“Happy New Me”, and “Quin-Zel: Cosmic Corsair”
Writers: Tini Howard and Erica Henderson
Artists: Natacha Bustos and Erica Henderson
Colors: Nick Filardi and Erica Henderson
Letterers: Steve Wands and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Review by Kendra Smart
Harley Quinn #39 is upon us finally!I
When last we left our brave heroine, she had not only celebrated her birthday but also renewed her sense of purpose, upon her pathway towards who Harley Quinn is.
Her recent probation has had her doing community service as a teacher, and for good reason. She wants to use her own smarts, her own drive, and wants to help people in her own way. To do that, she’s willing to bend a few rules in order to achieve helping someone who really needs it.
Mr. Ten Below
We begin where we left off. This issue starts off with Mr. Freeze seeking Harley out because he has a serious offer. Having heard that she’s back in the mix, villain wise, he wants to see just how serious a player she is. However, Harley has her own offer and the two don’t come to terms.
Time For Our Session
Tini Howard does a really nice job of making Harley’s wish for her purpose tangible. We get to see her fumble through what it means to achieve her goal. All this is paid off in droves as we get a super tender moment of clarity and understanding between Harley one of the issue ‘s villains.
It’s really nice to see Harley succeeding in a way that benefits her goals without too many side quests. Not to say there isn’t a build up, it’s great to enjoy the moments that Tini Howard, Natacha Bustos, Nick Filardi, and Steve Wands establish for us so wonderfully.
We also get a galactic bonus story “Quin-Zel: Cosmic Corsair”, with story and art by Erica Henderson and letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. The tale features Harley Quinn, space adventurer, stranded on a mining planet. On her way, she soon runs into the inhabitants, but they’re stopped by Poison Ivy almost immediately.
What follows is a hilarious fight between Harley and the narrator as the story escalates with Harley just wanting to kiss her girlfriend. Erica and Hassan deliver a charming and hilarious short story.
Conclusion
Harley Quinn #39 sets up a chilling beginning to Harley discovering her way and finding success. What Freeze is up to remains to be seen, but the moves he’s making may leave Harley with no choice but to join him in his work.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
