Kirsty Rowe

recommended a book almost 5 years ago

almost 5 years ago

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions. On that road I saw a pale man… …and he smiled at me.” – Dr. Harleen Quinzel. With this being the first book review on my website I am extremely glad I chose ‘Harleen’ (books 1-3) by Stjepan Šejić. I read this graphic novel in one sitting, last night to be exact and I ended up staying awake for some time afterwards trying to process the whole story. It was simply that good. The version I read holds all three books, so it was nice and chunky and I felt accomplishment once I had blasted my way through it. Harleen was truly a captivating read. I am somewhat of a huge fan of Batman, Harley Quinn and Mr J (my wedding was Harley/Joker themed – so that should give some perspective of my fandom level, but think of it more as the old school ‘funny’ Harley and J), and I can honestly say that is one of the best Harley stories I have read. Harley has indeed become somewhat of a ‘mainstream’ character, and what once started out as a funny, slapstick relationship with the Joker and their resilient determination to make Gotham ‘one big joke’ has now transformed and taken a more twisted approach within the modern era. This is inclusive of an abusive relationship with Mr J, with more killing sprees rather than the water in a flower lapel trick. Ultimately, that also means there aren’t any particular rules as to how far a writer can take things with this pair, so when I picked up this novel, although I knew it was an origins story, I wasn’t sure exactly where we would be heading. The pace of the tale was steady, there was no immediate rush but it didn’t linger either. As a reader you were following Harleen’s decent into madness bit by bit as though you were right there with her. The sleepless nights, the intrusive thoughts, the nightmares when she did manage to sleep, and the consistent reliance on alcohol. The great text paired with the incredible artistry really does captivate you as you tag along for the ride of the roller-coaster that is Harley’s psyche. We all know the Joker is the definition of insanity but as you read this story you’ll find yourself smiling along with Harley. You feel as though the Joker DOES care and even love her, but when Batman questions whether or not the love from the Joker is true, you question it too. ‘Is he playing her?’ ‘Was this all one big joke to him?’ ‘No he loves her right? I mean it’s twisted love but look at that kiss!’ The questioning itself was another reason as to why I enjoyed the story so much, it got the old brain ticking over and had me fully engrossed in the story. As always it’s great to read about other key Gotham villains, if only for a glimpse every now and again – We even get the beginning of a comradeship between Ivy and Harley! I will without doubt be reading it again and would highly recommend any true fan of Harley to dive into this novel and get as deep as I did. And if for nothing else you need to pick it up for the absolutely incredible artwork throughout. Happy reading, and don’t forget to smile…. 😄😄😄

Harleen

It's been months since Dr. Harleen Quinzel began interviewing criminals at Arkham Asylum, and she's ...