Review: Harley Quinn, Vol. 1: Hot in the City

Harley Quinn, Vol. 1: Hot in the City by Amanda Conner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Okay, here's the truth: I'd been avoiding DC Comics since the reboot mess known as the New 52. I had been excited for the Blue Beetle on-going because I adore Jaime Reyes and co., but seeing the mess that happened there... Well, there wasn't much in it for me. This has clearly been a mistake as there have been good titles released and this Harley Quinn series is one of them.

If you know Harley's history, you'll know that quite often she can be written as just "the Joker's girlfriend," which is a shame because she has so much more to offer. The writers of this series are well aware of just how much the character can bring, and make full use of it. Harley is a morally grey character, doing good things via bad means but ultimately meaning the best for most. The trade opens with her discussing the idea of getting her own comic - with one page artist contributions that are glorious to admire - and quickly inheriting a building from one of her old paitents at Arkham. The building is in Coney Island, and happens to be the home of many "freak show" residents. Harley feels right at home, and the occupants seem quite at ease with their new landlord - one called Tony who becomes a recurring character in his own right.

Yes, this is the series that remembered that Harleen Quinzel is a trained psychiatrist, and makes use of it, Harley getting a job doing exactly that. This does lead to some of the more laugh out loud moments of the entire trade, and I will not spoil them because they deserve to be read and savoured individually. We also get many looks at the relationship between Harley and Poison Ivy, which is frankly utterly adorable. This relationship is one where they are both equal, and yet do not feel the need to bind themselves to each other. It's also a LOT healthier than Harley's other relationship, so yes, I do prefer it.

With beautiful art and top notch writing, I really do recommend this trade for all comic fans. Except the young, but that's more to do with some content possibly being a little too much - such as the violence. It's never done for the sake of it, and always makes sense in context, but some of it could be seen as over the line.

I give this first trade 5 out of 5 and eagerly await when I can get hold of the next one!

View all my reviews