Harley Quinn #30 – Tini Howard, Nicole Maines, Writers; Sweeney Boo, Mindy Lee, Artists
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Tini Howard had a tough job ahead of her taking over Harley Quinn after two wildly acclaimed runs, and her decision seems to be to go all-in on making this book as bizarre as possible. After two slightly rocky first issues, it seems to be finding its groove as things get wild—literally. An extended prelude on Captain Carrot’s world finds the rabbit hero facing off against the evil Backseid—only to find himself missing the Vorpal Fish, the all-powerful weapon he needed that Harley casually took from the multiverse to whack Two-Face, not fully understanding what she was doing. That leaves the world in disarray, and Captain Carrot the sole survivor and quickly descending into madness.
This is just one of the many things Harley has to set right to please her multiversal judges, who are now represented by cosmic beings taking the form of Bud and Lou, her pet hyenas. After an extended segment where she tries to get a pass to the multiverse while neglecting her teaching duties, Harley is off to Captain Carrot’s world—where she’s not received all that well, as you might expect. Meanwhile, Ivy comes home to an unpleasant surprise, and the whole multiversal quest is about to get a little more complicated. Howard’s script is tighter and funnier this issue, but the real all-star is the kinetic and cartoony art of Sweeney Boo, which shifts perfectly in tone between the various worlds Harley visits.
The backup, by Nicole Maines and Mindy Lee, is excellent as well. Set in a medieval world—but not Dark Knights of Steel, it finds Harley as a crusading knight on the trail of a sleeping green-skinned princess. But as she seeks out the location of the tower, she winds up having to do one annoying and often disgusting side quest for peasants after another in exchange for information. The creative team creates some hilariously gross perils for Harley, with an excellent and all too relatable punchline.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
