What do a multiversal magic cartoon fish, Harley Quinn, and utter doom have in common? They’re all elements of the current story arc in Harley Quinn #30! The new Dawn of DC series by Tini Howard and Sweeney Boo is heating up as Harley has come to realize she may have accidentally doomed an entire universe. It’s the same universe as Captain Carrot operates–the Superman of that universe–and in Harley Quinn #30, we get to see the damage done.
Harley Quinn #30 opens with Harley talking to her pet hyenas, who have had their minds taken over by another universe where they are far more intelligent. These hyenas narrate for the reader what has become of Earth-26, which was once a bright and hopeful cartoon universe. As we see throughout the first few beautifully rendered pages by Boo, things turn south fast thanks to the cartoon fish exiting their plane of existence.
This opening section leans into the wacky and pun-friendly universe from the name of their Darkseid to the colorful cartoon characters that make up the super team of their Earth. We learn early on Captain Carrot has the hots for a Captain America-style poodle, for instance, and the super-turtle known as Fastback loves to give Carrot a good ribbing. It’s super silly and over-the-top stuff.
Which suits a book like Harley Quinn. Meanwhile, our main hero is racked with guilt over what she has done. The middle portion of this issue features Harley trying to figure out how to get the fish back with some more silly twists and turns, like Zatanna having a call-waiting service. Only in a Harley Quinn book.
Darkseid is called Backseid…nice.
Credit: DC Comics
The solution is quite clever, albeit a little ridiculous, given the power of the object she buys. Can anyone buy a multiverse-hopping device? Maybe Harley’s superpower is having outrageous options in battling crime. There’s a nice scene discussing the ridiculousness of Batman, a guy with no powers, somehow being at the center of multiverse-spanning epic moments. It’s reiterated Harley is similar, only she’s always riding shotgun during these events.
This issue isn’t light on the action, from the opening retelling of what happened to Earth-26 to Harley confronting a hero and hoping to head back home. The conventional hero-fighting-hero trope is used here and, surprisingly, doesn’t make a joke of it. Instead, it rides out a few last pages before reaching the cliffhanger.
This issue also features a fun fairy tale-style backup by Nicole Maines and Mindy Lee. Harley hopes to save Poison Ivy, who has been put under a sleeping spell. The problem with being a knight, Harley learns, is a quest requires lots of side quests to reach your final goal. There are funny moments, plenty of action, and a nice payoff in the end. The story is promised as an in-continuity tale, and it doesn’t disappoint in that regard.
Harley Quinn #30 is a great example of how far you can take the character when you lean into the cartoony nature of Harley’s antics amped up by a literal cartoon universe. This series has a great sense of humor with eye-catching art that pairs well with the zany antics. Plus, we get a fun fairy tale backup story to round things out!
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