Retro Review: Harley Quinn #16 - Look! Up in the sky...!

March 2002
Both Sides Now

Time again to join our delightful dame of demented mischief on her adventures in Metropolis!

This time around, we open on S.T.A.R Labs where Jimmy Olsen and Holly Chance are lucky to be alive after a siege of some sort.




Inspector Turpin asks them for any information about the siege or how many people are still inside following evacuation. This leads into a flashback where it's revealed both Holly Chance and Harley Quinn were in the same room together!

Say Whaaat?! Aren't Holly Chance and Harley Quinn the same person? Yes. Yes they certainly are.

Let's flashback to what actually happened. Jimmy Olsen looking out for his new buddy Holly (oh wow, that's an accidental pun!) by getting her a morning coffee - even though she's three hours late for work - and saving her bacon (or not, Jewish pun!) with the boss. Jimmy is sent to get photos of a new jet pack being developed at S.T.A.R. Labs and Holly wheedles her way in to coming along as well... after nipping home for a quick costume change.





Don't worry, there's still plenty of time for a dumb Superman gag. Oh Clark, will you ever learn?

Meanwhile, Harley/Holly is putting on her own disguise under her day wear and trying to convince
Ivy to come with her but her green thumbed roomie is more preoccupied with some baby plants and their tender developmental stages.

Holly and Jimmy meet up at the labs and are shown the device. Jimmy wants to get a picture of the jet pack on someone normal looking (and maybe more attractive than the older cantankerous doctor) but Holly has vanished!

In all honesty she's been dragged through a side door by Poison Ivy - and that's what she tells the inspector... just omitting the fact that they're partners in crime.

Harley threatening her boy toy 'Freckles'

Holly also tells the inspector that she was in a better place to see the ensuing chaos and that she thinks the Harley and Ivy duo were seemingly only trying to have fun. Naturally, Jimmy's observations are a bit more sinister.

Sinister captive taking fun?

The inspector informs them that he was the recipient of this particular call and taking Harley seriously, has contacted one Rose Forrest - the daughter of a man he used to work with and who has an intimate knowledge of plants.

Hmm, sounds like a name only a superhero/villain could love.

Looks like Metropolis takes a harder stance on costumed villains taking over labs than Gotham does.

As Harley and Ivy watch the silly cops unit outside - they're distracted by Thorn crashing through the glass ceiling. Jimmy is happy about this, considering her to be a guardian angel. Holly recalls her more as a demon from hell and questioned if Thorn's really one of the good guys.



After taking Thorn out with a zillion volt yo-yo, Harley discovers that Thorn was wearing a wig (revealing Rose, but Harley doesn't know that) and asks Ivy to take Thorn back to the apartment.

Then she gets back in her Holly disguise and goes to play with Jimmy.

Jimmy - Superman's sidelined sidekick does pretty well here. He does his best to free himself from Ivy's vines and tries to be brave for Holly but when she asks him to take her out of here he quickly agrees. Hey, no-one likes facing certain death from clowns.

Later/present time: the inspector asks the two kids to hand around but Holly plays up the distressed damsel card and Jimmy agrees to stay there on her behalf while she goes home to rest. He gets a kiss for his troubles.






As it turns out, Holly doesn't get home. She gets back into Harley Quinn's costume and sneaks back in past the police line in order to grab the one jet-pac prototype.

The original plan had been to take two then her and Ivy could add an aerial boost to their heists but let's face it, Harley was a lot more keen on the jet pack than the much more grounded Ivy.

Basically, both Harley and Ivy get in and out of this lab with ridiculous ease. The S.C.U has no idea they even left.

Harley shoots off with the jet pack - and either narrowly misses or taunts the bystanders.









Superman's friend Jimmy Olsen goes for his money shot as well as his token catchphrase about things being in the sky when a fast streak comes up behind Harley and appears to be taking her the scenic route to jail. All is right with the Daily Planet.

Or, err, maybe not?

The Short End of the Jester's Schtick

If you thought you were having vision problems while reading this issue, you're not alone. There is, however, a method to the madness.

You still have the usual gorgeous art for the main story. But like Holly and Jimmy have differing views of the unfolding action - the art reflects that too.

Harley still has her animated series style to show her vision while Jimmy has a more realistic looking perspective on life. It can be a bit jarring at first but once you get the hang of it you can see who's narrating what.

Overall, a pretty fun issue. Harley's crime sprees are never very serious - she took hostages but didn't really hurt anyone and at the core of things, just really wanted a jet pack of her own. Who amongst us can judge?

She deepens both her own fun and her revenge aspect with Jimmy by playing both Holly and Harley against him. Jimmy is probably the perfect character for this as well. As much as you laugh at him you don't really want anything bad to happen to him.

As well as that, we get a bit more insight into the messed up superhero Thorn and you gotta love the Bizarro appearance. Who else is better to guest feature in Harley's own comic?

Wotta Comedian!

Harley: See you later, pollinator!

Jimmy: Guess you did have to be a rocket scientist to come up with this one, huh, doc?

Dr Spangler: Jet-paks for all! This changes everything! Our culture is about to take flight! Soon the sky will be attainable -- affordable -- to everyone! .....except teenagers. Those hormonally imbalanced ingrates won't get anywhere near this device!

Holly: You're too good for me, Jimmy Olsen!
Jimmy: You.. you're not bad yourself, Holly!
Holly: Depends on your definition of "bad", sugah!

Harley: Y'know, someone oughtta talk to those guys about their helmet's peripheral vision!