Time for the Futures End tie-in I’ve been looking forward to most: the Harley Quinn issue. Why? Because it’s Harley Quinn and her series has yet to truly let me down. Besides, there’s no way this comic could be as dark or overly serious as some of the other Futures End books were, despite the good and bad ones that were there. So, without further ado, let’s check it out! Is it good?
Harley Quinn: Futures End #1 (DC Comics)
To save on money for a trip to the Bahamas, Harley Quinn decides to mail herself there in a shipping crate via cargo plane. Unfortunately, there’s a huge storm on the way and after a big crash, Harley finds herself stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere. An island that’s inhabited by a very familiar face…
I would say she’s going crazy too quickly… but it’s Harley Quinn so this is pretty normal behavior for her.
First things first, this issue is just like the rest of the series. It is ignoring basically everything happening in the rest of the universe and is telling its own tale. That means there is no crazy, hulk Harley Quinn at all like you saw in the Suicide Squad issue. As such, we can enjoy the issue as its own, fun event.
Basically, it’s Harley Quinn stuck on an island where she becomes Princess-Queen-Goddess (that’s quite the title) to the local natives, while also meeting the Joker and hanging out with him, who is acting like his normal loony self and not like he was in Death of the Family. That should please some people. Even better is that their relationship here and how they interact with one another, sans a few moments with Harley, is kind of how the two were back in Batman: The Animated Series. So again, that should please some people.
The writing by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner is solid. As I mentioned, the characterization is on point — even if they are all terrible people. The dialogue is enjoyable, with plenty of memorable and funny lines. Speaking of which, the humor was just fantastic, with plenty of laugh out loud moments and scenes that’ll be sure to make you smile. The pacing is good, though a tad fast in some areas, and the story flows pretty nicely. The only real problem that I could have had with this is that it really doesn’t make much use of the Futures End concept of being five years in the future… but then again, this series never really cared about what was happening with the continuity and followed its own path, so maybe that’s for the best here.
I said thought balloon, not thought log!
The artwork is handled by artist Chad Hardin for this one shot and he’s great here. His characters are very expressive and full of emotion, the layouts are appealing and easy to follow, and there is plenty of amusing and striking imagery to be found (love that shot that feels totally like a classic Disney scene). Harley Quinn: Futures End #1 also has some great coloring from Alex Sinclair as well, which really makes the book shine. One of the best facets of the artwork to me however were some very subtle bits with the artwork that you may not have noticed; for instance, when the Joker shows up in the book, he has scars around his face where it looks like his skin was stitched back on. It’s very nice to see that sort of diligence and continuity within books, even if some panels and shots show him missing those scars. Great looking book overall.
Is It Good?
Harley Quinn: Futures End #1 is an excellent, funny comic as usual. The writing, the characterization, the fantastic humor, and the artwork all come together into making a truly special and hilarious experience. While it does not do much with the Futures End tie-in potential, it is still an enjoyable read and something you should not miss out on.
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