Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn #4
DC Comics Black Label
Written by: Katana Collins and Sean Murphy
Art by: Stan Mateo Scalera
Colors by: Dave Stewart
Letters by: AndWorld Design
What a wild ride Katana Collins has taken us so far. From the outset of this series the character of Harley Quinn has been given new life. We’ve been able to see this character in a new light, with each issue just adding more depth to her character — and Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn #4 continues to take this story to another level.
Black Label has truly given us something special over the past year with so many great titles to choose from. Katana Collins has built on what Sean Murphy started and turned Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn into a must read for not only Harley Quinn fans, but also Batman aficionados.
Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn is as much of a character study as it is a crime story. The crimes that took place early on in the series, combined with the unfolding of who is behind them, alone make this a fantastic book. However, it’s the journey into who these characters really are that’s elevated this story. Crisis of identity just doesn’t affect Harley — an element that plays into this books greatest reveal.
Speaking of reveals, Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn #4 is loaded with them, both big and small. Eye-popping or small, they’re crucial to the story and the characters they pertain to. With this story crossing the halfway point and moving toward the final act, these reveals come at the perfect time.
(Warning Spoilers for Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn #4 ahead)
We’ve now had tremendous reveals in back-to-back issues, but it’s not until the end of Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn #4 that we get the story’s biggest reveal — the Starlets’ true identity. Collins did a great job not making the Starlet’s true identity obvious, making the reveal all the more rewarding.
Obsession lies at the heart of this mystery. With the reveal of the Starlet being Hector’s former nanny, readers pivot onto a very interesting path. Hector now has to choose who to side with: his former nanny with whom shared a special bond with or the women he’s been obsessed with his entire life.
What comes next is anybody’s guess. I for one can’t wait to see what surprises Collins has in store for the penultimate issue.