Harley Quinn #44 by Elliott Kalan, Mindy Lee, and Tríona Farrell was definitely my most anticipated issue of DC’s All-In initiative to get my hands on. Of course, if you know me, Harley is my lifeline, a character that I deeply care for.
First, if you haven’t been keeping up with Harley’s adventures, you may not know that, for a while now, she has been pushing more toward being a hero rather than the classic villain she was in her debut. Harley has always balanced the line between antihero and villain. Ultimately, she’s insane and frequently makes poor choices, but she’s soft at her core and intelligent too. I have a dislike of books that portray her as a dumb comic relief, and was glad this All-In issue didn’t dumb her down. If all goes well throughout the run, we will get to see more of her clever wits.
There is constant discourse surrounding Harley. Some fans long for her to be on the side of evil, while others push for her to skew good. However, Harley is the ultimate antihero. She will never be fully good or wholly evil. That is why I believe this issue honors classic fans to a certain degree. It’s still early on in this arc, being only the first issue. It’s off to a promising start; I certainly felt a blend between the classic, early-2000s, and New 52 Harley while reading. I personally prefer a villainous and mischievous Harley, and I am hoping the creative team sticks to their goals, and this run sees her harken back to a more menacing and quick-witted jester.
Harley also dons her original colors again, with a little twist, and I could not be happier. I’m a fan of the blue and pink colorway, but for me, NOTHING beats the classic red and black – I am praying to any God that will listen that it sticks around.
Mindy Lee does Harley total justice in her art. I’ve been eyeing her posts on Twitter and the process of each frame on her Instagram. She doesn’t mess around when it comes to perfecting a panel. Her art is beautiful and makes Harley look adorable. She’s very creative with her other Harley sketches, I’d recommend you to go and check them out.
I’ve mentioned Tríona Farrell before; she’s an Irish colorist and I’m delighted she gets to work with Harley. Being Irish myself, I’m always thrilled to see us do well. Call me biassed, sure, but her colors are gorgeous! Thanks for making Harley come to life. It’s nice to have someone from home working on my favoritee character.
Overall, I’m very excited to see where this team takes Harley. As I mentioned before, I’m incredibly hopeful and have faith in them. So yes, I feel this is a great jump-in point for new readers, or for readers who haven’t been keeping up with the character because things are about to heat up!