Writer: Karl Kesel Artists: Terry Dodson (p), Rachel Dodson (i)
Publisher: DC
Plot: As her attempt to battle crime dressed as Batgirl ends up making her a target of the new Batgirl & Robin, we see Harley Quinn's problems are magnified when Nightwing also arrives on the scene. However, never one to know when she's in over her head, Harley presses on, and we see that she manages to make her escape after she leads her pursuers into a den of criminals, and then slips away during the resultant confusion. Meanwhile, back with the Quinntets, we see that the traitorous Nix is continuing to plot against Harley, and Harley isn't exactly helping her case, as she is far more obsessed with playing the role of matchmaker to the pair of professionals that have been hired to capture her, than she is at making sure that her Quinntets are kept happy. We also see that Batman is forced to drop his Matches Malone persona, in order to keep Harley from being done away with by her own gang.
Comments: I haven't completely given up on this book, but I will say that this was a rather weak issue. Oh it has some enjoyable action, and the developing tension within the ranks of the Quinntets is fairly solid reading. However, the plain & simple truth of the matter is this issue is strictly paint-by-numbers. We have action that is simply in the book to provide excitement, as the reason why Harley is involved in this struggle against Nightwing, Robin & Batgirl is so nebulous that it feels contrived, and largely pointless. I mean, I'm sure that Karl Kesel was patting himself on the back for coming up with the idea of Harley dressing up as Batgirl, but to base an entire story around an idea that sounds fun, without providing the needed motivation to have it become a story, makes me think Karl Kesel couldn't be bothered to come up with one. I do hope that Harley's somewhat flighty nature won't be used as a catch all excuse for future wacky plots.
Another problem with this book is its detached treatment of Harley Quinn. I mean yes she does play a key role in all the stories, but we're never really allowed to get to know her. Maybe part of this stems from my not having picked up her earlier appearances during the "No Man's Land" arc, but to me Harley has simply not been developed fully, which is a huge problem given she is suppose to be able to carry this title. I don't know why she does half the things she does, and while the automatic response to this criticism will be Harley's not together upstairs, so her behavior is going to be unpredictable, some of the greatest characters in fiction have been crazy, and the truly memorable ones still have clearly defined motives to guide their actions. I mean does anyone wonder why Norman Bates acted the way he did? How about Hannibal Lecter? Making your character loony doesn't excuse you from having to explain their behavior/actions.
The Dodson duo do a nice job on this issue, as while there are times where it's painfully obvious they are playing up the cheesecake factor, I'd be hard-pressed to lay into them for catering to their target audience. The action is this issue is certainly a strong indicator of why it's easy to forgive the in-your-face shots of Harley Quinn's ample physique, as her fight/flight against the trio of heroes is a wonderful display of sheer energy. I mean that shot of her driving Nightwing's bike off the rooftop is fantastic, as is the resultant scene where she discovers only cartoons can defy the law that what goes up, must come down. The talking heads sequence where we see Nix turning Harley's gang against her aren't really given an ominous feel by the art, but I will concede that these scenes are clearly conveyed, with the sequence where Batman sheds his disguise being the chief benefactor of this clarity. Loved the cover to this issue, as well.
Final Word: I'm all for a creator devoting an issue to simple action, but this issue really felt like it was spinning its wheels. The idea of Harley Quinn dressing up as Batgirl is revealed to be a simple diversion that made sense only to Harley, and one is left to wonder why over half the issue was devoted to this plot, given it only seems to only exist to fill page space. Now there is some significant advancement when it comes to Harley's gang turning against her, but it's hard too worked up over by a plot development that has been telegraphed since Harley first formed the Quinntets. I mean is anyone really feeling a sense of dread, now that Harley's gang is suddenly revealed to be a bunch of turncoats. I know I'm not.
