Harley Quinn: Preludes and Knock Knock Jokes SC

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect with this series but found it quite entertaining to see her go from a sidekick henchgirl to a full blown hero in her own right. Harleys stories range from humorous and quite out there to serious in overall tone. so it never remains to be a one trick pony which is always nice. You wont be seeing much of batman or much of the bat family for that matter but thats all the better for Harley since it gives her, her own breathing room and more spotlight. After reading through this book I found myself kinda bummed since it only includes the first 6 issues of her series which spans 38 issues and 2 special one shot issues. Its nice have them all in one book and in order no less but will make you wanna know what happens next so you'll end up scouring comic shops or the internet for issues 7-38. Happened to me and a friend of mine so i think if you are a true to heart fan of hers then you'll also fall into this same category. The art in the book is pretty nice overall and stays consistent. The witty responses she has throughout all her random exploits are pretty funny and what you would expect and want to her from her. The storylines themselves in this book are a good opening to her character going out on her own and becoming public enemy number 1. If you do like the book I highly suggest you read the couple of issues that Bizzaro shows up in. They're pretty ammusing and were some of my favorites from the series in general. also pick up the new series Gotham City Sirens which is currently in print and well worth your time especially if you liked this. 5 stars :D

Fans of Harley Quinn should purchase this without hesitation; it delivers the first seven issues of her y2k series in a beautifully bound hardcover. Visually, the pages here feature mostly fantastic, seductive, pin-up style panels of Harley mixed with some cartoon like panels that resemble her in the Batman animated series. One has to assume the later is done because of time constraints, but whatever. This is more an observation than a complaint. The stories here are fairly light weight, but are filled with enough action, humor and dialog here to keep things engaging. More Harley Quinn please! She's perhaps the most interesting "super villainess" in the history of comics.

I was excited to learn about Harley Quinn's appearance in the recent Countdown/Birds of Prey/Detective comics in the mainstream DCU. What even excited me even more was the reissue of her series. Now, don't let her fool you. You don't mess with this Harley. With the perfect combination of (dark) humor, silliness (in a good way, it's part of her lovable essence and a fresh break from the other femme fatales of Gotham) and drool worthy art by Dodson (and I'm a girl!) you will have a gem in your collection. What I really enjoyed what Kesel did with Harley was take away her "Woe is me, my puddin doesn't wuv me no mo' cuz I'm a misunderstood soul, boo hoo" and actually give her a personality that makes her stand on her own. With the first issue, she grows like a child and into adulthood when she breaks away from the Joker after his two-timing! THAT'S Harley Quinn, not some spineless, deluded and unlikable joke that Joker/Harley fangirls glorify and ardent Batman fanboys hate. NO! She gets rid of all that and becomes her own character who has a worthy chair of her own in the Batman mythos (and not next to the Joker, huzzah!). One of my favorite quotes was in the first issue, and I am roughly paraphrasing here: "Enjoy cigars the way they are made best, from my thigh!" My favorite issue was the Bad Girl's slumber party. It was an interesting and light take of how these evil bevy of beauties cohabit Harley's new digs. If you enjoyed Batman: Mad Love or Batman: Harley Quinn, you might like this as it puts Miss Quinn in a whole new light and in the center. However, if you are one of those ardent Joker Harley shippers, you should still give this a chance.

This book is just pure gold and in complete essence of Harley Quinn. Karl Kesel and Terry Dodson did a wonderful job to transition the title character from her animated medium to one that fits in well with the dark setting of the mainstream DCU, without changing much of what Paul Dini had already established for the character. With Kesel's clever writing and Dodson's beautiful illustrations, the character truly does take a life of her own. In this volume Harley decides she wants to establish herself as a baddie in old run-down Gotham and for that, she goes on to ditch the Joker and start her own gang. This volume is equipped with half-witted crime schemes, a slumber party, villain team-ups, a failed attempt to loot Bruce Wayne's mansion, and hilarity ensues. The thing that makes this book a plus, is that with Harley's independence from the Joker, the writer is left with plenty of room to explore the character's psyche beyond that of a mere henchgirl with a perverse obsession with one of Gotham's most notorious criminals. The stories go on to illustrate the things that make Harley a heartless criminal as well as the things that make her a sympathetic human being. Overall this is a good book for any comicbook fan (and Harley fans in general) to possess and enjoy. The stories are fun to read, equipped with witty dialogue, and of course Harley's twisted sense of humour. Die-hard fans of the animated series may be disappointed to learn that Harley's not as innocent in these pages as she is in DCAU, but with Dodson's luscious artwork and Kesel's own spin to establish the Character beyond of what's already familiar to most, make it all worthwhile in my opinion.

The plots are odd. The heroine tries to sabotage an amusement park, holds a slumber party meeting of Gotham's bad girls, and destroys Wayne Manor trying to rob it. The humor is pitch black. Murder is exceedingly common. Yet, in a strange way, this is truly great stuff. Mainly because it's a surreal story. We are being asked to pull for a character who isn't all there and who gleefully engages in destructive acts. Fans of the character from the animated series will find much to love here.