After finally bringing the assassin arc to a close, what’s in store for our non compos mentis protagonist? What will Harley Quinn run into next? Is it good?
Harley Quinn #8 (DC Comics)
After the whole assassin situation and Poison Ivy team-up, Harley Quinn is taking some time to relax. She pawns off some of the jewelry she stole from that Russian, finally gets Big Tony to finish that project she had him build on the rooftop, and gets back to the roller derby ring to actually do her job. Of course, with it being Harley Quinn and all, she’ll have very little time to relax or have anything normal in her life…
Harley Quinn #8 felt like an epilogue issue: it tied up all of the loose ends from the previous story, set things up for the next arc and took a moment to relax after all of that craziness. It does a pretty good job of it and I’m definitely left very interested in seeing what’s in store for the future. Story-wise, I would have to say it’s not as tight or as focused as previous issues were, but that might be due to the more lax nature overall.
Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner’s writing is strong as usual. Harley Quinn is still very well characterized and fun to watch as she goes through her daily routine and wanders into whatever trouble lies around the bend. The only off part involving her is when she becomes violent and it is depicted in a dark and serious fashion; it’s not particularly fun to watch and kind of messes with the tone (it’s far more fun to watch if the violence is played up as being over the top or goofy in some fashion, but I suppose a reminder of Harley’s psychotic and dark nature is a good reminder of her roots with the Joker). The dialogue is enjoyable and has a lot of great lines in it, especially during the roller derby scene.
Oh come on! The extra K in your name makes you sound much more kewl.
Now of course, how was the humor in the book? I didn’t laugh as much as the previous issue or Harley’s recent one-shot, but there are certainly some good jokes to be found; the usual inside jokes and references, visual gags, some good dialogue, and more. The issue gets a bit more juvenile then what you might expect with the introduction of the “scatapult” — it’ll be a hit or miss in the humor department with most readers I expect. Other than that though, the comic still remains pretty funny overall.
The artwork is appealing like usual. The characters look decent and are well depicted, though some of their faces still look odd when the artist puts a bit more emphasis in detailing their cheeks. The layouts look good and are easy to follow. There is some good imagery and angles used, the minor details and visual gags put in are amusing, and the colors used look good overall. It all comes out looking good in the end here.
Is It Good?
Harley Quinn #8 is another solid and very enjoyable issue of the series. It wraps up most of the remaining plot threads still hanging from the previous issue, while setting the stage for the next arc. The humor is still enjoyable and the artwork still looks appealing. Good stuff like always.
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