Harley Quinn: Harley Loves Joker #2

Upon buying the second issue of this two-part  miniseries, I learned that this story isn't so much a sequel to the 1994 Batman: The Animated Series story Mad Love as a continuation of a 2017 story in the pages of the Harley Quinn Rebirth comic book series.

With that new knowledge, would I have bought issue #1? More than likely yes. Because I love Paul Dini's Harley. But I would have waited to read this until after I had a chance to read those backups first!

I do feel like this story plays off of Mad Love as Harley has a real metaphysical moment here where she's starting to realize that her relationship with the Joker is pretty toxic. I also liked the explanation as to why Harley Quinn changed her costume from crazed jester to insane roller derby enthusiast.

Once again, Bret Blevins art style goes from good to Good Lord! It starts out in this very neat and clean Amanda Conner kinda whimsy. But by the last page, it all looks like a Tex Avery cartoon. It would have been an okay style in which to do Harley Loves Joker. But Blevins just isn't consistent about his art style.

A very good Harley Quinn story. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Plus it doesn't help that the art is all over the place. Kinda annoying.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Harley Quinn: Harley Loves Joker #1

Paul Dini returns to the character he knows best- Harley Quinn! This miniseries is supposed to be a sequel to the classic 1994 story Mad Love. But I really don't know where this book is in any way a sequel.

What I do know is that Harley is in a lot of debt to the Neverland Gang and has less than a week to pay it back. To do this, Harley and her Puddin’, The Joker need to score a major heist. Yet, there's a new player to the Gotham underworld that keeps getting in the way- as well as all the loot!

The story itself is really good. Just as only Nixon should go to China, Harley Quinn should only be written by Dini!

I don't quite know what to think about the artwork. Bret Blevins’ art starts out in this issue very neat and clean. But his drawing quality really deteriorates over the progression of the first chapter. Was Blevins pressed for time with the deadline? Did he get a hand cramp? Was he just bored with the project?

I really don't know. But it really was a distraction. Hopefully issue #2 will be better. More than that, I really hope I see the connection between this story and Mad Love!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.