Harley Quinn & Her Gang Of Harleys #01

Following Harley Quinn’s leave for a more independent life where she set out to set up for a new home on Coney Island, she has finally decided to get some hired help in going against those who have wronged her, and has appropriately named them after her. They are her Gang A’ Harleys!

Writers: Jimmy Palmiotti & Frank Tieri

Artist: Mauricet

Colorist: HI-FI

Cover Artist: Amanda Connor

Letterer: David Sharpe

It isn’t fair to compare publisher’s against each other, but Harley Quinn’s latest escapade into rounding up her own gang of wannabes seems like a grab to catch the attention of fans who enjoy reading a good Deadpool comic for it’s obvious humour. Only Harley Quinn isn’t coming up to par. 

Coming into the issue it seems promising, there’s a wide variety of characters, from all sorts of different backgrounds that aren’t too trope-y or stereotypical. They have fun takes on the Harley Quinn name and cute colourful outfits to match that still reflect on their individual personalities. It seems like readers are in for a fun ride with the Gang A’ Harleys, and the potential is there, but as the story progresses it kind of falls flat continuing forward. 

It begins with Harley and her gang fighting off the “Hipster Mafia”. It’s supposed to be funny, but the joke is a year late and over used by this point. We get it, it’s funny to make fun of hipsters and their unwashed hair and vegan diet and skinny jeans (and apparently neck beards, but now they’re just mixing up their stereotypes). The joke can still be funny, but this joke carries on for four and a half pages. That’s beating a dead joke into oblivion for filler. 

What’s most frustrating about reading Harley Quinn recently is reading her dialogue. Sure she’s bubbly and maybe just a little bit crazy but she talks like a 16 year old California valley girl. Maybe it’s an attempt to make her seem more relatable to her target audience or give her a quirky charm, but it almost comes off as annoying. Many fans of Harley loved her because she was a little silly, but she was smart too, she’s still a doctor and wanting to be more fun doesn’t mean talking with slang every other sentence or going for the obviously crude joke. 

Finally by the time we get to the main storyline where it begins to play out that Harley finds herself getting kidnapped and it’s up to her gang to find her. It’s the highlight of of the issue now that the spotlight is heavily on the secondary characters. We get to see their personality a little bit more beyond beating up a ‘hipster mafia’. It’s nice to see them care a lot for Harley and to see that they all have something that makes them different from one another, beyond their looks. Some are more brave, others can be a little more violent, but together they make a fairly cohesive team as they set out to find their illustrious leader. 

Of course even when the focus is on them, it wouldn’t do to forget the main selling point of the series after all, so right in the middle of the page spread is Harley shown to be ever so demurely tied up from her kidnapping. Yes, Harley has sex appeal, readers know that, but it’s more appealing when it’s not shoved into their faces every page. But Harley’s own sex appeal apparently isn’t enough for when the villain of Harley’s kidnapping plot makes a reveal, well let’s just say it’s pretty revealing. 

Harley Quinn as a character has so much potential, and it’s clear they almost have the right idea when they introduced new characters with a similar potential, but then they take several steps back and reduce the story down to the obvious, cheap jokes, and sex appeal. It’s mostly just disappointing to see.