Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour. #1 Review
If you are not up to date with the Harley Quinn series on HBO MAX, there will be spoilers for the season 2 ending. No joke, there will be spoilers so watch the series first before reading the comic.
Picking up where season 2 left off, we catch up to Harley and Ivy as they run away from Jim Gordon and the GCPD. With the usual crazy antics of the TV series presented in comic form, we don’t need to wait for season 3 or a Twitter controversy involving the Bats sex life for more Harley Quinn content.
By: DC Comics
Words by Tee Franklin
Art By Max Sarin
Letter by Taylor Esposito
Color by Marissa Louise
The issue recaps the catastrophic failure of the wedding and the emotional fallout Ivy is going through. The characters’ motives are still the same, with Jim trying to rehab his reputation, Harley learning how to be in a healthy relationship, and Ivy coming to terms with who and what she wants to make her happy.
The story was weird in the sense we didn’t get an actual recap of season 2. The hints and vague synopses didn’t sell the series or get readers into the issues. Without that retelling or catching up on sections, the areas of focus and dialog become confusing. With the last episode coming out over a year ago, people up to date with the show need a recap.
Franklin tries to intertwine the series themes and ideas into the comic in the best way. Trying to match the exact feel and theme of the series hurts the story more than helps develop it. However, Franklin’s story shines when it’s her own story involving Harley and Ivy and not trying to fit the animated series in her story.
Sarin loads the art full of Easter eggs and references. We see the original roller girl costume from her relaunch series, the Birds of Prey costume, and many more little Harley Quinn homages throughout the hideout. Besides those fun little treats, the art is bubbly and cartoonish that’s perfect for a web series.
Harley Quinn: Final Thoughts
In conclusion, Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour. was decent but the flaws and cracks were evident. Franklin and Sarin try to make it their own but having to follow the events in the series distracted them from gaining their own traction. With everything from the series out of the way, issue two should be the true indication of what their series will be about. If it keeps trying to be an animated series in comic form, the story will suffer as it did in this issue.