Many fans
are already anticipating DC Comics' upcoming Suicide Squad movie. With a cast
featuring Jared Leto as the Joker and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, now is as
good as time as any to recommend some Harley Quinn reads for the summer!
Harley
Quinn a.k.a. Harleen Quinzel trained as a psychiatrist and applied at Arkham
Asylum to work with the Joker. However, this quickly turned ugly and Harley
soon became the Joker’s part-time partner in crime and girlfriend (how
unprofessional is that?!)
Since the
Batman Arkham Games produced by Rocksteady Studios, Harley Quinn has soared in popularity
and she has become a real fan favourite. Many of her comic book cameos,
including her first appearance in Batman Adventures #12, have become hugely
collectible and as the price has gone up for all of her back issues, the best
way to read some of her stories is though collected editions. This blog post was originally meant for the Stag newspaper but unfortunately the last issue did not get printed.
1) Harley
Quinn Preludes and Knock Knock Jokes
Story by:
Karl Kesel
Art by:
Terry and Rachel Dodson
This
trade paperback is a great place to start reading the mad adventuress of Harley
Quinn. Collecting #1-7 from her first
series, Harley Quinn breaks her puddin’ out of Arkham Asylum only to discover that
the he is trying to kill her (typical Joker!) With the help of her best friend
and eco-terrorist, Poison Ivy, Harley tries to make it on her own for the first
time ever. This leads to a run in with Two Face, a whole bunch of new henchmen
(called the Quinntets) and during her downtime a slumber party with Catwoman
and a kidnapped pizza delivery boy.
2) Harley
Quinn: Hot in the City (The New 52)
Story by:
Jimmy Palmiotti
Art by:
Chad Hardin
Harley Quinn #0-8 has been collected in this trade paperback which features
the New 52 origins of Harley Quinn. As crazy as it is, this graphic novel makes
for a fantastic read. Once again Harley’s life has taken a whacky turn as
she takes ownership of a building in ruins which comes with all sorts of
problems such as many weird tenants and a ton of pets. Harley has also gone
back to her roots and is putting her degree in psychology to the test in a new
job while also finding time to join a roller derby team. Every page is packed
with fun and if you like the first seven issues you can add her ongoing series
to your pull list at any good comic shop!
3) Batman
Mad Love and Other Stories
Main
Story by: Paul Dini
Main Art
by: Bruce Timm
This collection of Harley Quinn stories is one of
my personal favourites. Not only does it collect the original 64 page Eisner
Award winning story titled The Batman
Adventures Mad Love, it also features many bonus Batman comics and short
stories by various comic book creators. The spotlight however is on Harley
Quinn as she realises she can never live a happy life with the Joker as long as
Batman is around. Harley sets out on her own and as she kidnaps and attempts to
kill the Batman, the Joker disrupts her plans and tries to take the attempted
murder into his own hands. To Harley’s horror, the Joker resents her attempts
to try and destroy his arch-nemesis and sends her back to Arkham Asylum in an
ambulance.
When it
looks like their toxic relationship is finally over, the Joker sneaks a single
flower into her prison cell and unfortunately, all is forgiven. Batman Mad Love
is the first comic which allows readers to sympathise with Harley in the most
natural way possible.
4) Gotham
City Sirens Volume 1
Story by:
Paul Dini, Scott Lobdell, Marc Andreyko, Tony Bedard.
Art by: Guilliem
March, Peter Nguyen, Andres Guinaldo, David Lopez, Alvaro Lopez.
In this 26 issue comic book series, Batman’s three femme fatales, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Catwoman team up and take Gotham by storm. The 13 issues collected in this graphic novel follow straight on from Batman R.I.P where Batman’s cape and cowl is adopted by Dick Grayson (the first Robin and later Nightwing) and the Heart of Hush storyline which leaves Catwoman seriously injured. In order to protect each other, Poison Ivy offers Catwoman a place to stay with her and Harley in the Riddler’s hideout and the Gotham City Sirens are born. They soon move into Selina Kyle's new hideout (which does get wrecked and built again after a jealous Joker goon came after Harley) and the girls are constantly being framed for crimes they did not commit. I have just started to re-read this series and I love it! Each story gets the dynamic of the girls relationship spot on and I love seeing them all in their classic costumes.
5)
Batman: Harley Quinn
Story and
art by a huge variety of DC creators.
Release
date: 28th July, 2015.
My last recommendation is this brand new Harley
Quinn graphic novel which features 200 pages of everything Harley! It is set to
come out in July and collects everything from her DC Universe debut story in Batman: Harley Quinn #1 to Joker’s Asylum II #2. It also features; Batman
Gotham Knights #14, #30, Batman: Black & White #1, #3, Detective Comics
#831, #837, Detective Comics: Harley Quinn #23.2, and Legends of the Dark
Knight 100-page Super Spectacular #1.
These top five
Harley Quinn picks offer some of the best stories over a wide period of time.
As Harley has been one of my favourite characters since I was a little girl
there are so many stories I would have liked to write about but I really don’t
think there is enough space. Harley’s comics shine a bit of light in the dark
DC universe.
Thanks for reading, comment some of your favourite HQ reads!
- Ellie x
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