Harley Quinn #12 Sees Things Go Off the Rails In a Good Way

Harley’s stuck in one of the oldest superhero scenarios of all time – racing against time to stop a train from running over an innocent tied to the tracks! Does she have enough time to crawl underneath a speeding train, defuse its bomb, save the day and thwack Keepsake in the face with her bat? Answers lie in Harley Quinn #12, written by Stephanie Phillips, drawn by Riley Rossmo, colored by Ivan Plascencia and lettered by AndWorld Design.

This book feels like it’s finally completely on track, which is ironic considering just how wildly things go off the rails. It’s a blockbuster bookend to the series’ first twelve issues, complete with giant explosions, last minute saves, and an extremely satisfying beatdown of the Big Bad – and, of course, a glimpse into the larger threat to come.

The quick-and-dirty cosplay cover’s a gimmick that really only pays off for a single page in the book, but one that pays for itself. I love that cover. I love seeing new takes on superhero costumes (hey, have you checked out our latest redesign feature?), and seeing the ramshackle but earnest looks that Harley’s therapy group puts together on the cover is nothing short of inspiring. Everyone wants to be a hero – nobody should have to have a polished, perfect costume to be able to do so. If that doesn’t sum up what makes this series so appealing, nothing will.

Plus, Harley makes a surprisingly great AquaQuinn. Who knew?

Thing is, though, none of those other Justice Leaguers are around, they’re too busy fighting other heroes from the 31st Century, so it’s up to Harley to save the day. She’s already managed to divert the train from the city; now she’s got to save Kevin. And so she does, not be disarming the bomb in the nick of time, but by letting it blow up in a fantastic looking explosion far enough from Kevin to avoid doing him any damage.

I appreciate putting Harley in this scenario. We’ve seen it a thousand times, the hero always manages to thwart the villain’s terrible moral dilemma and prevent destruction. While Harley does manage to save both the city and Kevin, she also first made the choice – if she failed, she’d have been responsible for Kevin’s death. It’s not a clean choice, and her final solution is far from clean as well. One mark of how well a creative team has a handle on its lead character is when it’s impossible to tell the same story with another character subbed in, and this issue is pure Harley, all the way.

That’s not to say she doesn’t get by with a little help from her friends.

What’s more inspiring than a hero coming in to save the day just in the nick of time? One who has inspired others to do the same. While Harley and Kevin make their way back to Keepsake’s hideout (it probably took a while, someone blew up the danged train), they find that Keepsake’s already on the ropes. His former Caucus of Corruption has taken on a new identity – the Caucus of Kicking Keepsake’s ***. Not quite as catchy, but damn if it doesn’t pack a punch. Several punches, even. It’s quite a beatdown; those pumpkin-headed robots never knew what hit them.

We didn’t get as much time with Harley’s group therapy as I would have liked, but it’s clear from last issue that she’s been putting in the work. They’re here thanks to her, taking their world back from those who would seek to use them. The issue makes it quite clear that Harley and her methods are doing what no other superhero could do, and that’s made beautifully.

With Keepsake’s story seemingly all wrapped up for now, it turns out we’ve got someone more dangerous gunning for Harley and her crew. New villain Verdict is revealed to have been pulling Keepsake’s strings, and I once again applaud the book for giving me villains whose introductions just make me giggle. Keepsake had his ups and downs, but his gimmick was always amusingly dumb. The Caucus of Corruption and all of its knockoffs? Delightful. But nothing is quite as dumb as a villain, in all seriousness, calling themselves Verdict with a giant cape adorned with the word “guilty” all over it.

Harley Quinn started well, but it has grown into a title I can love without reservation. I’m beyond pleased it’s got the space to be what it is, and I can’t wait to see what more it’s got to offer.