Make It Make Sense!
Written by: Stephanie Phillips
Was It Good?
Harley Quinn #12 is what happens when the creators stop giving a ^$&% about their creation and demonstrate (in word and deed) that nothing they're doing has to make sense, so they're doing it anyway. You'll struggle to find any comic on the market where the creators give readers the print equivalent of a shrug and an apathetic "whatever".
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Mr. Reviewer Guy. Why so harsh?!?" you may be thinking.
I'll tell you why, most excellent Weird Science reader. This comic, much like the entire series, has no point and does random things solely for the sake of being silly. Nothing makes sense. Nothing matters. There are no stakes. There is no character growth (except for Kevin, the REAL star of this series). And, the story has no point after an entire year's worth of issues.
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
When last we left Harley, she was handcuffed inside a locomotive with a bomb strapped to its undercarriage, and Kevin was tied to the tracks further along the train's course. How does a Mary Sue of epic proportions save the day? She doesn't.
Harley kicks off a piece of pipe from inside the conductor's cabin with her foot and smashes her handcuffs off. Then, just as the train approaches the bridge where Kevin is tied up, Harley leaps into the river below as the train explodes before it reaches Kevin.
In other words, the problem magically, impossibly resolved itself with no rhyme, reason, or explanation. As I said, "Whatever. It doesn't matter."
The first rule, arguably the most important rule, of storytelling is it has to make sense. When it doesn't, that's what we refer to as a plot hole. That said, this resolution isn't a plot hole. It's an outright insult to the readers' intelligence.
The resolution of the bomb train isn't the only thing happening in this issue, but after it happens, any sane person would simply acknowledge that anything after that point is a waste of time.
The Caucus shows up but turns on Keepsake to become Harley's new allies. And we get to see the big(ger) bad pulling Keepsake's strings and it's either a new character or a very obscure one (depending on the connection to Eternity Comics).
Rossmo's art is Rossmo's art. It's an acquired taste. You'll either hate it or not.
Make sure to listen to our Weekly DC Comics Recap and Review Podcast to hear us talk more about this book. Just look up "Weird Science DC Comics" anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!
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