This is it – my final review for Batman News (at least for now). I may, however, be doing an op-ed finalizing my thoughts on DC’s treatment of Harley Quinn. I love this character to death, at least the way she was supposed to be written. However, despite tanking sales and reader disinterest all around, DC refuses to change literally anything about how they use her.
This comic is quite a fitting send-off, however. It begins with a story which confirms everything I ever thought about DC’s assassination of Harley Quinn. The people at DC admit what they’ve done here…
“Harley’s All the Way Down” by Bruno Redondo
…and that story is brought to us by Bruno Redondo. It opens with Harley running from a Dodo bird that the Batfamily is trying to catch. The totally random opening is meant to make a point and kickstart the premise of the story: what IS Harley’s purpose in the DC universe, and what exactly is her character now?
Bruno goes on to give an incredibly hackneyed version of Harley’s past leading up to now. He claims she was but a background character playing second fiddle to the Joker before entering comics, when in reality, Harley has been getting her own solo outings ever since Batman: the Animated Series. Bruno tries to make it sound like Harley was written better once she became a solo star, but he includes Arkham games Harley in that era even though she was quite Joker-obsessed in those games. Then he claims that Harley had a Joker relapse in 2016? This gives a very warped view of her history.
Here’s the truth: Harley broke out as a successful character in Batman: the Animated Series. A HUGE part of that success revolved around her chemistry with the Joker, and the sympathy their toxic relationship brought her. Harley Quinn was largely unsuccessful when she entered comics, however. Why? Because unlike the TV shows that kept Harley as a supporting character with an occasional solo outing, comic book editorial was obsessed with making Harley a solo star. She barely appeared with Joker, or in Batman comics in general. But Harley has difficulty in staying an interesting character if she’s by herself indefinitely. It was the Batman Arkham Games that reinvigorated interest in the character, however, because she reappeared in her traditional form. If Harley had a “relapse” with the Joker, it was because people wanted it!
Then, Bruno describes something with complete accuracy. Harley Quinn does not have an identity anymore. You never know when she’s going to be a hero, anti-hero, or villain. She can jump from being a character for pre-schoolers to a character who’s completely X-rated. She’s a cute, innocent jester; she’s a punk rock teenager; she’s not so violent; she’s excessively violent; and on and on and on. Through all of this, there’s no core to her character. There’s no one element that stays consistent to tell you who she is. Batman has gone through many changes over the years, but the core of the character – that he’s a crime fighter driven by the death of his parents – has stayed the same throughout everything. However, Harley doesn’t have that. She’s just always switching from one character to another, with only the name staying the same.
Bruno Redondo’s response to that? “Keep it coming!” Keep switching Harley off to the next thing and then the next!
No, Bruno, no. The fact that Harley has no identity or purpose now is WHY people have been pushed away from her. It’s why no one reads her comics anymore, and why there’s no real fanbase around the character anymore, because there has to be a consistent character there in the first place for people to be fans of!
The core of Harley’s character used to be that she was obsessed with the Joker. Like Batman’s parents death, that’s what stayed consistent about her through each story even as they tried to make her go solo. However, in the mid-2010s, DC decided to use the character to chase trends, and they turned her into a Deadpool ripoff in her New 52 run. When that stopped selling, they let her devolve into literally anything, and they apparently don’t care enough to fix Harley now, even as they acknowledge how she’s unraveled as a character.
This story ends with Harley joining the Batfamily and flipping-off the audience that doesn’t like it. I can’t think of a better analogy of what’s become of DC Comics. Even when they acknowledge their problems with their characters, they are too proud to admit that they should change. With that, not even Bruno’s excellent-as-always artwork can save this story.
1/10
Dr. Quinzel’s Couples Counseling by Deniz Camp and Fabio Veras
In complete contrast to Bruno Redondo flipping-off readers, this story seems like it wants to take Harley back to her roots (you know back when she actually had a character). Harley attempts to fix a couple’s marriage issues, even though they don’t have any. With this, she inadvertently sends the couple on a path of relationship growth as they try to escape her torture.
Harley’s personality is well-written here, as Camp balances out Harley’s violent insanity with her hopelessly earnest romantic nature. Camp somehow manages to make Harley likable, in spite of the terrible things she is doing. However, despite a couple of smile-worthy moments, the issue overall isn’t particularly funny. The artwork is quite mediocre, with the characters occasionally drawn with no chins or with out-of-proportion body parts. The coloring also uses more gray than black, white, and red, and it doesn’t pop.
The heart of the creative team was in the right place, but I still found this issue hard to get through.
5.5/10
“Sirens Rising” by Tini Howard and Babs Tarr
You better believe I was wailing and gnashing my teeth when I saw that Tini Howard was going to write the final tale for this series. I had moved away from reviewing the main Harley book just to get away from Howard’s writing. However, to my SHOCK of SHOCKS, this story isn’t that bad. Tini even refined her voice for Harley a tiny bit so it isn’t quite so grating. Why every writer who does the main Harley ongoing is made to give her the worst nails-on-a-chalkboard voice ever is beyond me.
I think what also helps Harley here is that her personality is given a little more nuance. This is supposed to be Harley back in her pining-for-the-Joker days and the silliness and sympathy it brings to the character is a great reminder of why Harley used to work. Babs Tarr’s artwork is some of the best of this series, bringing a cute, feminine look to the Gotham City Sirens.
Because this IS a story of the Gotham City Sirens and how they supposedly first got together. However, while I didn’t mind this story and found the banter between Ivy, Harley, and Catwoman somewhat appealing, there’s still something off about all of their personalities and interactions. Tini seems to forget that these are all criminals. She makes the Sirens all talk like regular Gen Z girls on the town. There’s a brief fight with the Joker that would’ve been fine, if it wasn’t revealed that the Joker the Sirens were fighting was an imposter. There was no reason for this. It would’ve tied up the story nicely to have Harley fight the actual Joker. This just solidifies my notion that there is a ban behind-the-scenes at DC Comics of Harley ever actually interacting with the Joker.
Then the story ends with the Sirens getting together, and a “To Be Continued…sooner than you think!”
I’m sorry, is Tini Howard going to be writing the Gotham City Sirens now? Probably not as an ongoing series, I think this is for an upcoming arc in Harley Quinn. The trio of characters are all going to be appearing there soon according previews. I’m sorry though, I’m out.
DC should’ve used the Gotham City Sirens team a long ago as a way to compromise between a Harley free from Joker, who also doesn’t have to be forced to carry a book by herself. But it’s too late now. Harley’s not an actual character anymore, her relationship with Ivy has just become smut, and Catwoman’s character has also been assassinated by none other than Tini Howard. I can’t imagine anything good coming from Sirens content now.
5.5/10
Recommend if…
- Babs Tar is your favorite artist
- You don’t mind DC Comics spitting in your face if you rightfully point out their shortcomings
Overall
I’m very solid in my decision to step back from reviewing. Readers and retailers have spoken up regarding their problems with DC Comics and the greater comic book industry. Sales, especially for Harley Quinn, have tanked, yet nothing is getting better. What good is a critic if people behind the scenes won’t accept and learn from criticism? I’ll always love the REAL version of Harley Quinn, however. I only hope one day she will be given to better writers who actually care about her.
Score: 4.5/10
Disclaimer: DC Comics provided Batman News a copy of this comic for the purposes of this review.
