Retro Review: Harley Quinn #5!

HARLEY QUINN #5 - LARGER THAN LIFE

COVER DATE: April, 2001

WRITER: Karl Kesel 

PENCILER(s): Terry Dodson 

INKER(s): Rachel Dodson 

COLORS: Alex Sinclair 

LETTERS: Ken Lopez 

EDITOR(s): Matt Idelson 

COVER: Terry Dodson 

We open with Bo and Surley - the hired security personal sent by Jack Happi to capture Harley Quinn. After spending all day doing the rounds, they're surprised in their office by Dr. Carrie Chispazo - the former FBI profiler assigned to help them. They hadn't heard from Carrie since they last met at the Cartwright's - but she's been busy working. 

Ten points to you dear reader - if you were able to read that without the Backstreet Boys song getting all up in your head. I love Carrie's layout - full profile of Harley, mug shots of her  and Joker, evidence of the hyena bust out, Lester's body, Two-Face's arrest, BFF Poison Ivy, Harley's asylum staff ID.... I can't quite make out the top right photo but who cares because Carrie has a Pac-Man computer.. or maybe a Pac-Mac? 

Bo and Surley resent the intrusion of Chispazo - being a two man team who started up together and don't wish to spread the reward money three ways. Chispazo reminds them that to get rid of her, they need to complete the job and work with her to collar their jesterey quarry. 

They start a mind map profile of Harley, putting out what they each know and providing this issue's narration. 

Supanova 2013

So the Gold Coast Supanova Pop Culture convention has been and gone, and to the delight of a super
Harley Quinn fan like myself - I got to meet Rachel and Terry Dodson, the husband and wife inker/artist team from the official Harley Quinn run!

I also got my Harley Quinn issues #1 and #2 signed by both of them - I wanted to bring all the issues I had but then I thought that it could be pushing our tentative friendship, and also several labour violations. So I kindly settled for those two issues, and also a X-men issue where Emma Frost physically dances around Cyclops' brain in a flapper costume while every woman in his life populates the building that resides there. I like the kooky ones.

Retro Review: Harley Quinn #4!

HARLEY QUINN #4 - THE WILDE LIFE

COVER DATE: March, 2001

WRITER: Karl Kesel 

PENCILER(s): Terry Dodson 

INKER(s): Rachel Dodson 

COLORS: Alex Sinclair 

LETTERS: Ken Lopez 

EDITOR(s): Matt Idelson 

COVER: Rachel Dodson; Terry Dodson

Issue four begins with an excellent artistic opening - using her city and locale to introduce the artists, the series and the title itself. Harley is meeting Lewis from the original Joker gang - she's beginning her own gang and he's helped put the word out. As they open the doors to the meeting place however, they are greeted by none other than the narrator himself - a self proclaimed dead ringer for the Joker - LESTER WILDE. 

Retro Review: Harley Quinn #3!

HARLEY QUINN #3 - WELCOME TO THE PARTY!

COVER DATE: February, 2001

WRITER: Karl Kesel 

PENCILER(s): Terry Dodson 

INKER(s): Rachel Dodson 

COLORS: Alex Sinclair 

LETTERS: Ken Lopez 

EDITOR(s): Matt Idelson 

COVER: Rachel Dodson; Terry Dodson 

Onto issue three - which begins with Catwoman's perspective?

She's entering a bowling alley, and trapped in an elevator - going up to see what the deal is. She's suspicious and not at all expecting... 

A slumber party hosted by Harley Quinn! Their last meeting (another of my favourite Harley comics!) didn't end so well but Harley is glad Catwoman has received her invite and decided to attend. She shows her around to meet some of the guests. 

There are the hit  women known as the Body Doubles - Bonnie and Carmen who snark on bustier superheroes and don't make a positive impression on Catwoman. Next up is Hope and Mercy - otherwise known as Lex Luther's capable lackeys. Also present - Poison Ivy and Jewelee - another diamond themed villain with a comical partner. 

Retro Review - Harley Quinn #2

HARLEY QUINN #2 - A HEART BROKEN IN TWO

WRITER: Karl Kesel 

PENCILER(s): Terry Dodson 

INKER(s): Rachel Dodson 

COLORS: Alex Sinclair 

LETTERS: Ken Lopez 

EDITOR(s): Matt Idelson 

COVER: Rachel Dodson; Terry Dodson

Our second issue opens with Harley loading personalised bullets into her gun and pulling the trigger, extremely upset. Fortunately for the continuation of the series she only shoots a bust of the Joker. She is coming to terms with losing her partner and contemplating being alone as a criminal. She images what Ivy would say to her, and promptly shuts down her own cartoony imaginative construct with weed killer. 

In an act of normality, she goes to watch TV but has the worst timing ever as the channel she turns to is discussing 'men who don't love their women' and she bursts into distraught tears. An angel (Harleen Quinzel - psychiatrist) appears on her shoulder along with a devil (mini-Joker in a fetching red suit). They argue about how to motivate Harley into pulling herself together. In this case, Harley dries her tears and agrees with the Devil-Joker. 

Retro Review: Harley Quinn #1!

HARLEY QUINN #1 - A HARLEQUINN ROMANCE

Dec. 2000

WRITER: Karl Kesel 
PENCILER(s): Terry Dodson 
INKER(s): Rachel Dodson 
COLORS: Alex Sinclair 
LETTERS: Ken Lopez 
EDITOR(s): Matt Idelson 
COVER: Rachel Dodson; Terry Dodson 

This comic was so hard to find. I was still in high school when it came out and when I became a collector later on it was much harder to collect this entire series. Nonetheless, collect it I did. The Dodson's have even signed my first few issues. DC finally bought out the collected editions of this series. I admit, some stories in this series were a bit weird and the art varied from time to time but after coming back to Harley's classic series after a deluge of her new series had me about to throw the towel in collecting them (I mean, come on, she's got like 5 or 6 books now and they all come with variant covers that are currently raking in dough so hard that you'd need Bruce Wayne's fortune to keep up!) I found that I was falling in love with Harley Quinn again and I had a much better appreciation for the original comics.

Her story starts in classic BTAS style - Poison Ivy in the Slab receiving flowers (fake, naturally!) on recommendation from her psychiatric board. However, when Ivy takes out the guards bringing the gift, it's revealed that a certain red and black jumpsuit is hidden inside the pot. Yep - Harley Quinn was in disguise as Ivy and makes a quick costume change before leaping out to confront further guards.

Why does Harley Quinn have so many comic books?

At the risk of sounding like a hipster... I'm starting to think I preferred Harley Quinn when no one knew who she was.

I remember it was a great bonding activity for me and my then boyfriend (now husband) - searching for elusive comics or figurines... knowing that we may not get them, knowing that she may only be on one page in the book and probably written or drawn badly..
It was a challenge, a reward when I found stuff, it was exciting!

Now I can't even go to my local shopping centre or throw a rock without hitting something with Harley Quinn's mug on it.

For a time, I was happy. My favourite character, getting more exposure, more affordable, more collectable.
But now it's getting a bit ridiculous..

Injustice 2: Harley Quinn

Injustice: 2 is set to be released in 2017, so you know what that means! 

Thaaaat's right! You can already pre-order your Harley Quinn collectable. 

I only saw this today, but I was aware of the game imagery earlier this month and it is beautiful. 

IMHO - This is the kind of thing they should have had Harley wear in Suicide Squad.

Not only is it street smart, it's in her classic colours (well, mostly - her hair's two tone pink and blue but at least she didn't do her eye make-up in the dark) it's not a torn up crappy tee-shirt like the Injustice insurgent outfit or the movie "costume" and it looks fantastic!

The game touts that every playable character is able to be custom designed, which is nice. As you can see in the below gif, this could include short shorts with garters if you really think you need it but also a sweet jester headpiece.