Review: Harley Quinn #17

Quick Summary

Pros: The new storyline sets up some great potential for future issues. The social message in this issue is very wholesome. The backup issue is a wonderful return to “classic” Harley.

Cons: The social message can feel a bit preachy in its delivery.

Overall: This issue combines the start of an interesting “modern” Harley story with a nostalgic “classic” Harley story. Both of these are entertaining starting points for new adventures and thus also serve as great jumping on points for new readers. Expect to see the same fun/crazy which readers expect from Harley while also seeing things get “real” for a little bit as well.

Story

Harley Quinn is presented in the main story as the crazy, yet caring, goofball that she has been throughout this current run on her character. This makes for a fun and light read that still manages to set up some surprisingly interesting storylines for the future. This current arc is going down a completely unexplored portion of Harley’s life, one which has a lot of potential.

The main reason that this particular issue of Harley Quinn is receiving so much attention is due to the backup being written by Paul Dini. Paul Dini is a big part of the reason Harley even exists and is often considered to be one of the best authors to write her. Readers picking up this issue because of Paul Dini will absolutely not be disappointed as this short story is a wonderful call-back to some of Harley’s first appearances. It captures the spirit of the original character in the perfect way and is overall a great start to what will hopefully be a long-lasting backup series.

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Sometimes comic books can be a little dark and pessimistic in their view of the world, so it is always nice to see a comic take a little time to put some positivity out there. In today’s issue, this can be seen in Harley’s message about the homeless. She states that people should be more caring and understanding to the homeless. These are people who may be dealing with major life trauma or even mental illness. It is a nice moment of humanity in an otherwise silly and fun book.

The only bad part about this positive message is that its delivery feels a little awkward. Instead of the message being a natural conclusion that readers discover by reading the story, Harley has to spell it out exactly. This makes the message less natural, leaving it feeling like the final few minutes of an after school special.

In addition to the positive parts within this issue, this story does a good job at setting up something for readers to look forward to: meeting Harley’s parents. It is hard to picture a character like Harley Quinn even having parents so there is really no knowing what will happen here. Will they be as crazy as her? Will they be super straight-laced instead? This story can go in countless directions so it will be enjoyable to see which one they end up going with.

Now, to talk about the backup issue, it really is everything longtime fans were expecting. It brings back Harley’s comically unrequited love for Joker, her hyenas, and an overall feeling of campiness. Though this is a short story mostly serving to give readers a grasp for setting and tone, it is also a love letter to people who liked the Batman: The Animated Series and Harley’s first few comic book appearances. If these things are continued in the next issue then this backup story has the potential to do something akin to Mad Love in terms of something people will love. I am personally very optimistic about this story and am really looking forward to seeing where it will go from here.

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Art

The art in this issue is done by John Timms. It is very similar to the art style that has been used throughout the modern age of Harley Quinn. This is a style which is very realistic, while still retaining a “cartoonish” quality about it. This makes the intense violence and crazy antics more like something from Looney Tunes, and undercuts the brutality of it. For this issue it works very well and, though it is not the most beautiful artwork in comics, it does the job it needs to do perfectly.

Like the story, the art for this issue’s backup, done by Bret Blevins, is a wonderful callback to Harley Quinn’s origin. It mirrors Batman: The Animated Series incredibly well and feels almost as if it came right off of the screen. When paired with Paul Dini’s writing, this is a nostalgia fix for anyone who enjoyed seeing Harley in any episode of the animated series.