After the very horny second issue, Sirens: Love Hurts #3 brings us one step closer to finding the killer, offers up a bachelorette party, and opens Dinah up for a new level of friendship. Tini Howard and Babs Tarr’s DC Black Label series leans harder into Ivy and Harley’s relationship, while hetero relationships make their own progress.
Sirens: Love Hurts #3 opens with a lined-paper comic by Harley about Batman being empowered by Superman, who flies him up in the sky. Catwoman doesn’t take it seriously, while Poison Ivy nervously passes it off as “little comics.” It’s a cute way to remind us of each character’s personality, but it also helps inform Catwoman that the two are a couple. Before they can nervously answer, Black Canary enters the cafe, angry that the girls are avoiding her. The dialogue and great cartooning carry the scene, which doesn’t necessarily progress the plot, but it’s fun nonetheless.
And that ends up being the entire vibe of this third issue. Characters talk, interact, and many scenes feel less about something and more about letting Tarr do her thing. A page of Black Canary and Green Arrow patrolling the city is more about seeing these two in love, and getting down in the last panel. In the very next scene, Poison Ivy and Harley are tracking down the killer, but the entire page is more about the flirting of these two characters than anything else. Basically, the comic is in no rush to move things forward and is much more interested in playing around with the characters in the moment.
Getting down.
Credit: DC Comics
That makes this a different kind of reading experience, where you appreciate the cartooning and personalities more than the larger plot moving forward. That includes a scene with Catwoman at a swanky party, being bored to tears.
There are a few scenes that feel unnecessary at best, like when our four heroines are freezing on a rooftop keeping watch on the villain. Black Canary acts as the leader of the other three, but the lengthy dialogue and lack of action make the page feel like it could easily have been a panel at most. When scenes feel overly long or unnecessary, Tarr’s art saves the day and keeps you invested, at least.
That said, the plot does move forward in terms of who the killer is, from her big reveal to a lot more detail on her targets. The bachelorette party also feels formative in Black Canary’s relationship to the trio of villains as the wedding gets closer. Seeing Harley and Ivy take things to the next level also feels important, since relationships are so key in this series.
Sirens: Love Hurts #3 thrives on charm, chemistry, and visual storytelling, even when the narrative momentum slows. Tini Howard and Babs Tarr prioritize character interactions and relationships, creating an issue that feels breezy and intimate while still nudging the mystery forward. It may test readers looking for tighter plotting, but those invested in the cast and their dynamics will find plenty to enjoy.
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