Any “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose” reference is a good reference.
Creative Staff:
Story: Tee Franklin
Art: Shae Beagle, Roberto Poggi
Colors: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
While out shopping for new outfits at the New Gotham Mall, Harley and Ivy stumble across a possible recruit…but are they recruiting for good or for bad? And what loser(s) would dare to show up and ruin their shopping extravaganza? A very pissed-off Clock King and a butthurt Riddler. Meanwhile, Nightwing and Batgirl follow up on a lead that sends Harley reeling…as many villains’ plans come to light. Everyone is out to tear our girls apart!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
After wrapping up the third season of Harley Quinn not too long ago and knowing that the fourth season hits and it’s going to feel a bit different with new showrunners, slipping into a comic series focusing on the characters from this incarnation was fun. Especially since Tee Franklin definitely captures it here with their writing. It’s got a lot of the insanity and quick talking that we’ve come to expect but also knows how to slow things down so we can really enjoy the Harlivy relationship. Shae Beagle and Roberto Poggi do a great job of presenting this so that it’s like the animated series but not a direct copy, giving it the kind of life it needs in this medium. Especially with Lee Roughridge handling the color design well so that it’s not just big bold colors or anything like that. The end result is a busy and almost hyper book that knows how to carry that intent of the animated side into this medium.
With this issue, which feels a lot busier and packed than most other books I’ve seen over the last few years, there’s a lot going on as events are picking up. There’s a sense of dark things coming, even if it is a partial replay of the second season of the animated series that Harley even calls out, as we get Black Mask debuting here in a bid to gain power now that the Penguin is dead. We also get a nod toward the end of something unsettling with Bella Garten appearing in Gotham as she wonders if Ivy can sense her in the Green. I like seeding these things without making them big action set pieces right out of the gate and it helps to place them within the city in a pretty good way. We also get plenty of other moments with familiar characters, such as Bane getting knocked around and seeing how Riddler and particularly Clock King are still angry over losing best villain couple recently.
With Harley and Ivy, well, they have a lot going on but are definitely finding plenty of time to bang still. And their intense physical connection really does unfold well here as they’re plenty playful and active with each other. For Ivy, she’s trying to figure out how to present herself as the new leader of the Ladies of Doom and that means a trip to the mall for shopping. But the trip is also where we get to know a bit more of what’s eating Harley – besides Ivy – as she’s really worried about losing not just friendships as she takes on this antihero role more but also losing Ivy. It’s an understandable worry overall and we see her edging around it through the dialogue while the narrative has it made pretty explicit. It works well to show the struggle shes going through while also giving us a lot of fun time with her and Ivy in a really good place.
In Summary:
With the show off the air and the third season not exactly lighting a fire under me with enjoyment, I’m really digging this series and what it’s doing. It feels like in some ways it’s able to go more all-in on the relationship and the physical-fun side of it as well as with the dialogue. And that kind of openness about the pairing means it works even better. It’s definitely a lot of fun to see them navigating things here and Ivy trying to figure out how to be the one in charge while Harley struggles working with the “batfam” as she puts it. We get a decent subplot here with Batgirl and Nighwing in dealing with Lady Firefly but it’s more just to showcase some action and connections to Harley it seems like.
Grade: A-
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: DC Comics
Release Date: November 15th, 2022
MSRP: $3.99
