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Review: Harley Quinn #42

By Philip Schweier
April 26, 2018 - 14:15

Harley Quinn is riffing on Marvel, in more ways than one. The Terrifics is virtually a carbon copy of the Fantastic Four; Harley’s compadré, Red Tool; and now DC has offered us Old Lady Harley, a post-apocalyptic version of everybody’s favorite henchwoman. And it also riffs on The Road Warrior (1981), with an opening monologue lifted straight from the movie.

The story is set in the future, when the Big Apple has become rotten to the core. It’s in worse shape than it was in Escape From New York (1981). Each borough is lorded over by the remnants of Harley’s entourage, and Red Tool has sought her out in an effort to bring order to what was once NYC. And did I mention former toy boy now looks like Snake Plissken? I know, I thought he was dead, too.

Page 12, panel 4 continues the Marvel rip-off homage, and there may be more that I’m overlooking, but by now the joke has worn thin. Fortunately, it’s not a joke Frank Tieri seems inclined to beat into the dirt. After a brief interlude in one of many possible futures, next issue promises a visit to the past, perhaps to Harley’s days alongside Joker.

In all, it’s a fun issue if you know the ‘80s well enough. Those of us privileged to have seen Star Wars on the big screen when it came out will enjoy it, but if you’re much younger than that, and most of your memories of the 1980s come from watching Pop Up Videos, well, you may miss more than you realize.

Rating: 8/10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12