Harley Quinn and Catwoman cut through the monstrous flora that Poison Ivy's grown in Robinson Park and attempt to talk her out of a dangerous dalliance she's having with an alien plant man.
The Good
Color me surprised, but this was actually quite good. I honestly wasn't expecting to find a story with this kind of lean, mean storytelling in a book like Gotham City Sirens, but here it is, none-the-less. The premise of this super-villainess duo carving into a nightmare garden to save their friend from herself was intriguing on it's own, actually. I was actually touched by the theme of battered women bonding in solidarity... since it was done in a way that wasn't heavy-handed nor eye-roll inducing. Actually, Bedard found some clever links in continuity, drawing connections between Harley's relationship with the Joker and Ivy's relationships with the Floronic Man, as well as this new guy. Guinaldo's art totally fit the tone, delivering the goods of "cape action" while surrounding the reader in a haunting prison of sinister plant life.
The Bad
You know, maybe the art really wasn't as polished as I would've liked on the whole, but I honestly didn't mind it too much. It actually fit the tone of this being a raw, dirty situation happening in one of Gotham neglected corners. It shouldn't look too pretty.
The Verdict - 4/5
Even though I'm only catching the tail end of this storyline with Posion Ivy and her other-worldly boyfriend, I was still digging it a lot more than the previous arc with Catwoman's nutso nun sister. Between this, Green Lantern Corps and Rebels, Bedard's quickly rising on my list of writers to watch at DC.
I started reading this comic when I saw the cover of #1, and it's been solid the whole way through in my opinion. Harley, Selena and Ivy make for some interesting stories when they are all together and this arc has been good in particular. I definitely recommend the series to anyone on the fence about it.
Plus, they frequently have Riddler involved doing his good guy private eye routine. Really a good series. Thanks for the review.
" I dropped this after March stopped doing interiors. "
Guillem March is one of my favorite artists. His pencils are just marvelous. It's a pity he's not illustrating this series anymore, but the art is not bad at all. Andres Guinaldo's art for this arc has been pretty consistent, much better than Peter Nguyen's for the last one, Sister Zero. I guess, if you wanted to get back on track with this one, you could pick this latest arc and skip GCS #12-13.
@harleyquinnhawkgirl said:
" I dropped this title when Paul Dini stopped writing but I really want to read it again. This issue sounds great! "
So your saying Sirens gets better? Wow, I might actually consider buying Gotham City Sirens TB vol.2(in paperback of course, let's not get crazy here). Lol
