Harleen is a limited series published by DC Comics under the Black Label imprint which covers mature subject matter. It is written and painted by Stjepan Šejić who was the artist on Harley Quinn Annual #1 (2014), Suicide Squad #20 (2017), and several Top Cow titles including his own Sunstone series that he writes with his wife. Harley Quinn is a fascinating character. The trailer just dropped for her headlining movie, Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, out February 7th next year. The comic book is in a magazine sized format. Book One’s cover features a close-up of Dr. Harleen holding up a porecelin mask of Harley Quinn while she has black streaked tears like the mask. It reminds me a bit of the Joker’s girlfriend in the 1989 Batman. It perfectly captures the symobilism of the comic book. I have to admit that I’m biased with my own comic series: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2018/11/proposal-for-harley-quinn-year-one.html.
Book One opens with Dr. Harleen Quinzel walking a twisted path, interesting distortion effect, with the bat signal and bats fluttering past her. She reaches out to the pale form whom we know as the Joker. A bat-like demon threatens the cowering Joker and Dr. Harleen defies it and then checks on her patient. Then, we get a splash page of The Joker and Harley Quinn in her harlequin outfit. The art is impressive and worth the price alone. We get some tight, vertical panels of a former soldier, Mr. Morris, who explains how he snapped and killed patients in a war time hospital. The mature language starts here. There is another splash page of Dr. Harleen interviewing Mr. Morris. We get two years later, where Dr. Harleen is explaining her proposal for discovering the triggering mechanism for murderers who lose all empathy for their victims. She thinks her audience has lost interest. Later at a bar, she consoles her failure drinking with a friend and colleague, Shondra. Harleen finds Shondra to be eager for financial success. She walks alone on the Gotham streets and police cars race in front of her. Then, an explosion from an alley, the next page is a splash of The Joker and his henchmen with clown masks. The encounters with the Joker might be possible in Gotham and does sustain the action, but takes away from Harleen's story.
Dr. Harleen picks herself up and faces the Joker who holds a gun on her. The Joker depicted by Šejić is less clownish and more stylish. Then, we get a two page with images of Harleen’s life flashing by in small panels. It shows her as bookish and shy, but not the gymnastics part of her origin. I saw teen Harleen as a rebel and that’s what the Joker reverted her to that age. Independently, she built herself up from the streets to become a doctor! There is even scenes of her affair with Professor Collins. The Joker leaves Harleen and escapes in his bank van with his gang. Then, we get a close-up of Batman’s eyes as he pursues the Joker in his Bat Wing, and stops them with smoke bombs. Harleen is lost in the smoke and officers take her away from the explosions and fighting. There is an interesting silhouette of the Joker and his gang in the smoke. His gang is taken by Batman in the smoke. Harleen has reached a wall and the Joker is slammed against it. He smiles before taken away. Another two pager has the Joker facing Batman overhead. The fight reaches a pool and the Gothamites, including Harleen, cheer as the Joker is beaten bloody by Batman. The Batman appearance is distant as much of a figure as the Joker as a villain.
This causes sleepless nightmares for Harleen. She heads to the Center For The Study of Criminal Psychology. There she runs into Pauline who still bullies her over her affair with Professor Collins. Harleen enters the office of Dr. Matthews and also meets someone who was at the psychology proposal. He introduces himself as Lucius Fox and he explains that his employer, Bruce Wayne, has made clearance and funds for her project. Her nightmares are settling. Then, we get Dr. Harleen entering Arkham Asylum with the shadow of Harley Quinn behind her. A very cinematic look at the asylum. There is a guard, Tim Bronson, who admits Harleen when the Joker is taken to his room. Aaron Cash is the brutal security guard at Arkham. The Joker is a high security risk, I don’t know why they would escort him casually down the halls of Arkham. He talks with Harleen, this is also dangerous since the Arkham personnel know he can verbally corrupt anyone. Harleen sees a connection with Joker taking his inmate photo (every time he is in custody?) and Harleen for her work identificaiton. Then, she goes to meet with the head of Arkham, Hugo Strange, he was a doctor there, but Dr. Jeremiah Arkham is in charge. Hugo Strange finds contempt in Harleen’s research and her name, but allows her work to continue. She checks patients and interviews them, but is restless and can’t sleep. After talking with Harvey Dent, she makes her decision on her test subject! A very beautiful graphic novel with some fascinating explorations of Harley Quinn!
Four Masks out of Five!
#Harleen, #StjepanŠejić, #HarleyQuinn, #TheJoker, #DCComics
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