COMIC REVIEW: FTN reviews Harley Quinn #1

Writer: Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti

Artist: Chad Hardin

Colors: Alex Sinclair

Publisher: DC Comics

After the amazing 0 issue of Harley Quinn myself like most people were excited for the first issue to hit shelves. The praise for the 0 issue was so high the writing staff and artist had a lot to live up to and I must say I do not think they disappointed with Harley Quinn #1.

Taking Harley out of Gotham and the Suicide Squad and sending her on her own adventure to the wondrous far off land of Coney Island was a nice change for the character. Much like DC did with taking Nightwing and putting him in Chicago it seems that the writers are moving away from the spectacle of the DC metropolises and moving their characters, or at least some of them, into the real world. Of course, who better to send out among the masses than everyone’s favorite female psycho?

Harley Quinn has come into an inheritance left to her by one of her former patients at Arkham and now she has back up all her “treasures” (those that she says Mister J hadn’t blown up yet), jumped on her hog and is headed for Coney Island. Amongst her treasure is a stuffed beaver who talks to her. Now I know this is not a sentient being but still the thought that with all the craziness that happens in Harley’s head that she talks to this stuffed creature is pretty funny. She not only talks to it but she argues with it and sometimes that’s a good look into just how nuts she truly is.

Sadly all is not as Harley seems to think it is, yes she has inherited a place to call her own but she must also pay back taxes, collect rent from the tenants and handle all the finances for the building. Well that can mean only one thing, she must get a job. What follows is a look at the two interviews she goes on, one as a therapist and the other as a member of a Roller Derby team. To prepare for these interviews Harley goes the extra mile to cake herself in cover up because as she says she should never have gotten that total body bleach. Being accepted it seems to both of the jobs all is sitting well for our clown princess until she finds out she has had a hit put out on her.

I honestly loved this issue, while there were some pretty interesting aspects of it I truly felt this is a book that lived up to its 0 issue. It is nice to see Harley on her own and doing her own thing and with that I think a lot of people are going to see her in a different light. A lot of people were not happy with her in the Suicide Squad so maybe this series will bring people around and stop the Harley hate. Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti do a splendid job writing this tale. I think they really got all the aspects of the main character correct. While she is a killer and a psychopath Harley has always been one who at times seems she still has a little bit of a conscience towards some things. We saw that in this issue when she rescues a mistreated dog. She does have a sense of right and wrong it just depends on the situation at hand.

The art is spectacular! Chad Hardin’s style is very unique and I think it works wonderfully with this new series. There were a few panels that I looked at and thought Harley looked a little off but for the most part he does a great job. The colors by Alex Sinclair are breathtaking to say the least. When I look at the art in a comic it’s not just the drawing but what brings it all together and Sinclair truly takes Hardin’s art to the next level so I cannot say enough about it.

All in all the series has the makings to be a good, fun and exciting series. It’s just seeing if following installments can keep up the momentum that 0 and 1 have given us.

So from Spin to all of you I give this Puddin of an issue

4 out of 5 nerds