Review: Harley Quinn Vol. 4- A Call to Arms

Quick Summary

Pros: The central narrative is interesting and adds some fun new elements to Harley’s adventures. The humor should still appeal to those who enjoyed it at this comic’s beginning.

Cons: There are more storytelling problems in this volume than most of the previous ones. The humor is less appealing than it was in the last volume.

Overall: This is still an entertaining Harley Quinn book but it is definitely not one of the best. The artwork and storytelling have more negative features than before and end up being a step backward from the previous volume. Luckily, the book’s core concept is still good and Harley maintains most of her personal appeal. In the end, this collection will appeal to those who are already fans of the series and want to see how it progresses, not new readers looking for the best from this series.

Story

Harley Quinn Vol. 4: A Call to Arms, by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, manages to live up to many expectations but fails to live up to others. The main positives here come from the volume’s execution of the comic’s main positives. This means that the humor is consistent with what was present when the series began and the narrative is growing increasingly interesting. However, there are also more problems than before. The tone of the comic is severely damaged by something that happens in the first chapter and there are storytelling issues throughout the read. Though there is still a lot to enjoy throughout this book, it isn’t quite as good as one would hope.

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Much of A Call to Arms feels very similar in quality to the first few volumes in the Harley Quinn series. It details several unique and madcap adventures that would not be found in any other mainstream DC book. Most of these revolve around the newest addition to the comic’s cast of supporting characters, the “Gang of Harleys”. The new characters are fun and allow for some interesting new developments, particularly in Harley’s transition from reluctant hero to full-blown vigilante.

All of this also comes with the comic’s traditionally polarizing approach to humor. Though the humor seemed to have matured in the previous collection, it is back to its baseline here. Gross-out humor and sex jokes are as numerous as ever, especially in the Road Trip Special issue. I did enjoy the Popeye parody and some of the comic’s metacommentary but, in general, found the comedy here less appealing than in the last collection.

In addition, A Call to Arms has a few problems that previous volumes did not contain. The majority of this book focuses on Harley’s attempt at cleaning up the streets and looking out for the less fortunate in her community. However, within the first chapter, she brutally murders a young man for stealing a trash can from the side of the road. It is a gross overreaction that negatively colors everything that comes later. If you ignore this one moment, the Gang of Harleys is a fun concept but, with this moment being a prominent debut moment for the team, it really sours the rest of the read.

In addition, A Call to Arms has a bad habit of introducing drama and then shelving it immediately after it is introduced. Harley’s antagonism with the Mayor prompts him to arrest her friend but appears to end there, despite the fact that it seemed to be a bigger issue at first. This arrest is then made out to be a major problem, yet Harley doesn’t even begin to address several chapters after it happens. Instead, she goes on a lengthy trip out to the West Coast and takes a lengthy road trip back. The cavalier approach to these pressing issues makes them seem less important and takes much of the suspense away.

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Art

Most of the artwork in A Call to Arms, is just as good as everything that came before it. Chad Hardin packs Harley’s hometown adventures with action. Hardin’s work on the Gang of Harleys also helps each character have a unique personality, while still looking like a cohesive unit. Meanwhile, John Timms does well with Harley’s West Coast adventure, making the visuals seem as exotic as the story does.

However, the visuals in A Call to Arms dip in the Road Trip Special issue. In this issue, characters look strange and locations aren’t that appealing. In addition, there are places where bodily proportions are off and perspective comes across strangely. On top of all of this, the visuals throughout this issue are heavily sexualized in a book that is already on the edge when it comes to over-the-top sexualization. In general, this chapter is a low-point for the visuals in the entire Harley Quinn series.

Continuity

Harley Quinn Vol. 4: A Call to Arms continues the story from Harley Quinn Vol. 3: Kiss Kiss Bang Stab (Review).

The story here continues in Harley Quinn Vol. 5: The Joker’s Last Laugh (Review).

This volume also references other comic books, detailed below:

• Vague references are made to Harley Quinn’s past associations with Deadshot (Reading Order). Presumably, this is referring to their time together on the Suicide Squad (Reading Order), which begins in Suicide Squad Vol. 1: Kicked in the Teeth (Review). 
• The Road Trip Special issue references the Bizarro (Review) miniseries.