I wish I could say I’m a sucker for a cruise ship mystery. It’s just that I can’t think of any.
Luckily, writer/artist Erica Henderson is here to set sail on an absolute winner of an annual for Harls.
This vacation adventure begins with Harley, after scoring big on a robbery that she wishes had been more colorfully trademarked like the work of a proper Gotham villain, hopping aboard a luxury cruise solo in an attempt to “open up to new experiences.” Just when she thinks she’s blown past her fun quota way too early, she realizes that the magical stylings of one Zatanna are the onboard entertainment for night two. Only it’s not actually going to be Zatanna on stage: it’s a magical body double, conjured up and capable only of performing audience-pleasing tricks so that the real Zatanna can lounge by the pool. HQ convinces Z to come see the show anyway for a laugh, but when a botched knife-throwing trick from the supposedly infallible imitation Zatanna results in a dead audience member, Harley and the real Zatanna are thrust together into an unlikely team-up in order to find out who hijacked the show and to clear Zatanna’s name.
Gosh, I had fun just typing that out. Henderson, known for her work on Marvel’s Squirrel Girl and Archie’s Jughead, brings her sense of bright-eyed, bushy-tailed (sorry) optimism and turns the dial up on Harley’s smiley excitement. The art is outstanding. It’s enough of a continuation of the artistic areas trod by the series regulars while allowing the Special Guest Artist to take enough of the spotlight. There are even a few laugh-out-loud moments, such as when Harley decides to make a crime-lab pins-and-thread cork board chart of every detail of the mystery and looking infectiously self-satisfied even though the big board only has two pieces of information.
I do have one semi-significant gripe: Vandal Savage. Between Zdarsky’s Batman and Ram V’s Detective Comics, I am personally getting a little tired of DC trying to make Vandal Savage a thing. I get that he’s not exactly a new character, but I’ve been wanting him to be far away from those two titles. I won’t spoil exactly how he is involved here in the Harley Quinn annual, but suffice it to say that his inclusion in Harley’s bright campy vacation mystery makes exactly as much sense as you’d suspect.
In spite of this, Harley Quinn’s 2024 Annual might be the most fun a Harley Quinn fan is going to have all year. It’s able to take the great momentum the series has had so far this year of really establishing an independent streak for the character while still being able to keep her bouncing off the panel walls and delivering on everything that has always made her a great, flagship character at DC. As with most annuals, this is also a great story for those who don’t keep up with Harley to simply pick up, enjoy thoroughly, and head back to whatever corner of the kingdom of comics in which they dwell.
The list of the all-time great cruise ship mysteries in superhero comics is likely a very short list, but something tells me that Erica Henderson’s induction into that particular niche hall of fame is exactly the sort of reward she would most greatly appreciate. This is what already makes her a great Harley Quinn writer. I hope she returns.
Recommend if…
- You’re feeling optimistic about Harley Quinn’s book lately
- You’ve wanted an outright comedy story for the character
- You have a crush on Zatanna (so, an issue for everyone!)
Overall:
In spite of a Vandal Savage appearance that feels like DC editorial keeping some sort of misguided big picture in mind, Harley Quinn’s 2024 Annual is the HQ book of the year. I’m calling it now.
Score: 8.5/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.
