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Review: Harley Quinn #56

By Philip Schweier
December 19, 2018 - 05:04

Mel Brooks once suggested that the best way to defeat evil is to ridicule it. By turning something so heinous into comedy removes any element of threat or intimidation. Hence, his films such as The Producers (1967) and To Be or Not to Be (1983). And I can only presume that was the goal of Mark Russell, to poke fun at thos e with a political agenda but no legitimate strategy.

To his credit, he targets neither the left nor the right, neither liberal nor conservative. Simply the well-intentioned rebels without a clue. Often, when I learn of a march or protest on behalf of some cause, I can’t help but wonder, “Don’t these people have jobs and other obligations to address?” A year or two back, in response to Donald Trump’s claims that global warming was merely “fake science,” a march for science was held in my town. While I agree with the general beliefs of those involved, I failed to see an effective strategy. Afterward, had anyone been converted? Unlikely. Had anyone perhaps become more open-minded? Doubtful. The only result from the march was a large number of hungry, sweaty, tired science supporters.

So when Harley finds herself on the receiving end of a variety of catch phrases and platitudes from idiots with a lame agenda, she’s happy to hand out social injustice in her own over-the-top manner. One might argue her response is excessive, but let’s face it, we’ve all wanted to take a chain saw to someone for a minor infraction, so let’s not start casting stones unfairly.

Not only does this issue feature a special guest villain, but also a guest writer. It helps keep the title fresh after 50+ issues. I’ve been with it since the beginning, and while I sometimes find the character of Harley a bit tiresome, her adventures are always interesting and entertaining.

Rating: 10/10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12