Written by contributor Tom Hitchen
Harley Quinn has had many iterations. Almost as many as her equally deranged counterpart, The Joker. Stjepan Šejić breathes a freshness into the mallet wielding, bubblegum character, giving her new motivations and ideas, all of which inevitably lead her into the arms of Gotham’s most feared.
Harleen collects numbers 1-3 and opens with a frustrated Dr. Harleen Quinzel delivering a scientific lecture to a fidgeting audience. Quinzel believes there can be a way to search for, diagnose, and then cure psychopathy. Not in the broadest sense of the term, but more how the lack of mental empathy can trigger the psychopathic tendencies of Gotham’s criminals. Put to the task of interviewing inmates from both Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Penitentiary, it is at the former where her path crosses with DC’s most infamous villain.
What really stands out in the novel are the story-telling elements Šejić utilises in order to move the narrative forward. Told in real-time, as well as through voiceover from an already outraged Quinn, Sejic allows the reader to see both past and present without it ever feeling clumsy or overworked. This is cleverly achieved with tight, clean dialogue in the present-day action, supplemented with clear markers for the voiceover. And it’s even here that Harleen still feels human. It’s often the case when characters descend into villainy, they remove all confusion and morals from their own behavioural index. But in having Harley Quinn still exhibit Harleen’s understanding of the world around her, allows for a more three-dimensional character to come off the page in all the ways you want a character to do.
The artwork is stunning, capturing both the intimate relationship the reader must have with Harleen while also having panels that are cinematic in scope, bringing the vivid action to life. The choice again to flow from one timeline into the next never feels confusing or muddled; it all blends seamlessly, and even the shorter, dream sequences don’t feel out of place at all in the larger narrative. The art is bold and vibrant, but never shies away from the darker undercurrent of the narrative.
Harleen is a devastating look at the origin and subsequent descent of one of the comic book world’s most iconic and well-known characters. In a world dominated by Margot Robbie’s quirky chic Harley Quinn, Šejić’s graphic novel stands on its own two feet in this confident entry into the DC graphic universe.
Harleen is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Dr. Harleen Quinzel has a theory: mental illness is a survival mechanism. As she seeks to help the broken souls of Gotham City piece together their sanity she will become the one thing she fears the most: one of them. A bold new retelling of the tragic origin of Harley Quinn told through the eyes of the only person who knows her better than anyone: Harleen.
A young psychiatrist with a potential cure for the madness that haunts Gotham City, Dr. Harleen Quinzel must prove her revolutionary theory to a skeptical establishment by delving into the disturbed minds of Arkham Asylum’s deadliest inmates. But the more time she spends with her criminally insane subjects, the closer she is drawn to one patient in particular–and the further she falls away from reality.The birth of legendary antihero Harley Quinn and the shocking origins of her twisted romance with the Joker are revealed in Harleen, a stunning new tale of love and obsession written and illustrated by renowned comics storyteller Stjepan Šejic (Aquaman: Underworld, Sunstone).
Collects Harleen #1-3
