Batwoman and Harley Quinn team up to find out who’s been killing corrupt officials in Harley’s name — really, what more needs to be said? Harley Quinn #15 is written by Stephanie Phillips, drawn by Riley Rossmo, colored by Ivan Plascencia and lettered by AndWorld Design. ‘
This has been a good month for Harley teaming up with badass queer women of Gotham. First an appearance in Catwoman, and now a team-up with Batwoman — the best looking Batfamily member, as far as I’m concerned (and if you’re a fan of both these team-ups, I highly recommend giving the animated feature Catwoman: Hunted a try). Seeing both these stories come out so close together has gotten me thinking; it feels like the nature of a Harley Quinn team-up has changed — and it’s definitely for the better.
Through A Batwoman’s Eyes
It used to be that a Harley Quinn team-up was about proving that she was more than just a ditzy moll. That there’s more to Harley than meets the eye has been a part of the character since her first appearances in the animated series, but it was rare that anyone really gave her the benefit of the doubt on their own. In these last two appearances, however, Harley’s had nothing to prove — she’s just been herself, and that’s been worthy of respect and admiration all on its own.
I realize the irony of me saying that in an issue where she’s been wrongfully accused of murder and has to prove her innocence, but the important thing is that Batwoman doesn’t believe Harley’s guilty for a second. What’s more, Batwoman has a basic level of respect she gives Harley, despite the constant bafflement at Harley’s train of thought.
A team-up’s a great chance to see a protagonist we’re familiar with through the eyes of someone else, and the art team is doing a lot to help us see things a little more from Batwoman’s point of view. The colors, especially, are a little darker, a little more serious. I talked last issue about the switch from silly to eerie, and that still manages to be the case when the focus is on Batwoman. Between the red cape — which in certain movements contracts to little shredded ribbons of mystique — her ethereal, amorphous red hair, and the mix of her pale skin with the sharpness of her jaw, Batwoman exemplifies an authoritative, surreal presence — much better than Batman himself ever did. She still manages to be a fantastic straight woman (oh, shush, you know what I mean) to Harley’s ever-baffling silliness, and I admire the balance that’s achieved here.
Lower the Boom
In fact, I appreciate that Harley’s narrative captions – which could feel intrusive, as the often did in the early issues of this series – don’t even appear until halfway through the comic, as Harley, Batwoman and their new police ally, Jaylin Shaw, track Verdict down to one of Poison Ivy’s old greenhouses. The captions finally draw us back into Harley’s head, and her point of view — and with it, the colors are back to their brighter selves. The action’s great here; as always, chaotic spreads, lively, wacky actions, panels that close in around details you really need to be paying attention to, and of course, the Boom! There’s an art to a good explosion; you need to feel the heat rising off the page, and this series’ explosions are just getting better and better every time.
All this culminates in a reveal that was teased last issue — post the fight, Verdict slips away, and reveals to Kevin that she’s none other than his new girlfriend, Sam. Next issue promises to reveal her origin, and I’m intrigued. Verdict is not a particularly memorable villain – she doesn’t have a stand-out theme, her costume is roughly put together, there’s more rage than style – but her rage is compelling. The inexplicable hatred she holds for Harley teases a story I’d quite like to get to the bottom of, so I’m glad that next issue is giving me just that.
When this series began, it was with a Harley I didn’t fully recognize. It felt like a step back for the character, but this take on her has really grown on me. Harley started in a low place, unsure of where she stood on her path to redemption, but she’s come a long way. She’s not here to prove herself to people who think they know better — she’s just unabashedly her clever, thoughtful and utterly ridiculous self.
Armaan is obsessed with the way stories are told. From video games to theater, TTRPGs to comics, he has written for, and about, them all. He will not stop, actually; believe us, we've tried.
