Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Review: Harley Quinn #27

By Philip Schweier
September 7, 2017 - 09:55

Ever since Harley Quinn Rebirth #1 (actually before that), Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner have been at the helm, along with a rotating roster of artists. So after 26 issues, they’re entitled to a break, allowing Frank Tieri the opportunity to step in for an issue.

And I love a good done-in-one. Or even a bad one. The idea of a writer assigned to tell a story in 21 pages, without panels of cinematic silence for dramatic effect. Are modern comic writers versatile and talented enough to tell stories in a variety of formats and lengths? Or are they only capable of telling six-issue story arcs?

This issue features Harley at odds with the Penguin, who is intent on building a casino on Coney Island, displacing the hipsters, freaks and hookers. (Though displaced hipsters doesn’t bother me, personally.) Harley’s solution is in one manner innovative, but once put into action it has the air of predictability.

Eleonora Carlini’s artwork is a blend of cartoony realism – or realistic cartoons, if you prefer. In Harley’s case it works well, given the subject matter. I’m curious to see how it might look with other properties.

For new readers, next issue might be the perfect jumping-on point, as Harley and her gang take a run at public office. Could politics get any crazier?

Rating: 8/10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12