Harley Quinn is off on her own in brand new adventures, but as our former Gotham City Siren tries to begin anew, what new troubles will she come upon?
Harley Quinn #1 kicks right off with Harley moving to a new home that was inherited to her by a former Arkham patient. As she arrives in Coney Island, she quickly realizes that her new life won’t be all skyscrapers and posh living. Ever resilient, Harley decides to make the best of her new surroundings as she attempts to find a reliable source of legitimate income. As she begins to settle in however, she learns that there is a mysterious bounty on her head.
The Good
“Don’t get me started on all those pree-vocative glances I wuz gettin’ from truck drivers!” Harley Quinn #0 was a fantastic display of different DC artists. While this issue doesn’t continue that, instead it sits comfortably in the hands of Chad Hardin. Hardin’s art is great and, when paired with Alex Sinclair’s colors, this book looks vibrant and fluid. It has the feel of an animated show, without the characters being caricatures or strange exaggerations.
The Mediocre
“There’s the catch.” For being a first issue, Harley Quinn #1 does a pretty decent job handling the exposition necessary to explain Harley’s big move. Amanda Conner and her husband Jimmy Palmiotti, came up with a silly, but not entirely implausible, story that seems to hint at the potentially more lighthearted tone of the book. However, the writing feels a bit stiff in some of the dialogue with a line here and there being almost cringe worthy.
The Bad
“Aw, now I’m gonna puke some more.” Luckily there is nothing that sticks out against this book enough to deem it bad.
Final Thoughts
Harley Quinn #1 is a fun and quick read. Conner and Palmiotti seem to want to bring back that more lighthearted tone that many fans feel is missing from DC. Hopefully they can iron out the wrinkles in some of the dialogue as the series continues, so that the writing can be at the level of the art, as Hardin is bringing quality work. For now though, lets hope next issue will be A Girl’s Best Friend.
GRADE: 7.5/10
