A Reader's Guide to Books and Reviews

Title: Harley Quinn (2016-) #21
Author: Paul Dini, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Alex Sinclair (Illustrator), J. Bone (Illustrator), Joseph Linsner (Illustrator), John Timms (Illustrator), Bret Blevins (Illustrator)
Format: Epub
Rating: 4.5/5
Status: Finished
Reading Date: June 8, 2017 to June 9, 2017
Book Summary: “Red Roses” part one! Red Tool is done waiting for Harley to take him seriously—the poor sap’s hopelessly in love with her, and it’s time he made his move! Unfortunately, he’s picked a moment of peak distraction for Harley! And in the backup, “Harley Loves Joker” part five, Harley crosses paths with an old pal—Jenna Duffy, the crook known as the Carpenter! There won’t be much palling around, though…Jenna’s convinced Harley’s trying to scam her out of one of the biggest scores of her career!
Book Review: Real Rating: 4.5

This comic opens on a cabin somewhere in the mountains where Harley Sinn is holding her captives. It is during this that that the two captives place doubt within Harley Sinn's mind of Harley Quinn's hand in her incarceration.

We find Harley herself battling the future Batgirl when something happens. When the two wake again, they are tied up. We learn from the future Batgirl that Harley has killed the Batman in a future timeline and Batgirl has come to kill her off before she can do any harm. This is where we learn that Red Tool is from the future (did I get that right? I am really out of the loop with the history of these characters) and he takes the Batgirl to his home. We learn Red Tool is from the same future timeline and that Harley is his special project.

Harley finds herself back in her room. Her room cleaned up. As she goes to get dressed, she hears her doorbell. Hoping that the person that had brought her home had ordered pizza, Harley opens the door to find her parents standing in the doorway.

This issue really had no action in it. It sort of tied up the ending to the future Batgirl story but have we seen the last of that character? I doubt it. I would love to see her be a bit more of a regular and maybe allow her to get a chance to know Harley better. After all, she came to this timeline believing that Harley was behind the death of Batman. Maybe a chance of interactions might change her mind?

As for Red Tool, I found a little bit more of his story. This helped fill in some of the blanks of what I did not know of him. It gave his character a bit of a build but I don't know if this has changed any of his past history. Harley's comic is the first time I really have met him. He reminds me a bit of Deadpool. Okay a lot of Deadpool. I'm not sure if this a good thing or a bad thing but I suppose most characters within the DC and Marvel universes are knock offs of each other.

This was a nice read. I am looking forward to seeing how things go with Harley Sinn next and how that storyline will wrap up.

Title: Harley Quinn (2016-) #18
Author: Paul Dini, Alex Sinclair (Illustrator), Amanda Conner (Illustrator), J. Bone (Illustrator), John Timms (Illustrator), Joseph Linsner (Illustrator), Bret Blevins (Illustrator)
Format: Epub
Rating: 3.5/5
Status: Finished
Reading Date: April 20, 2017
Book Summary: “Deadly Sin” part two! How can Harley protect somebody who’s vanished into witness protection? Unfortunately, Harley Sinn has a lead that she doesn’t! And in “Harley Loves Joker” part two, Harley tries to make it up to her puddin’ after her colossal blunder—but The Joker’s wrath is not easily soothed!
Book Review: Real Rating: 3.5

This issue picks up where the last one has left off.

Harley has been kidnapped! Red Tool chases after the car that has Harley in it but he is foiled when the police set their sights on him, forcing him to take refuge behind a statute. He calls in to Eggy, who tells him that he does not have to go rescue Harley alone...that he can round up the gang to help. Of course, Red Tool has no patience to wait and heads off to rescue Harley on his own.

Mix in a Batgirl from the future (a storyline looking to appear soon?) and the Mayor trying to rid the city of the homeless via cannibals!

My opinion:

There seemed to be no action whatsoever in it. It felt a bit stalled. Yeah, we know we need to set up the climatic scenes that will lead to the end of this storyline since we have another part of a storyline set up!

I should be used to such tactics but this comic book did nothing for me. It was boring and I nearly put it down to get ready for work but I needed to see if there was just something that would give hint as to why there was an interest in Harley's kidnapping. Yeah, I know it is because she was investigating and the mayor wanted her out of the way but who is the one really behind all of this. There is always the main boss.

I am hoping the series picks up again with the next issue and that there will be more than just a filler.

Title: Harley Quinn (2016-) #15
Author: Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Alex Sinclair (Illustrator), Khari Evans (Illustrator), Joseph Linsner (Illustrator), John Timms (Illustrator)
Format: Epub
Rating: 3.5/5
Status: Finished
Reading Date: March 15, 2017
Book Summary: “Red Meat” part two! Harley’s managed to carve out a kind of peace with New York’s corrupt mayor…but once she gets wind of his plans for the city’s homeless population, the deal is most definitely off!
Book Review: Real Rating: 3.5

Squee! I knew I noticed that art of Joseph Linsner! I have always loved the way he drew women especially from his Dawn series. I had not seen anything from him until now and it was a nice treat to be able to take note that I knew that art from somewhere! xD

Okay, okay with that out of the way...

I was confused with this whole storyline. First we were introduced to a young wrestling woman who seems to be gunning for Harley. The reasoning, I suppose, will remain a mystery for now. Then that entire squad of bad guys being up to something. Then you have the alien guy, who I have yet to figure out if he is going to be bad or good because it seems to change from moment to moment like some sort of mood swing. >>

And did I mention Power Girl shows up?

This has a lot going on but where a new storyline is starting, the other two are nowhere near the end of the line. So you have multiple somethings going on but no ending in sight and I can see why a lot of people would become frustrated with this. I know several times I became confused by the going ons.

This book, once held my interest, but now I feel that my attention toward is waning at best. I want to keep up with it but there are so much I can enjoy about it and then there are things I find that bore me to tears. I am going to stay as much as I can and hope that it goes in another direction that will once more renew my interest.