“Death Becomes Harley”
Artist: Otto Schmidt
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Review By: Kendra Hale
Ernest! You Pushed Me Down The Stairs!
The wait for Harley Quinn #63 has been long, but was it worth it. Not only do we get a hilarious and cute cover by Guillem March and Arif Prianto, in which Harley’s doggos have gotten hold of Death’s leg bone, but we also get a variant cover by Frank Cho and Sabine Rich that literally is to fake die for. If that isn’t enough, this issue’s title is a throwback to 1992’s Death Becomes Her, which is a personal favorite.
Bring Yer Tissues
First of all, let me say that I was not prepared for this issue. While it opens with Death eliminating a hero calling himself The Coney Companion, the rest of the story takes a twist. For those who’ve been following this arc, we’ve seen Harley not only deal with trials being put before her by the Lords of Chaos and Order, but have also watched her character grow. She’s dealt with far more personal trials that center around her Mother’s diagnosis of Cancer; this was featured and introduced in issue #55. For me at least, this has made her a lot more relateable. The creative team’s taken us on the rough journey of what makes Harley… Harley. All this has given me a much greater respect for the character.
This issue revolves around Harley having to face a lot of different emotions, that many of us have had to face at one point or another. While working through her sadness, and acceptance, she gets caught on the wrong side of Death. This leads to an overall lovely heartwarming experience. If you haven’t been reading, this issue is a serious recommendation.
Like A Pizza Bagel Right Outta The Oven
Sam Humphries has given us some amazing writing this issue, especially given the ups and downs that it has in spades. His flow maintains the Harley Quinn feeling throughout, and when paired with Otto Schmidt’s art and Dave Sharpe’s lettering it’s bordering on perfection.
There’s one full page splash that was easily a perfect way to portray an idea, but – having lost my own Mother this year -was also completely relatable. The image shows Harley in a throng of people and, while everyone else in the image is featured in color, poor Harley is black and white. This represents her sorrow so well, that it and a later heartwarming scene between her and her Mother made tissues necessary.
Conclusion
This issue is honestly a one of kind and the complete package. Harley seeing her personal face of Death in the visage of an anime hero was especially wonderful and gave me notes of What Dreams May Come in the best way. Harley Quinn #63 has been yet another blast of fresh air, whilst cruising down the highway at 125 and not slowing down.
Images Courtesy Of DC Entertainment