Review: Harley Quinn and Her Gang of Harleys

Quick Summary

Pros: The main narrative is tense and exciting. Harley and her Gang of Harleys all receive some solid character development. The collection’s villain is well-rounded and works great as the main antagonist. The conclusion is well-executed and sets up the potential for future stories.

Cons: The volume’s opening is lackluster and fits in poorly with the rest of the narrative.

Overall: This miniseries is a real treat and pairs well with the rest of the Harley Quinn stories out there. The bulk of the volume tells an interesting story about a tense battle for Harley’s fate. In this story, the characters are well-written, especially the villain, and the conclusion is great. Anyone who has enjoyed previous Harley stories or who is looking for a standalone example of what her adventures are capable of should consider checking out this volume.

Story

Going in to Harley Quinn and Her Gang of Harleys, I will admit that I had low expectations. Often times, spinoffs from larger comic books are less interesting, less appealing, and far more gimmicky. Because of this, I assumed Harley and Her Gang of Harleys would be a generic attempt to cash in on Harley’s popularity.

After reading this collection, I am happy to admit that all of my preconceived notions were wrong. Throughout this collection, writers Frank Tieri and Jimmy Palmiotti craft one of the most compelling Harley stories in her entire New 52 journey. It centers around a tense and compelling story, uses this to give minor characters some character development, and then dives into a fantastic conclusion. By the end, emotions are running high, readers have a better understanding of the villain’s motivations, and core aspects of Harley Quinn’s personality are reaffirmed. The conclusion even leaves open the possibility of futures stories. All in all, this volume is a highly worthwhile addition to the Harley Quinn series.

(spoilers start here)

Harley Quinn and Her Gang of Harley starts out on the wrong foot. For a series that has been mostly championed acceptance and embraced different opinions, it seems strange that the first half of the opening chapter is mostly spent making fun of hipsters.

Luckily, things only improve from this point. Harley Sinn, a new villain, quickly steals the spotlight. She kidnaps Harley, threatens the Gang of Harleys, and even mistreats her own henchmen. Her power over everyone gives the book clear stakes and instant tension, as she has full control of Harley for most of the narrative. All of this sets her up as a credible villain and gives the rest of the collection a focal point to center itself around.

This works as a showcase for the Gang of Harleys. The beginning of the collection sets them up as misfit children, unsure of their own abilities. However, as they progress through the narrative, they dodge death, outsmart their enemies, and further define themselves as individuals. Eventually, they bring the fight right to Harley Sinn and, once reunited with Harley, are able to defeat her and her forces. It is a triumphant moment for the group and a pleasant show of character progression.

This conclusion also works well for Harley Sinn as the villain. The final chapter shows a number of flashbacks to Harley Sinn’s past, explaining how a life of mistreatment and abuse have molded her into the deeply troubled individual she is today. Though Harley Quinn does not see these flashbacks, she understands that something must have gone wrong in Sinn’s life and, because of this, she decides she wants to help her rather than hurt her. Harley defeats Sinn in a final battle but, ultimately, helps her by setting her up with a program designed to treat her damaged mental state. As redemption and mental health are core aspects of Harley Quinn’s character, this conclusion suits her and Harley Sinn wonderfully.

Then, right before the volume ends, the writers deliver a final twist. Sinn’s chance at redemption is snatched away by her father, who has her committed to Arkham Asylum. There, she is tormented by the Joker, who assures her that Harley does not care about her. It is a devilishly evil twist that potentially sets up Sinn as an even more significant villain for a future story.

(spoilers end here)

Art

The majority of the visuals in Harley Quinn and Her Gang of Harleys look nice and work well with the collection as a whole. Mauricet does a solid job depicting and properly differentiating the rather large cast of characters seen throughout this miniseries. Mauricet also does well in crafting a few unique locations, upon which fun action plays out. There are a few moments where the quality of the art dips and a lack of detail becomes more noticeable, which occasionally occurs in places where another artist steps in, but these moments are relatively rare. Overall, this collection looks good and should satisfy most fans.

Continuity

Harley Quinn and Her Gang of Harleys is a mostly independent story that takes place sometime after the events of Harley Quinn Vol. 6: Black, White and Red All Over (Review).

The story here doesn’t directly continue in a specific comic. However, the Harley Quinn series continues on in Harley Quinn Vol. 1: Die Laughing.

This volume also references other comic books, detailed below:

• The Gang of Harleys was originally recruited back in Harley Quinn #16, collected in Harley Quinn Vol. 3: Kiss Kiss Bang Stab (Review).
• Harley mentions her team-up with Power Girl a number of times. She teamed up with her back in Harley Quinn #10-13, collected in Harley Quinn Vol. 2: Power Outage (Review), and in Harley Quinn and Power Girl (Review).
• Harley also mentions her team-up with Wonder Woman. This team-up takes place in Harley’s Little Black Book #1, collected in Harley’s Little Black Book (Review).
• Harley’s recent time travel is mentioned. This occurred in Harley’s Little Black Book (Review).