Local politics are in the news this week here in good old NYC. The sun is blazing, the humidity is oppressing, but nothing can stop motivated New Yorkers from getting out there and doing their boring civic duty.
Funny that local political procedure is at the center of this month’s Harley Quinn. Let’s just hope that DC has something marginally more fun than standing in a voting line cooked up for us.
In front of Gotham City Council, concerned citizen and Harley’s landlord Mrs. Grimaldi lodges a formal complaint about a new public bathroom/charging station/general public gathering kiosk which has popped up obtrusively in front of her stoop as part of the diabolically capitalist Althea Klang’s “revitalization” efforts in the old Gotham neighborhood. We then get rounds of testimony on the kiosk’s erection and swift destruction. We hear from Mrs. Grimaldi, Klang, Klan’s hired assassin/protector of the kiosk the Ravager, and, of course, one Harley Quinn, who smashed, bashed, and maybe even mashed the kiosk in battle with the Ravager.
The conflicting reports on how exactly the fight went down, who hit whom, and who said what, are all told in intercut flashbacks which break up the council testimony. It’s genuinely fun stuff, as each of our mighty-egoed participants try to frame themselves as the hero who bested the other. Both the Ravager and Harley paint the other as whining and pathetic, taking turns stealing the podium microphone to “set the record straight”. It’s an effective comedic trope and it moves things along more enjoyably.
Artist Mindy Lee is back at the easel this month. Their artistic effort is this issue’s weak point. Faces are warped and inexpressive, action poses are repetitive, and the fight choreography can be muddled and difficult to follow. There’s a relatively well executed three-panel flashback sequence toward the end (one depicting a wholly unnecessary and farfetched plot twist), but I more readily give credit to superstar Irish colorist Tríona Farrell for that move. Lee’s style is never exactly out of place for the tone of this title, but it lacks a certain sharpness of execution.
More on that plot twist: without spoiling anything, a recurring character’s backstory is revealed, answering questions which I doubt anyone really had. It’s a strange and interrupting layer in what could have been a pretty effective comedy of civic duty and civil disobedience.
If Elliot Kalan can follow this kind of impulse, if he can continue to lean cartoonishly into his formula while adding fresh spins and flairs, then I think that this current run on the Harley Quinn title can slowly become more rewarding. As an out-and-out comedy book, it’s not the funniest thing you’re going to read. But things are looking up.
Overall: HQ #52 is not a complete departure from its title’s formula, but it’s a fresh enough approach to keep things moderately interesting despite lackluster art. With writer Elliot Kalan’s comedy background shining through more apparently than it has in months, this is something we maybe have not had all year from this title: genuine entertainment.
Recommend if…
- You like “My Cousin Vinny”
- You yearn for the familiar comfort of Saturday morning cartoons
- You’ve ever wished it were actually fun to get involved with local politics
Score: 6.5/10
English (US) · 