Harleen #1 Reviews 

“Harleen” #1

By | September 26th, 2019
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

Here’s a question for you: What do the Wonder Twins, X-23 and Harley Quinn all have in common? They’re all comic book characters who didn’t start out in the comics. As a matter of fact, these guys all made their debuts in cartoons, leaving such a big impression that they were properly introduced into the canon. They’ve all done well for themselves since but Harley Quinn’s probably doing the best. It’s unbelievable. A one-off appearance on Batman: The Animated Series turned into a recurring role. That turned into several comic books and now she’s one of DC’s most popular characters. She’s the lead in major motion pictures and people are planning their Harley Quinn Halloween costumes as we speak. Creators Paul Dini and Bruce Timm imagined a sidekick but ended up with a star.

Cover by Stjepan Šejić

Written & Illustrated by Stjepan Šejić
Lettered by Gabriela Downie

Dr. Harleen Quinzel has discovered a revolutionary cure for the madness of Gotham City-she just needs to prove it actually works. But with the criminal justice and mental health establishments united against her, the brilliant young psychologist must take drastic measures to save Gotham from itself. Witness Harleen’s first steps on a doomed quest that will give birth to the legendary super-villain Harley Quinn in this stunning reimagining of Harley and The Joker’s twisted and tragic love affair by visionary storyteller Stjepan Šejic (AQUAMAN: UNDERWORLD, SUICIDE SQUAD, Sunstone).

Harley Quinn’s secret origin was first told back in 1994 in the Eisner Award winning comic “The New Batman Adventures: Mad Love”. In case you didn’t know, Dr. Harleen Quinzel was a psychiatrist who fell in love with the Joker and ended up joining him. Now, writer and artist Stjepan Šejić revisits the classic story in “Harleen” #1. The solicit for this issue declares it a “stunning reimagining” and I’m definitely inclined to agree.

Emphasis should be put on ‘reimagining’. The events in this first issue aren’t radically different than the events in “Mad Love”. You probably know what’s coming, more or less. We definitely already know the ending, and yet it’s still a very engaging read. Šejić’s script has clunky dialogue in one or two spots as well as some analogies that fall flat but it does a remarkable job of adding more depth and nuance to what we’ve already seen before.

In “Harleen” #1, the titular character is engaging and three-dimensional. ‘Harleen’ isn’t really the ‘Harley’ we know and love just yet but that’s good, it’s interesting to get a clear picture of who she was before the love affair with Joker. Šejić does a solid job depicting that love affair as well. I’m always reserved when Harley and Joker’s relationship is shown because a lot of people tend to misunderstand it. Their ‘love’ isn’t cute and edgy, it is toxic and extremely abusive, full stop. Why people adore the t-shirts with the both of them is beyond me. This comic is quite clear though, the Joker’s the devil and Harley’s on a “long road to hell”.

The entire story is told from Harleen’s perspective and from that perspective, it becomes clear why she starts to fall for the Joker. It isn’t just one thing, it’s a perfect storm of reasons. She’s determined to proof her hypothesis and make her mark. She also has a bad reputation because of a past affair with her professor, so she’s even more determined to prove people wrong.

Things get even worse when she first encounters Joker mid-crime and witnesses his fight with Batman. The chaos clearly leaves the psychiatrist traumatized. That trauma results in terrible nightmares fixated on the Joker and then that leads to exhaustion and sleep deprivation. That leads to vices. Some are somewhat harmless (like caffeine) while others definitely aren’t (like alcohol). On top of that, Dr. Harleen Quinzel gets deeper and deeper into her work and isolation. One thing right after the other, snowballing and getting worse and worse…it’s like a train wreck, watching Harley slowly march towards her doom.

The fact that we know how it ends actually makes the comic more suspenseful. I found myself paying close attention to the moments where Harleen could have subverted her own fate. You know, times where she could have ‘zigged’ instead of ‘zagged’. What if she had picked any other subject? Reached out to her one friend for something other than drugs? Befriended the friendly Chief of Security? What if she had heeded Harvey Dent’s warning and not taken the grant? Harleen won’t stop though, no matter how much we may beg. When we do arrive at her very first session with the Joker and she calls him ‘Mr. Jay’…it’s a truly chilling moment.

Continued below

As mentioned before, Stjepan Šejić pulls double duty as both the writer and artist of this title. He does truly remarkable work on the second front. His artwork really gives insight into Harley’s twisted point of view. We’re getting reality but filtered through her mind. For example, Arkham Asylum is often depicted as a creepy, old Gothic building like something out of a horror novel. To Harleen on the other hand, it’s the start of a new opportunity. She sees the building as a beacon of hope, the sun shining down on it.

Her first encounter with Joker is permanently seared into her brain. When she sees him again at Arkham, even though he’s strapped to a wheelchair, Harleen imagines him as he was the first time, brandishing guns and stepping out of a burning building. Even in the fight with Batman, I love the panel that shows a very small Harleen staring at Batman and Joker’s large shadows. It really shows that it’s such an important moment, almost like a religious experience.

“Harleen” #1 gives readers several glimpses into Harley’s nightmares as well. It’s amazing to see them start after her first encounter with Joker. Šejić’s Joker definitely has a crazed look to him but he isn’t necessarily scary. In ‘real life’, the villain is dynamic, even somewhat approachable from Harley’s perspective. On the other hand, in her dreams, she imagines him as a monster, a giant with an evil, lecherous smile and jagged teeth like fangs. Sometimes she just sees his smile. That will change though. As we see at the very start, Joker’s a cowering victim while the big bad Batman threatens him. Can Harleen save Mr. Jay? We already know the answer but I can’t look away…

Final Verdict: 8.0 – In “Harleen”, Dr. Quinzel starts to dance with the devil in the pale moonlight.


Michael Govan

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