Harley Quinn #12 – Stephanie Phillips, Writer; Riley Rossmo, Artist; Ivan Plascencia, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: It’s the conclusion of the first year of Harley Quinn, and this issue does a great job of pulling everything together for a chaotic finale. Last issue saw Harley’s friend Kevin kidnapped by Keepsake and strapped to a train track, while Harley was forced into a sadistic explosive version of the Trolley problem—derail a speeding train onto her friend, or let the rigged locomotive crash into a crowded train station. Harley’s choice, naturally, is neither—she never saw a problem she couldn’t bluff her way out of. The first half of the comic is a great segment as Harley tries every crazy thing in sight to stop the train, combined with a clever imagine spot where she visualizes what other heroes would use their powers to do if they were Harley Quinn. But whether through guile or luck, Harley saves the day and Kevin—easily one of the best new supporting cast members in a while—lives to see another day.
But there’s still the problem of Keepsake to deal with, as the villain wants his revenge on Harley. This sums up the larger problem with Keepsake—he’s just pathetic and seems more like a fanboy throwing a tantrum than a serious threat, no matter how much trouble he causes. But I think that might be intentional, and this issue certainly takes some joy in cutting him down to size once and for all. With the help of some unexpected allies, we get a satisfying finish to the first arc—but a much bigger threat might be emerging, one with a personal vendetta against Harley. I don’t know what The Verdict’s motivation is, but I worry it might be a little too close to Clownhunter if she’s got a grudge against Harley for something she did when she was a villain. But with a strong character design and a dramatic introduction, Phillips and Rossmo have at least got me very intrigued to see the next act of this series.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
