Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn #2
DC Comics Black Label
Written by: Katana Collins and Sean Murphy
Art by: Stan Mateo Scalera
Colors by: Dave Stewart
Letters by: AndWorld Design
Katana Collins and Sean Murphy have created something awesome with this iteration of Harley Quinn. Over the decades, we’ve come to know Harley Quinn as a smitten, psychotic sidekick to the Joker — which had become stale, especially over the past few years with so many Harley Quinn titles being released. Collins and Murphy have injected the character with such depth that it’s impossible not to love this book.
The Murphyverse has given us our favorite characters that are both familiar enough, but also quite different. In Harley’s case, Collins has given us a strong, smart woman, who is also battling the challenges of being a single mother — with twins, no less — while trying to turn her life around for the better. Still, even with these changes, Harley still maintains some of her quirkinesses. These first two issues of Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn have done more to advance the character than we have seen since her inception back in Batman The Animated Series.
Mateo Sclera’s art, paired with Collin’s writing, presents a gritty, dark feel to this story, which is what I love about Batman stories. With this being a Harley story, I’m even more impressed, because we have yet to see her in this role.
If you’ve enjoyed Batman: White Knight or Curse of the White Knight, then Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn is a no-brainer, and I, for one, cannot wait for the third issue.
(WARNING: Spoilers for Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn #2 ahead.)
In Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn #2, we find our heroine on the move looking for clues as to who Gotham’s newest serial killer “The Producer” is and where he may be hiding. With the crimes being so close to that of the Joker’s M.O. Harley goes to the only place that makes sense: Neo Joker’s hideout. The two brawl, but eventually settle their differences over a shared love of tea which ends up leading Harley on to a new lead, “The Starlet.”
This was such a violent, yet fun scene. It’s a great encapsulation of who Harley has become under Collins and Murphy. What you see with this scene is a determined Harley trying to do the right thing — but to get the information she needs, she has to tap into what once made her such a destructive force. In that scene we see someone who is trying to balance their past with their present, the humanization of Harley Quinn — yeah, I’m all in.
Score: 9.0
Batman: White Knight presents: Harley Quinn writer Katana Collins joined Change My Mind this Week to talk about her DC Black Label book and more! The audio from GWW Radio is below.
You can also find the interview on the Change My Mind iTunes, Spotify and Stitcher channels — or wherever else you listen to the show!