Harley Quinn #19 – Stephanie Phillips, Writer; Georges Duarte, Artist; Romulo Fajardo Jr, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Harley is off in space for the adventure of a lifetime in the second part of this weekly storyline, and it doesn’t let us down in terms of wacky antics. This is essentially a Suicide Squad story—of sorts—and so it’s not a surprise when one of the crew dies fairly early on in this issue. The government is on the trail of the mysterious spaceship that just launched into the atmosphere, and one of the only ways to stop the missile they launch is… to throw someone at it? It makes sense in context, and the death scene that follows is both surprisingly dramatic, and given a whole lot of irreverence by Harley’s presence. It maybe unfolds a little too fast, given that we just barely got the group together at the end of last issue, but it sets the stakes for this series nicely and gives Harley the chance for some great one-liners. And so the adventure continues—but surprisingly one of the best scenes this issue takes place on Earth.
That would be between the mission’s mastermind Luke Fox, and his father Lucius. It follows up on many of the themes already being explored in I Am Batman, where Jace Fox’s complex relationship with his family is the focus. While Luke is the one member of the family who hasn’t really come around on Jace, we get a better look at Luke’s perspective here and why he’s so determined to cut his own path in life. The last part of the issue has Harley and her motley crew of survivors arrive at their destination—and encounter a menacing alien force waiting for them. This issue shifts its tone and themes neatly between a comedy, an action movie, and a horror movie. I’m not exactly sure why it was decided to make this series a weekly—besides the fact that it gets us to the next arc of the series faster, which might be essential for pacing—but it’s a fun read that keeps the momentum of the series going after the Verdict arc.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
