The fight club opens up for the night in this week’s issue of HARLEY QUINN. Head smashing, star seeing, all out brawls are only the beginning of the Quinn’s comical adventure joining her gal pals for some entertaining rounds of pain.
Harley is her hilarious self in every situation, even in the face of the worst beating she still manages to crack a joke. With no rules for the underground skate competition, we see Harley take on the toughest woman from skate club. The smack talk suits the character perfectly and reminds me of her bantering days with her ex hubby the Joker. Everything in life is fun and games to Harley and her character portrays the notion of that throughout the issue as the gags don’t stop rolling. Exploding tooth paste, getting conked on the head and seeing into another galaxy, she even manages to bite her team mates in the most unconventional places.
The vibrant art only adds to the upbeat atmosphere of the issue. Everything from the dark and dirty skate club, still manages to have a bright tone making the comic look like you are watching at an old circus. Bizarre facial expressions also capture the characters amusing moments. The “ouch” moment definitely make you feel what the character is feeling. I love how Brett Smith adds so much gloss to the characters not only making his colors shine but the characters personality as well.
Positives
You cannot beat Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner in scripting the fool’s antics. The dynamic duo have really done a spectacular job on the re-vamp of Harley and continue to deliver a clever script with each issue. Each character, from the leading lady to all the supporting side characters, have been given a purpose and point as well as a smooth connection into the story. Each week the comic grows and putting these two writers together was the best idea DC has had since the 52 reboot. Also the strange little side story in the middle, though random, had me laughing from the sheer daydream nature. It was something very typical that you almost expect from Harley when she gets hit too hard.
Negatives
The artwork can sometimes seem manly in the issue. Though it’s not a huge problem, Harley is a beautiful woman and should be portrayed as such. Also the cluttered panelling in the issue does make the text hard to follow. With a great story you want easy to read pages that are spaced evenly but sometimes this is lost in the chaos of HARLEY QUINN. I think getting the point across in larger panels, even with extra text bubbles, would give readers eyes a more even view and would make the pages look less cluttered.
Verdict
Another hilarious issue of HARLEY QUINN’s story wraps up before the arc of FUTURES END. With a mystery guest dropping by ending the issue with a twist that will have you hooked waiting for the next installment. Reacquaintance’s can be seen on the horizon for this side-splitting roller derby villain.
Rating
