it’s as good a place to start as anywhere. Issue 0 is kind of standalone and has a fantastic concept which surprisingly is done justice. We see Harley dreaming of what it would be like to have her own comic series. Each page is by a different artist with their own interpretation of her. It features some truly great writing and is genuinely funny, without having to resort to crass, infantile humour. Very rarely does a great concept work as well as this, but this issue just goes to show how to do it right.
I am ashamed to say that before this I had read very little/next to nothing featuring Harley. In fact, in recent years I haven’t really read any DC stuff apart from the odd Aquaman comic. With the whole New 52 thing and the big upcoming event convergence, I had no idea where to start. I’ve been tempted to read Harley after hearing some fantastic things, but at the same time I always thought that she looked like DC’s answer to Deadpool. As I am not Deadpool’s biggest fan, I kind of put it off until I decided recently to just give it a try.
The first book comprises issues 0-8 of the New 52 Harley Quinn solo series and I guess it’s as good a place to start as anywhere. Issue 0 is kind of standalone and has a fantastic concept which surprisingly is done justice. We see Harley dreaming of what it would be like to have her own comic series. Each page is by a different artist with their own interpretation of her. It features some truly great writing and is genuinely funny, without having to resort to crass, infantile humour. Very rarely does a great concept work as well as this, but this issue just goes to show how to do it right.
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The following 8 issues are your more standard story-driven affair. That isn’t to say that it’s any worse because of it though. I was genuinely surprised at how well written the character was and how engaging the story was. Harley is a genuinely likeable protagonist, even if some of her methods of dealing with issues aren’t the nicest. I found myself laughing out loud on numerous occasions which very rarely happens. There is some potty humour towards the end of the book which makes a small dent on an otherwise incredibly well written and clever series of issues. We also get some brilliant cameos from other DC characters, all of whom fit the story amazingly well.
The whole book and the overall feel of the series reminded me of the Punisher Marvel Knights series that Marvel pumped out years ago. It had a similar sense of humour while also looking at some proper real world issues. Both handle the subject matter brilliantly well, but I’d argue Harley narrowly takes the lead. I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next and found myself wanting more long after the last page of the book.
The whole book and the overall feel of the series reminded me of the Punisher Marvel Knights series that Marvel pumped out years ago. It had a similar sense of humour while also looking at some proper real world issues. Both handle the subject matter brilliantly well, but I’d argue Harley narrowly takes the lead. I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next and found myself wanting more long after the last page of the book.
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The artwork throughout is absolutely fantastic. Issue 0 is the stand out for the fact that you have so many different artists doing a page each. It keeps everything fresh and fascinating to look at. The following issues all feature similar, yet stunningly well realised art. I love the character designs for everyone involved and the design for Harley is just sheer perfection. The art echoes the bright cheerfulness of Harley brilliantly and is a constant joy to look at.
I never expected to enjoy this series as much as I have and I truly can’t wait for the next book in the series to be released later this month. I wholly recommend this to anyone who enjoys clever writing that never takes itself too seriously.
I never expected to enjoy this series as much as I have and I truly can’t wait for the next book in the series to be released later this month. I wholly recommend this to anyone who enjoys clever writing that never takes itself too seriously.
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