Harleen #3 // Review
Itβs hard to categorize Harleen #3. Is it a tragedy? Is it a love story? Is it a cautionary tale? Harleen herself might say itβs a comedy. Regardless, itβs a solid piece of comics writing, and an excellent addition to the Batman canon.
Much of the issue focuses on Harleen Quinzelβs struggle with her deepening romantic feelings for the Joker. On the one hand, she wants desperately to protect him--from Batman, from Arkham Asylum--and even to cure him so that he can rejoin society one day. On the other, sheβs fighting with the destructive impulses that the Joker awakens in her. When the newly-mad Two-Face stages an assault on Arkham Asylum, everything comes to a head, and Harleen truly becomes Harley Quinn.
Stjepan Ε ejiΔ, who both writes and digitally paints the series, has excellent insight into Harleenβs state of mind. Itβs to Ε ejiΔβs credit that Harleenβs descent into--well, not quite madness, but a sort of mania--is not only believable but even sympathetic, even as she commits her first murder, killing one of the only truly sympathetic characters in the miniseries. Ε ejiΔ even asks the question of whether or not the Jokerβs affections for Harley are real, but he smartly avoids providing an answer either way.
In order to sell Harleyβs deepening love for Mr. Jay, Ε ejiΔ plays to his own strengths as an artist and makes this one sexy comic. This is published through DCβs Black Label, but (profanity aside) Ε ejiΔ keeps the art PG-13, and itβs a wise choice--itβs somehow sexier than full nudity would have been. Itβs a hell of a trick to make the Joker hot, but Ε ejiΔ pulls it off here. He also finds ways to literalize Harleenβs struggles through her dreams and visions, using his unique digital painting style to significant effect.
Harleen #3 is a fascinating finale to an excellent character study. If thereβs one complaint about this book, itβs that we get precious few moments exploring Harleyβs relationship with Poison Ivy. Hopefully, Ε ejiΔ is interested in a sequel...
