Harley Quinn #7

Posted: Friday, April 13
By: Jason Cornwell

Writer: Karl Kesel
Pencils: Terry Dodson
Inks: Rachel Dodson & Karl Kesel

Publisher: DC

PLOT:
As Harley Quinn & her Quinntets, clash with Riddler & his goons over the spoils of Wayne Manor, we see a desperate Oracle has brought in Big Barda to keep these assembled villains from discovering the true secret of Wayne Manor. However, Oracle quickly begins to regret choosing Big Barda as her operative, as she generates massive amounts of damage in her bid to capture the villains.

Spotting that she doesn't stand a chance against Big Barda, Harley smartly arranges a deal that will allow her & the Quinntets to walk, if they aid Big Barda in the capture of the Riddler, before he uncovers the rumored secret of Wayne Manor.

In the end, the hidden passage to the Batcave is unearthed, but before anyone can discover what lies down that darkened passage, Big Barda literally brings down the house, as almost half of Wayne Manor collapses in on itself. Meanwhile, Harley Quinn's collage professor is used to bait a trap for Harley.

COMMENTS:
A very funny finish to the siege of Wayne Manor arc, as while this entire story hinges on some very unlikely plot contrivances, that Karl Kesel neatly skirts around during the opening plot recap (which is rather cleverly handled I might add), there's no denying that this issue was a whole lot of fun. I mean, Oracle's reactions to Big Barda's activities inside Wayne Manor are highly amusing, and my biggest regret is that we'll probably never see the scene where Oracle has to explain to Bruce why she called in Big Barda.

The climax of this issue is also far more surprising than I'd gone in expecting, as when the passage to the Batcave is uncover, I was actually stunned at how far Karl Kesel had gone with this idea. The big finish will also stand as one of the funniest moments of the year, as Big Barda manages to save the grandfather clock.

Overall, this two-part arc has sold me on this series, and here's hoping more of the same is around the corner. This issue does suffer from a bit of a pacing problem, as it opens with a highly entertaining bit of chaos, and then it suddenly ends, and the various players stand around for several pages, doing little more than discussing the situation & in a rather labored gag, one of Riddler's men manages to get himself mistaken for one of Harley's Quinntets.

I mean, when one has the momentum built up in the opening pages, it's just wrong to bring it to a pause before delivering the big finish. I realize that he had to fill the couple pages, I'd much rather Karl Kesel had simply expanded the subplot of the trio seeking to bait Harley into a trap, as this would've sustained the unrestrained chaos of the main plot that was somewhat quelled by the uneventful middle section. Still, in the end the opening half, and the closing third were more than enough to make this book an enjoyable read, so I don't want to come across as sounding overly negative.

Terry & Rachel Dodson are a fine art team for this book, as their clean, open style nicely compliments the carefree, somewhat goofy nature of this book's lead. Harley Quinn bounces across the page with reckless abandon in this issue, as not even the borders of the panel seem to be able to contain her energy.

The art also does a fine job displaying the sheer destruction of Big Barda, though I do feel that the collapse of Wayne Manor could've been done in a more dramatic fashion. The art also does a fine job with the facial expressions, as Big Barda's rage, the Riddler's kid-in-a-candy-store expression, and Oracle's near panic are all perfectly captured by the art.

My only quibble about the art on this issue is that I found it quite hard to believe Big Barda could simply walk past the Riddler on page four, as he was quite visible in his bright green outfit. At the very least he should've been feigning unconsciousness.

FINAL WORD:
Yet another wildly entertaining issue, filled with highly amusing moments, and supported by a plot that while a bit contrived, turned out to be a good deal of fun. The various guest-stars were used to great effect, as the Riddler spent the issue joyfully seeking the secret of Wayne Manor, while a harried Oracle cringed on the sidelines at the potential disaster in the making.

However, it is Big Barda who steals the show, as her bull in a china-shop mentality, managed to generate numerous laughs, with the highlight being her final line. The issue does suffer a bit from a lull in the middle, as the fast-paced action suddenly screeches to a dead halt for a couple pages before the hilarious climax, but overall this issue can't be recommended highly enough to fans looking for a very funny read.