Harley Quinn #61 – Elliott Kalan, Writer; Carlos Olivares, Artist; Marissa Louise, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Last issue introduced us to the newest version of Harley – Bat-Quinn, a ruthless vigilante who seemed to be the latest manifestation of Harley’s mental illness. But this issue makes clear it’s not just Harley having a breakdown after her breakup with Ivy. That becomes clear when we’re met with a pink-skinned Harley wearing normal clothes. It seems like after DC KO, the leftover Alpha Energy allowed Harley to split into two people, one her angry side and the other her logical side. Which leads her landlady to ask…where the funny side? After both sides make clear they really have no interest in reuniting with the other, Bat-Quinn goes off to meet with Althea Klang, who makes pretty clear she’s not interested in this Harley – especially after seeing her brutally beat perennial villain Captain Blimp. It’s an interesting take on Harley’s identity crisis, but taking all the humor out of Harley seems like a dicey proposition long-term.
Harley & Ivy: Life & Crimes #5 – Erica Henderson, Writer/Artist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Erica Henderson’s reinvention of Harley and Ivy’s first meeting and their genesis as a couple has been a lot of fun, but this issue brings in one of my favorite obscure characters in the DCU – Ma Hunkel, the tough-as-nails blue-collar momma who was actually DC’s first female superhero. With a little extra Brooklyn energy, she winds up taking in the two temporarily as they recover from the previous issue’s events. Ma runs a busy mixed-use building where she looks after several foster kids off, the books, and she wastes no time putting Harley and Ivy to work and digging into the insecurities that lead to their self-destructive behavior. Harley takes it well, Ivy…less so, but after some encouragement from Harley, she joins her and tries to keep an eye on the kids. It backfires in epic fashion as another major Bat-rogue shows up. This is one of the most entertaining issues of the series so far.
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