“Batter Up”, Part Two
Writer: Frank Tieri
Artist: Inaki Miranda
The new team on Harley Quinn is off to an impressive start. After a creative, spooky and surprising debut issue, Frank Tieri and Inaki Miranda kick it up a notch for issue #36. Harley Quinn has turned into a bat, and her friends are trying to turn her back to normal. While that is the majority of the issue, we get a few seeds planted for the future. Kirk Langstrom has taken a shot of the serum and shot out of a window. Harley has taken off, leaving her friends. And another one of Gotham’s most famous villains is preparing to unite ALL of the villains.
I love what Tieri is up to. Admittedly, I was hesitant seeing Harley as a bat on the cover of issue #35. (“What? Why? I don’t know what I’ll think of this new team” were a few opinions). That was premature of me, for I thoroughly enjoyed the slight changes that issue brought to the current run. This issue furthers what the team introduced us to last issue. I appreciate the opening humor. It wasn’t forced, didn’t overstay its welcome, and helped move the story along. We also zone in on Harley’s friends, and their loyalty to each other. While one group takes on the villain, another tries to hunt down a cure. By issue’s end, their close bond is the motivator behind Harley hitting the road.
Inaki Miranda keeps up the good work penciling each panel. While we don’t get as much of a sense of darkness here as last issue, he still brings comic book fun. His Harley-bat is surprisingly detailed, eerily capturing the perfect combination of a Harley Quinn and Man-Bat. Miranda’s settings are equal parts bright and dark, never distracting to the action taking place in each scene. DC has found their next great artist to take over one of their most popular antiheroes.
Conclusion
Harley Quinn #36 soars. Great fights, humor and art make the book worth your time and money. The series has found its next great team in Frank Tieri and Inaki Miranda. Let’s hope they keep putting a smile on our face.
Images courtesy of DC Entertainment