Love is in the air.
The core Harley Quinn series took a somewhat darker turn this month, which makes the existence of this spinoff comic all the more appealing. Harley Quinn & Power Girl features Harley at her most lighthearted and fun. There’s little room for pathos in this epic tale of angry space gods, flying cat beasts and scantily clad heroes. The plot is beginning to feel stretched thin, but the book still offers ample entertainment.
In such a cheesecake-heavy book, it’s good to see the creative team opting for the equal opportunity approach. Vartox spends the majority of this issue clad in a Slave Leia-style bikini (until the point where he sheds even that little bit of modesty). Once the story shifts from a brainwashed Vartox waging war on Power Girl to Vartox regaining his senses and flirting with every woman in earshot, the situation makes for a lot of comedy. Pairing the shameless ladies man with the exasperated heroine is hardly anything new, but the oddball characters and their equally odd setting make the formula feel fresh again. Couple that with Harley gaining a new noble steed, and this issue offers no shortage of comedy and zaniness. The writers are really pushing the premise for all its worth in that regard.
It’s also worth noting that the writers find a bit of room for character development. Harley reflects on her troubled past with Joker as she offers advice to the misguided Vartox, offering a welcome dash of character drama to an otherwise silly book.
In terms of actual story, though, the series has less and less to offer. This conflict feels like it could easily have been told in three or four issues. And with two more issues to go, it’s tough to say how Conner, Palmiotti and Gray even intend to fill that space. This issue also comes up a bit short in terms of visuals. Regular artist Stephane Roux only illustrates about half of the pages, and his style comes across as more sketchy and unrefined than in previous chapters. Elliot Fernandez’s pages fit in well enough, stylistically, but they lack the vibrant, expressive facial work that makes Roux’s work such a joy to absorb.
The wacky, lighthearted approach to Harley Quinn & Power Girl stands out all the more now that the main series is venturing into darker territory. The book is a lot of fun, but also takes the time to explore its three leads in a bit more depth. That said, the plot is a little too thin at this point, and the art quality isn’t quite up to par with earlier issues.
