Is It Good? Harley Quinn #3 Review

Valentine’s Day may have been last week but it’s going into overtime in this issue… with a Harley Quinn twist. Is it good?

Harley Quinn #3 (DC Comics)

It’s Valentine’s Day and Harley Quinn is feeling the blues without her puddin’ at her side. She decides to go out on the town to try to forget about the Clown Prince of Crime; before she does that she decides to eat one of the berries Poison Ivy left her — one that has a surprising effect on her.

Raindrops keep falling on my head, but that doesn’t mean my eyes will soon be turnin’ red…

Hey, remember all those times in previous issues where Harley Quinn pretty much wrecked and killed those assassins? Well, this issue cranks up the violence and the black comedy because stuff gets really brutal this time around. Some of it is so over the top and ridiculous (one of the scenes reminds me of Dead Rising for instance) that it’s pretty funny from a dark humor perspective. The grim gags can definitely catch you off guard if you aren’t expecting them and depending how you view Harley as a character what you see may not work for you (the portrayal here more lines up with her New 52 persona than her original one).

Despite the curveball, Harley Quinn #3 is enjoyable and the writing is still solid. The dialogue is fun, especially with Harley’s narration and during a big fight scene (it sounds so ridiculous and goofy that I couldn’t help but laugh). The story is another done in one, building its main story in the background and setting up some minor plot points (like how Harley gets a job working at nursing home). The characterization is still commendable and fits the characters so far with their portrayal throughout the series. To reiterate: the humor is enjoyable, just even darker than usual with its violence. Not a bad issue overall.

Quick! Let me run her over to show her how much I love her!

The artwork by Chad Hardin is strong as always. His characters look fine (his facial expressions and faces in general look better outside of the occasional odd face), he constructs engaging action scenes, the locations are interesting and detailed and the layouts are good (I do definitely like the opening bit with Harley on the ride). There weren’t any interesting background gags like there usually are in this book but that’s a simple nitpick. Harley Quinn #3 looks great overall and Hardin’s artwork definitely fits with the darker sense of humor.

Bath tub Harley = the Slave Leia fanboy fantasy for our generation?

Is It Good?

Harley Quinn #3 goes down a darker and more violent path this issue with dark humor that may not be for everyone. However, if it is for you, prepare to have a blast with a plethora of enjoyable gags. Definitely worth reading and getting if you are in a mood for something different or have been enjoying the series up until now.