Harley Quinn, Vol. 1: Hot In The City (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
They say a person should never buy a book because of it's cover but I went ahead and did it anyway probably because it featured a hot girl in a tight outfit with a big ass mallet wearing roller skates with crazy looking eyes. What's not to like? Well, I'm glad I don't listen to people because I loved this book from top to bottom. It's a brilliant joyride through the unhinged psycho-circus Harley Quinn calls a life brought to life by the inspired vision of Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti. I must admit that I had never heard of them but after this book they have moved to the top of my list. I can't remember the last time I read a book that was so much fun.The books beginning is as unique and quirky as Harley is as she drawn by various artists while discussing the issue with the two writers but to me the opening page of the story proper tells me all I need to know. The image of Harley barreling down a New York street on her motorcycle with a stuffed beaver on her front mud-guard and a huge bag of personal items on the back guard as she heads to her new home in Coney Island let me know that I was in for a wild and crazy ride and that's exactly what I got. The writers never let me forget that this girl is a little off center and they never took their tongues out of their cheeks or took themselves too seriously. This is a comic book that puts the emphasis on the comic side and is laugh out loud funny and visually stunning. The facial expressions of the crazy Quinn and the cast of misfits and freaks she befriends is brilliantly executed. Harley goes through the whole spectrum of emotions and reactions as her wrapping becomes just a little bit more undone and the artists capture this perfectly in these well imagined tales loosely linked together by the overall story arc about bounty hunters chasing a price on the head of Americas favorite Psycho-queen. They all fail of course because you can't beat crazy. Ms. Quinn gets up to plenty of other antics despite the annoyance of bounty hunters after her blood including wrongly kidnapping a suburban family, being chased by lovelorn criminals and - in a moment of pure inspiration- joining a roller derby team in the one job that she was born to have all while wearing a variety of outfits that could make a man forget himself including form fitting PJ's, a stunning one piece swimsuit, various crop top and shorts combos and - my favorite- a heartbreaker dress. She even paints over her bleached skin and wears a doctors uniform although she never looks comfortable wearing it - ( Yet another example of the brilliant expressive artwork the runs throughout this book.) - this books always delivers with sharp writing, mad cap humor, memorable visuals and a variety of characters that could only belong in Ms. Quinns world. A world full of the absurd, insane and comical and fed off the energy of fairground lights and Coney Island hotdogs. Bright, loud and unforgettable this is a world I loved visiting.Kudos to the creative team for this little treasure. This book is a wonderful piece of savage comic energy told in the space of that is a little off-center and full-tilt crazy. Wonderful.I eagerly await the next installment. This huge first edition for the New 52's most scatological title doesn't do itself any favours by beginning with Issue 0 and a load of rubbish just designed to get more and more guest artists involved. When it kicks in and we finally see what is being said by whose speech bubbles, we still don't get much in the way of story – Harley thinks she has an easy ride in being bequeathed a huge Coney Island building, but finds it potentially more trouble than it's worth – oh, and there's a bounty on her head. Nothing much floated my boat for a few issues before a weird side character turns up with an actual quest – you know, one of those dramatic inventions that actually propel a comic along? Until then there are some good yucks and gags (and far too many uses of the word beaver to be healthy), some awfully cheap and lurid artwork (fitting the character, of course, but still not brilliant) and not much else. Worth it for the letter to the bosses at DC towards the end, and for some crass comedy that I did enjoy, but not a hugely brilliant success. Still, it's better than much of the New 52 has been.
What do You think about Harley Quinn, Vol. 1: Hot In The City (2014)?
Completely charming. Funny. And fem-slashy. What's not to love?
—seledka
Each issue makes me laugh out loud at least once! Good stuff.
—sherryb11
oh hey a witless po-mo comic cool now go away please
—Asmi
