Review: Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey #4 (of 4)

A little while ago I reviewed the first part of this mini series from DC under their Black Label. Back then “synergy” was the buzzword, given how this book shares part of its name with the, some would say hit, movie. Now though , emancipated from the past, does this slice of crazy still hold up?

Harley is in a bit of a bind, Her ex and the new gal, no not Punchline another new gal, have captured Harley and Harley’s own gal pal Ivy. Now, as her ex is the Joker, or ex-puddin’, you know that things are going to get a little, well crazy and violent, and that’s taking into account Harley is in the book! What about the Birds? Well they are kind of mixing it up with the a whole heap of people that Harley has angered, robbed or just plain annoyed. Could this be the end of Harley? Are the Birds going to rescue her in time from the vile clutches of Mr J? Do they even care?

Written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, the pair who have more than sustained Harley as a legitimate character and book. Under their stewardship, Harley has gone from strength to strength, managing to appear in any number of books, with different iterations and styles. The pair have created an element of Harley that can be easily seen as influences in the Harley cartoon, There is an element of fun throughout. The zany meanderings between Harley and the Joker are fun, as is the banter between Harley and Ivy. For me the best bits are the conversation between God and the Devil and the handoffs toward the end. Things do kind of tail off towards the end; it’s as if the pace slows so does the fun.

Lack of pace is certainly not something the Amanda Conner’s art can be accused of. Here, all the usual traits are in play; there is some great use of smaller panels that show how the characters move through the panels. In addition, there are some excellent facial moments that demonstrate the use of comedy which is vital for this type of book. Conner takes it in her stride; there is even a Power Girl sighting. The cartoon element may not suit everyone, but if you are buying this book, you will enjoy the situations and scrapes that Conner draws Harley in and out of. Colors are provided by Alex Sinclair, a virtual maestro when it comes to coloring schemes. Here there is a brightness in part, though it is toned down in places, which shows nuances. John J. Hill has a difficult job for sure, given how much verbiage that goes along with all the banter and witty repartee, though he manages perfectly.

I have said any number of times that Harley isn’t my favourite character and this version of the Birds of Prey is a long way from Gail Simone’s high point. Yet, reading this book put a huge smile on face, coupled with genuine laugh out loud moments. Maybe it was the mood I was in, or the fact that I am bored with the staid Future State. Or maybe, it is because Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti have created the best version of Harley that suits the Black Label format.

Writing – 4.5 Stars
Art – 5 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars

Overall – 4.5 Stars

Written by; Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti
Art by; Amanda Conner
Colors by; Alex Sinclair
Letters by; John J. Hill
Published by; DC Comics / Black Label

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network