Writer: Stephanie Phillips / Pencillers: Riley Rossmo, Laura Braga / Inkers: Rossmo, Jay Leisten, Braga / Colour Artists: Ivan Plascencia, Arif Prianto / Letterer: AndWorld Design / TP / DC Comics
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23rd March 2023 (Released: 14th December 2021)
Review by Paul Dunne
The Pitch: Harley Quinn here to let everyone know that I’m starring in a brand-new graphic novel collection with a brand-new status quo! I’m coming back to Gotham City to make up for the sins of my past, and to help the city recover from the Joker War! But there’s no welcoming committee waiting for me, your favourite Maid of Mischief! And between you and me, some real creeps are working to keep the city broken. We can’t let that happen, can we? Rising-star writer Stephanie Phillips, my new partner in crime, takes me into a bold new era with her partner in artistic crime Riley Rossmo, who I gotta say designed a real nice new costume for me. You’re not gonna wanna miss this one, folks!
I've never really warmed to Harley. There's only so much one can take of the Manic-pixie death girl. Partly, this was due to the fact that I missed her debut years. Partly, it was due to her ubiquity later on. From the Suicide Squad on (the first, shitty one), you couldn't move without Margot Robbie's HQ edition neu popping up and the comics putting her everywhere to keep up. I realise that this was kind of stupid since you now can't move for Batman and I have zero problems reading that. Still, the more recent versions of Harley have grated. From a design standpoint, I preferred the look of the black-suited onesie-wearing acrobat. From character point of view, I think I just came too late to the party. I never watched the Batman Animated series in which she made her debut (and it remains a hole in my Bat knowledge to this day) and she was only peripherally in the comics I was reading. And in her most modern incarnations, an element of Harley that irks me is that she seems often portrayed as a 'strong female character' trapped in the body of a sex doll and is always drawn that way, with a massive dose of fourth-wall breaking thrown in. Of course, you can have both. But what I felt we were most often left with was Deadpool with tits, which isn’t giving the character her own agency when it comes to her cultural currency. But Phillips and Rossmo, lean into Harley's professional credentials and abilities. And yes, there's plenty of ass-kicking, and she looks great.
What is the price of redemption for the manic-pixie death-doll?
We join Harley in the post-Joker War (and post-Joker Gotham), as she sets out to rehabilitate Mistah J's henchmen. Meanwhile, Gotham's establishment, namely Mayor Nakano, brings in Hugo Strange to do the same, but for their interests. And ultimately, for his. Strange experiments on the afflicted, taking the poor and rendering them mindless zombies in actuality rather than in deed the way the Joker did... Lobotomies A-Go-Go! In a way, the book represents social care versus corporate interests, in keeping with the repositioning of Harley as an activist (see also: Harley Quinn Breaking Glass). But it's not the only thing going on here.
Social care versus corporate interests.
Harley discovers that the price of redemption is continually proving that you deserve that redemption. And of course trouble with redemption is that nefarious people will also want their shot at being redeemed, too. Like Hugo Strange. Does everyone deserve redemption? Phillips asks these questions but wraps them in a fun book, whilst continuing its lead’s journey toward the person they want to be. Harley is at the crossroads of accepting responsibility for her actions vs laying the blame at others' feet. This is always a tough theme for me to see in stories as it's something I wrestle with in my own life and I see others wrestle with it too. Same for Harley. She constantly has to deal with ill-informed men who think they know better, like Batman.
The Batman who thinks he knows better.
Harley distinguishes herself by not slapping on a bat symbol. By starting her own group, her own family, gathering a support group, and through their sharing, the book speaks to the ease at which people can get caught up in bad ideas and fevered acts simply because they sense change is needed but don't know what they want the status quo changed to. It's something that post-Brexit Brits will hopefully learn to deal with. Speaking of Brexit, Phillip's gives us a Gotham full of dangerous cults, like Hugo Stranger's outwardly respectable cadre of researchers and ex-Arkham prison guards, all shaved bald like their leader, rounding up clowns from the Joker War at his behest. There's a method in his madness... But it's still madness.
There’s method in Hugo Strange’s madness, but it’s still madness.
Phillips writes an excellent Harley, a woman longing for her true love (Pamela Isley) and looking to change herself and her environment, knowing that to change one is to change the other. She crafts a realistic journey for the maid of mischief. We see Harley step into her power, relying on her intellect and skillset – her academic skillset – to rebuild her life and the lives of the people around her. And of course, she gets to smash shit up. Phillips' writing is clear and coherent, lacking the somewhat confused dialogue and action that has become a feature of so many major comics today. Riley Rossmo's inventive paneling splashes dynamic action across the page and keeps the dialogue scenes vibrant. His exaggerated, extreme style perfectly suits Phillips' scene craft. Every page is electrified by his work and following his stunning work with Steve Orlando on the Martian Manhunter, he remains one of the most exciting pencillers to watch in comics right now. Ivan Plascencia's colours light up Gotham in neon. There's a touch of Tokyo and Papergirls in his work, with the saturation set to eye-burn. His hues soak into the paper nicely. Andworld Design's letters complete the package, expertly complimenting the art and colours with splashy, fun creations. This could be the start of my love affair with Harley. Head over heels.
Harley Quinn Vol. 1: No Good Deed (TP) is available from Gosh Comics.
