Harley Quinn is working her way through the DC Universe.
As big a hit as the Harley Quinn comic has been for DC these past two years, it was inevitable that a second series would follow. Harley’s Little Black Book takes a page from the Harley Quinn and Power Girl mini-series, with each issue chronicling a team-up between Harley and a different DC character. The series starts off big by dragging Wonder Woman into the fray. But despite the promising premise, this issue doesn’t do enough to actually take advantage of the Harley/Diana team-up.
With Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti still on board as co-writers, this new series is very much in line with the old in terms of tone. Conner actually draws much of this issue herself, which is a nice change. Her clean, expressive style brings the Harley/Wonder Woman team-up to life (what little teaming up there is to be had) and gives the book a palpable sense of energy. Unfortunately, Conner doesn’t handle every page herself. Recurring Harley Quinn artist John Timms steps in for a couple sequences. His darker, more angular style makes for a fairly jarring shift, though it at least does suit the tone of the brief flashback sequence.
The real problem with this book is that, despite its oversized length, we only actually see Harley and Diana together for a handful of pages. Harley barely interacts with the heroine or the new team of sad-sack heroes dubbed “The London Legion of Superheroes.” She spends the bulk of the story skulking about and trying to prove her worth as a solo superhero, which seems to defeat the purpose of the book. The script is light and humorous, but prone to losing focus and glossing over the more interesting story elements.
This is especially true when it comes to Harley’s personal connection to Wonder Woman. The flashback sequence establishes that Harley has idolized Diana since childhood, but also that this adoration brought out certain darker sides to her personality that existed long before her first encounter with Joker. There’s a really compelling story to be told with that unhealthy obsession as the focal point, and this issue never seems interested in capitalizing on that potential.
There’s ample room for a comic that features Harley Quinn butting heads with DC’s most iconic heroes. Sadly, this first issue doesn’t do enough with the Harley/Wonder Woman pairing. It wastes some strong potential in favor of showcasing Harley mainly in a solo capacity. And while it’s nice to see Conner drawing as well as scripting for a change, she doesn’t handle the entire comic herself. This book has a ways to go before it starts living up to its potential.
