Review: Bombshells #11

DC Bombshells

"Combat" Part 2 of 9

2015

Story: Marguerite Bennet

Art: Mirka Andolfo

Cover: Ant Lucia

So today I thought I'd take a look back at Harley Quinn's start as a DC Bombshell.
Here she is at the Arkham Ward Sanitarium, working away in a blackout where we can clearly see that all the lights possible in this damn building are on and visible from the outside, but inside it's only dimly lit. Hmmm.

At this point in the story, we're already introduced to Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Stargirl, Batwoman, Mera, Amanda Waller, The Joker's Daughter, Zatanna and Catwoman etc. - some briefly, some are already on or beginning their adventures.

One of the good things about Harley Quinn not being super powered, is that you generally get an idea of her usual way of life. Where she lives, where she works and who she loves. This is no different for Bombshells - and I like that because you get to see more 'civilian' story instead of jumping into Soviet super weapons straight away (which is still cool by me).

Here we get a look at her colleagues discussing her checkered past (snicker) on one hand, but on the other they talk about how devoted she is to her work, and how nice she is.

She gets called back into work straight away to look after Shondra Kinsolving, one of her patients and a former colleague.
For those who don't read Batman on the regular - Shondra was a love interest for Bruce Wayne (who isn't? Dude gets around for an anti-social crime fighter!) when she was working as his physiotherapist. She also has low level psychic abilities mostly related to healing.

Harley - who looks so cute in her coat and 40's hairdo - chats to Shondra who cannot sleep due to terrible nightmares.

I like the fact that Shondra doesn't want Harley to have a fate like hers - a doctor in her own cell - because as well as being foreshadowing, I guess, it's also kinda sweet. Harley, like her other incarnations (not counting her more..... mainstream versions) care for others deeply and they care for her too.

No wonder Sondra is terrified - look at that hellish dream landscape!
She tries to warn Harley about relapsing. Harley is freaked out - she doesn't want to leave or abandon her patients but the internal struggle is already reaching fever point. Joker needs her and that's all there is to it.

A nice touch - when she collapses to the ground, her stylish up-do has come down to reveal itself as two pigtails in disguise!

A patient behind her has managed to let himself out of his cell and advances, but Harley - now decked out in clown make-up somehow - easily takes him out.

Elated with joy that Joker wants her, she quickly busts out some acrobatics, loses the doctor overcoat,  and takes out the trash after releasing Shondra.

Proving that psychosis is no match for a cold winter night in London, Harley marches out in her elf costume and joins a party, where she immediately gets the attention of some ladies and some cranky fellas. I don't know what I can't believe more - that the fellas immediately think she's about to steal all of the ladies and are about to punch her instead of thinking "hey, here's a half naked elf come to join our shindig" - or the fact that there is a full on turkey and champagne platter behind Harley that NO ONE has touched. I mean, are they not on rations?

I'm not even sure if this is meant to be her own work party? You know, the one her work colleages alluded too. It's kind of ambiguous.
Again - Harley finds herself in a punching party that she defends herself admirably in. Sneaking away from the brawl, a fighter pilot named Hal cracks onto her, and decides the best thing to do with a random clown-elf who starts fights in a bikini and booty shorts is to go somewhere cold and lonely.

Harley steals the keys to the plane and wails on poor horny Hal with the camel picture. Did they make those out of a heavier material than they look, because Hal got messed up fierce.

Actually, probably a good thing he wasn't there to see this. That bloke couldn't fathom where Harley was keeping the playing cards... he'll be absolutely baffled as to where she was keeping this many presents.

The Good!

*I feel like Harley got a really good introduction in this comic.

*Loving the foreshadowing with Joker. 

*Personally, I thought that bringing a character like Shondra - that you don't really see in comics anymore - was a nice touch and saved making a new character that no one would care about. 

*The art is clean, fluid and expresses Harley's attitude through her actions clearly. 

*Harley thankfully, isn't a violent imitation of the Joker - she brings violence but it's with clown humour... she takes the time to show Hal a card trick instead of just knocking him out straight away. 

The Bad!

*This issue probably could have used a bit more in the way of explaining why she suddenly had clown make-up on when all we saw was a brief shot of her face in her hands after a clear show of her normal tone face. Same with her hair - I mean, that's more believable than the make-up but still stupid.

*Harley's overly cartoon face when beating up the other prisoner is kinda creepy and seems really out of place - even for her!

*She clearly stole an elf hat from work, but where did the rest of her ensemble come from? Was it just lying around, perfectly Christmas themed just in case even though for all intents and purposes she appeared to be reformed?

The Ugly!

*Was there really no security at the airfield? It's like... war time?

*Was Hal really not concerned about this strange woman possibly being a spy? You know? War?

*Harley's Bombshell costume has never seemed more ridiculous than when she is trudging through snow in the middle of the night in London. In the war. 

*Where did the gifts come from? Harley has them when walking out of her workplace, but didn't bring them with her when she left the party? We get no real clear shot of the work Christmas Tree so I can't even assume it came from there? Besides.. war? Are there no shortages or rations when it comes to shopping yet? 

*Harley's motivations for going to this party and starting random dances and fights wasn't explained very well either - it's not like she knew she was going to meet a pilot there she could steal from?

The Verdict!

Okay - there was a few things in there that frankly did not make sense but given that this comic has an intriguing story and characters that jump of the page as well as not as many panels as the traditional comic... I guess some of these can be forgiven. 

It's also prompted me to learn a bit about LGBT life back in the forties. I wasn't sure if there was outright lesbianism in that time period - given how the homosexuals were usually treated but apparently it was kind of a thing. Of course, given that there were bigger problems on the world's collective mind and that it was a female thing, I daresay no one really cared or noticed too much. 

I'm still not sure why obvious party douche reacted so badly to a broken kiss though - it seemed like he was attacking her as an obvious lesbian about to bone his date but given that the ladies involved just seem to see it as party fun/dancing - I guess we can just put it down to obvious party douche role?

Whatever - I still don't really get why Harley decided to wreck shit up randomly but this being the first time I actually read her first issue I enjoyed it.