Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: N/A
Written by: A.J. Lieberman
Art by: Charlie Adlard
Colored by: Joel Benjamin
Lettered by: Sean Konot
Assistant Editor: Nachie Castro
Editor: Matt Idelson
Publisher: DC Comics
Mad as a hatter
Harley Quinn has gone on some wild and crazy adventures during her solo series. She’s had some ups, but mostly downs, as she tried to make sense of a truly wacky life. Harley hasn’t grown as a character all that much during the series, but most of her adventures were quite memorable. Harley’s had her moments with the Joker, gone to Metropolis with Poison Ivy, been to hell, returned to Earth in a non-corporeal state, and most recently set up a very interesting psychiatric practice. It has, for the most part, been a fantastic ride with an atypical lead character. Sadly, this month, it all comes to a close.
Final issues of a series, for the most part, just don’t live up to expectations. Often, the book is hastily closed out because of somewhat last minute cancellation, leaving little to no time, to neatly bring things to a finish. Unfortunately, that is the case with Harley Quinn. Last issue was the conclusion of a five-issue arc, which featured Harley intermittently playing savior and plunderer to a small girl. Series scribe A.J. Lieberman gives us a nice character centered send-off that largely takes place within, the less than sane, brain of Harley. While there’s a postscript to the just concluded arc, most of the other dangling threads are lost.
While everything plays out in Harley’s warped mind, we’re left with zero closure. Issue #32 promised a future clash with Harley’s sometime beau the Joker, and we are robbed! As a whole, this is a very entertaining conclusion to the series. Yet, the length of the previous story left the book short of time, and the moments that needed to happen before the curtain closed for the final time, are sadly missing.
Complain, complain, complain.
The other down note for the month is the art. Wait, that definitely came out wrong! Charlie Adlard does an amazing job filling in this month. His work captures the “animated†style that is perfect for this book. Yet, it’s a bummer Mike Huddleston, who’s been the regular penciller for more than a year, missed out on the finale. It’s really not a problem though, as I said, I really loved the art. It’s just one of those somewhat sad situations, where I’d have liked to see the regular team tackle the final issue.
Well, it could be worse.
While the book was really good, the unsatisfactory tying of loose ends does bother me. Of course, when I put into perspective the recent hasty cancellation of so many titles at CrossGen, I don’t feel so bad about Harley Quinn‘s end. Sure, it would have been nice for a little more neatness, but at least this series had time for a somewhat well planned final issue. It looks like some of the books at CrossGen are not going to have the same chance.
