Time to return to the crazy life of Harley Quinn. Last we left off, we saw her set up in her own apartment and get targeted by assassins. What crazy shenanigans will she get into this time?
Harley Quinn #2 (DC Comics)
Just another day in the life of Harley Quinn as she seeks out a new fridge. Is she having trouble with quickly spoiling milk? Nope. She needs to stuff the body of the newest hit man that tried to kill her inside. After that, she makes a shocking discovery: A local pet store is planning on euthanizing over fifty pets the next day because no one will take them in. Harley isn’t going to stand for that; she’s going to take care of the poor little animals… in her own way.
Mostly because the legal way didn’t work out all that well.
The premise of this issue’s is pretty simple on paper: Harley Quinn wants to save some animals and shenanigans ensue. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing in the case of the comic, which has a sort of a sitcom with a twist vibe going for it; meanwhile a bigger story is brewing in the background. There’s a lot of fun craziness to be had with Harley Quinn starring in her own title and it works.
Character wise, the cast is good overall. Harley Quinn herself is an enjoyable character — especially getting to see how she interacts with new situations or how she handles the problems she confronts. Obviously (you can tell from her choice in men) she may not be the most complex or sympathetic character out there though. Along for the ride this issue is Poison Ivy, who plays the straight (wo)man in some parts to Harley, but can be just as goofy or silly at times (she also seems to be very into Harley if you know what I mean). If you have seen her character in almost any of the other books she appeared in (like Birds of Prey towards the start), her character does not seem very accurate or close to her other portrayals which can throw some people off. I think this series is pretty much like Superman Unchained; it’s sort of in continuity , but it’s more off in its own little bubble at the same time.
Look Harley, it’s just not sanitary to hump a wax figure.
The humor is a lot stronger in this issue than in the first with lots great jokes, facial expressions, background gags, and more. The timing is perfect on a lot of them and the visuals bolster them as well, like when Poison Ivy meets Harley at her new home. One thing to note about this issue is that while there is a lot of darker humor to it, there is also a good deal of crude and sexual jokes in it as well. They are pretty funny if you get them, but some kind of make me wonder why this comic is rated T for teens at points.
Art duties are split between Chad Hardin and Stephane Roux this time around. Now one might be a bit surprised that Hardin would need a fill in this early in game, but there is an amusing reason for Roux’s work here. Go back to the zero issue, check the page he did for the issue, and you’ll find the answer there. But besides that, the artwork between this is great, and Roux might be even a little bit better (he draws some facial expressions a lot better than Hardin at points). Their characters are both crisp and distinct, the backgrounds and worlds are vivid and well detailed, layouts are good in the more action oriented areas, and both blend well enough together that the change between them isn’t immediately noticeable. It’s great stuff overall and really makes the comic even better.
Her precious charbroiled beaver! Never forget him.
Is It Good?
Harley Quinn #2 is an utter blast. It’s a fun little romp with Harley and Poison Ivy with a great sense of humor and great visuals that help add to the experience. If you don’t mind your humor darker than usual and with someone as zany as Harley, then you are in for quite a treat.
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