Harley lives? Not our Harley!
Villains month is in full swing and for every good issue that comes out there seems to be a handful that just makes no sense and leave the reader poorer. Sad part is Harley Quinn falls under that umbrella.
This issue opens with a lost and depressed Harley returning to Gotham City after the Crime Syndicate has "Killed" the Justice League. The first few pages of this issue recap or parody Mad Love showing you Harleen growing up with her crazy family. She is depicted as the Lisa Simpson of the family she is smart wants to study but her family hinders her because they do not support or nurture her intellect. I have no idea why this is supposed to make you feel bad for Harley because its not a traumatic childhood compared to many of the other villains we have seen this month.
After her childhood we see her meet the Joker and fall in love which leads to a recap of her terrible new origin in Suicide Squad 8 & 9. Free from the drudgery of the world Harley sets out to find a costume, this part could of been fun and a great place for some humor but Matt Kindt went for a dark telling in this book and it simply does not work. This book is voided of all humor this is a serious Harley with her killing hookers and blowing up kids these actions feel like something the Joker would do and does not fit with Harley Quinn's personality. This is the biggest problem with the book Matt Kindt did not understand Harley. He wrote the Joker not Harley.
I actually thought the artist would of done a good job if this was the funny, crazy , cute Harley that most people are accustomed to but since this book tries so hard to be edgy and dark the art does not work. It feels like there was a lack of communication between the writer and artist.
I had hopes for this issue and it failed to deliver and actually did something terrible which is make me not care about Kindt's upcoming Suicide Squad run. If you are a fan of Harley avoid this book and just wait for Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conners take on Harley.
