Writer: Frank Tieri
Art: Inaki Miranda
Color: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Cover: Amanda Conner and Hi-Fi
Cover Price: $2.99
On Sale Date: January 31, 2018
**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE
BOTTOM**
I’ve spent way too much time just now trying to make
a parody of “Original Coney Isle” that would somehow involve Harley Quinn being
a Man-Bat. Let’s just get on with it, okay? Check out my review of Harley Quinn #36, right here!
Explain
It!
We ended last issue with Harley Quinn having been
turned into a Man-Bat on the last page. Well, this issue begins with Harley
Quinn as a Man-Bat, terrorizing Coney Island. She’s swooping around snatching
people up with Francine Langstrom, also in her Man-Bat form, just yoinking
folks left and right and screeching and creating some havoc in broad daylight.
Mind you, this doesn’t clear out Coney Island entirely. You would have to bring
some heavy artillery to get people really running in Brooklyn.
While the rest of the crew heads out with Kirk
Langstrom, given furlough from Arkham Asylum, to find the antidote, the Gang of
Harleys tries to convince Quinn that she’s more a psychotic clown than a bat.
When Francine threatens the Gang with bodily harm, push comes to shove and
Harley’s inner self emerges to cold cock Francine and knock her out—just in
time to be hit with the newly-found antidote and change Harley back to her old
white-skinned self again. I mean, she was white-skinned either way, but now
she’s back to being a human. In the fracas, Kirk Langstrom injected some more
Man-Bat serum and got away, so that will probably be a thing later on.
After a talk with Frank Frank, who now owns a
novelties stand specializing in Harley as Man-Bat merchandise, Harley realizes
that if she wants to press the “reset” button on her life, she can’t do it
hanging around Coney Island where everyone is up in her junk all the time. And
besides, she doesn’t want to keep endangering them. She disappears on the whole
crew, who stand around Harley’s smelly apartment wondering about it for a
while, but Coach has a sneaking suspicion that someone is behind all of this
recent tragedy that has beset the family Quinn, and it turns out to be…the
Penguin? Okay, I suppose.
I didn’t get into the quips and japes contained in
this issue because, frankly, you’d have to read it to get ‘em. But there’s a
few pretty funny scenes for both the Gang of Harleys and the Antidote-Gettin’
Squad (which includes Red Tool) that round out this otherwise nuts-and-bolts
story. And that’s not a negative criticism, this is a great two-part story with
plenty of Harley as Man-Bat action to satisfy anyone’s latent curiosity about
such a thing. I have to say again, the only problem I had with this issue was
the art, which included some confusing panels and downright gross-looking faces—not
what I expected from Inaki Miranda at all. But it’s not the worst thing to see,
and fans of the series should feel very satisfied to read a self-contained
story that costs six bucks instead of eighteen to get through.
Bits and
Pieces:
A light, well-paced story that is dragged down by some unfortunately muddied visuals. Those interested in seeing Harley in Man-Bat action will not be left disappointed. Those who want to see Harley's support system acting in concert to save the day will also be satisfied. Those who want to see the author of this issue working at a Coney Island tchotchkes stand...what the hell is wrong with you? Well, you'll be happy, too.
7.5/10
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