It was rather disappointing that there wasn’t a regular issue of Harley Quinn during February (at least there was a Valentine’s Day special), since I felt a rather noticeable void in the level of the fun that month. However, the issue has finally arrived and we can have some more fun again. Is it good?
Harley Quinn #16 (DC Comics)
Harley Quinn’s come up with the perfect solution for her recently hectic schedule: Get some assistants! Or better yet, get a gang together to help clean up the streets and make the city a safer one.
Harley Quinn #16 is a lot of fun (no surprise), but feels slightly different from the previous issues of the series, as it’s more about introducing all of the quirky characters and focusing more on the dialogue/less on the physical side of humor. Outside of last issue, we really don’t get to see these new characters in action (the only scene that would have had action was covered up with a big and admittedly, funny joke) and since we now have a two month gap until the next issue, we won’t see much of them until June sadly. That being said, that’s really all the negatives or what could be considered “weak” in some sense of the word when it comes to this issue.
On a character level, I’m really impressed with this issue. The writing duo of Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner do a marvelous job of introducing and giving personality to all of the new characters, but also balancing that with our regulars as well. Harley Quinn #16 builds off a lot of their introductions from last time by letting the new characters speak or have their own little mock interview; there are four pages of almost nothing but Harley interviewing people but everyone is instantly memorable. Probably the standout of the group, for me at least, was Holly Hamden, the blind, wheelchair-bound woman who really strikes me as a character that’s going to be a lot of fun as time goes on. All of the girls and ladies picked here have a lot of potential as well and I’m excited to see them in action when the comic returns.
The artwork is mostly by Chad Hardin, with John Timms jumping in towards the end for the assist. As with last issue, both artists do a great job with drawing their respective pages. The characters look great, there’s some really good visual humor at points, and the coloring is quite lovely. Again, while I like both artists, I’m a bit disappointed we didn’t have just one person drawing the book. Hardin’s more detailed linework doesn’t mesh well with Timms’ more cartoony look and this time, it’s not even like the artists are drawing separate scenes. Too bad, but hopefully the break will allow Hardin to catch up.
Is It Good?
Harley Quinn #16 was a lot of fun and a really good read from start to finish. I’m really excited about this “Gang of Harleys” storyline that’s started up here, presenting a nice wide and enjoyable cast of new characters with tons of potential for great jokes and humor. We didn’t really get to see them in action currently, but with the great writing, humor, and artwork; it didn’t really matter too much or affect any of the fun. I’m going to miss this title a lot over this two month break. I can’t wait to see what fun and excitement awaits this title when it comes back in June.
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