So I have never been a huge fan of Harley Quinn in the past. I liked her character fine, but as I was a teenager when Batman: The Animated Series came out, it never had the same defining impact on me it did on a lot of others. As it was not what formed my first impressions of Batman. (although it is a great series, make no mistake).
But not long after I got DC Universe I decided to give Harley Quinn a try. I started with the Rebirth Series, but quickly went back and over time since the comic book selection on this service grew, have slowly read all of Jimmy Palmotti and Amanda Conner’s Harley Quinn. From the two ongoings they did, to the various specials and mini-series, having just finished issue #34 I think I have read all of Palmotti and Conner’s run. Although I say think because counting specials and mini-series there were a LOT of them. But at least assuming they are all on DCU, I think I have read them.
And I love it, they have a perfect mix of action, over the top violence, small sprinkings of drama, great artwork (I know she didn’t draw all of them, or most of them, but I love Amanda Conner’s artwork. Have since she did Power Girl) and a rich supporting cast. That created a series (or multiple series, but the new 52 and Rebirth books really felt like the same book just changing the name and numbering) that I could not get enough of. I am sorry that it seems the fun is over, although I will be giving Frank Tieri and Sam Humphry’s run a shot for sure. But whatever my thoughts on the later Harley Quinn issues, Conner and Palmotti were an amazing ride and really made me fall in love with the character.
And I want to thank DCU for giving me the opportunity to read them. I lost count but all of those many series, mini’s and specials had to be over 80 issues or close to that. And even as trades I never would have hunt them all down, or been able to afford them all if I tried to go that route. So I am so glad I got the opportunity to discover and enjoy something I never would have otherwise. It is one of the many, MANY reasons I love this service.
I’m glad you enjoyed them, but I can’t really get into New 52 and beyond Harley Quinn. I read the first seven issues of Rebirth, and I think I laughed once. The jokes just seem obvious to me and the adventures aimless. It may sound funny, but I don’t really get Harley Quinn’s motivation. Pre-52 I felt she was a nut job who was just having fun and didn’t really get the seriousness of her own actions much like a child playing a game. Now, Palmiotti and Conner’s version seems like Deadpool light. I guess she likes money and adventures and wacky friends and doesn’t care about killing people but usually tries to kill people who deserve it? I have a hard time grabbing on to that as a protagonist especially without the humor landing for me, and then Suicide Squad Harley just strikes me as a sociopath.
I get that it’s largely a humor book which is highly subjective, but it doesn’t work for me.
I’m not a massive fan of the sort of “Neo Harley” that DC’s been trying to push since the New 52, but I will say that that run gets that stuff that I usually don’t like just right. Palmiotti and Conner are amazing creators, and reading that series you can totally tell they’re putting in their collective all.
@Batwing52 They clearly enjoyed writing the character. They wrote 65 issues of Harley Quinn between New 52 and Rebirth. That alone is more then most writers stick to one characters book in this day and age. But then you count all the mini-series and specials… It isn’t an exact count but just browsing I counted 91 issues total all during the same time period. That is a LOT of issues to do of one character for the current era (hell, arguably for any era). I could be wrong but next to Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, they have probably done more to shape the character than anyone, and going by just comic books I think they may have written more Harley Quinn then Timm and Dini (although in no ways trying to underscore what Dini and Timm did, DC owed them a debt IMHO they could never repay). So like their take on Harley Quinn or not, you don’t write that much of one character without a love for the character.
And @BatWatch, I get what you are saying. It is a much different Harley Quinn then she started out with so it would definitely not be everyone’s cup of tea.
That’s a good point in that Palmiotti and Conner really did have a huge run on the character, and though I haven’t seen sales, I’d assume a tremendously successful run considering how long it went. I’d agree they are probably the most influential writers to have handled her at least apart from Dini.
So Palmiotti and Conner are moving on now? Any idea why?
Oh they moved on a while ago. I have just been reading the books for the first time and finally finished their run but it ended in 2017. No idea why.
I just thought since I finished binging them all for the first time I would give my love for their Harley Quinn books… they were new to me. lol. Plus show my appreciation for DCU giving me the chance to discover them.
It’s a great service, isn’t it? I read all the first arcs of Rebirth and picked out seven titles to follow, Batman, Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, New Superman, Flash and Wonder Woman, so now I’m working my through those, but I also like reading random stuff. I actually suggested a random comic generator because there’s so much stuff on here I’d love to try and I can’t figure out anyway to randomly pick an area to check out.
I always felt the original version of Harley was like a court jester to a super crazy king. But when Harley walked away from Joker, the character was lacking motivation. Since then, it just seems like her character changes with the whim of the author.
And I guess you could say that about most any character, but Superman is always Superman no matter the author. Without that type of continuity, Harley just feels like a half-done character.
I never understood the whole “not muh Harley” thing – her characterization is basically an extension of how she interacts with the likes of Ivy and Selina, just with a wider cast and just trying to survive in a world that’s half DC and half Looney Toons.
I do enjoy the older Harley…not quite sure what they are trying to do with the new stuff. Just feels like they are just trying too hard to keep the story going. Hopefully it picks up cause I love me some Harl’s Puddin
