Harley Quinn #26 Review

   

   

Written by: Stephanie Phillips
Art by: David Baldeón, Matteo Lolli, Pasquale Qualano
Colors by: Rain Beredo
Letters by: AndWorld Design
Cover art by: Jonboy Meyers
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: January 24, 2023

Harley Quinn #26 pits Harley against Harley against Harley... you get the idea... to stop the Harley Who Laughs from killing all the Harleys.

Is It Good?

Harley Quinn #26 isn't terrible, nor is it very good. It sits in that middle space where comics exist that people will only remember or care enough to remember. Measured against the totality of Phillips's run to date, this issue is perfectly serviceable, and that's all you could hope for at this point.

When last we left Harley Quinn, Harleys from across the multiverse appeared in Gotham after Harley broke the dimension portal doohickey. Harley Who Laughs now has all the Harleys in one spot, making her goal to be the last Harley standing much more convenient. Now, Harley and Old Lady Harley hatch a plan to lure the Harley Who Laughs out into the open and end the destruction. Does it work? Sort of, but not exactly. We'll find out in the next issue and the last of Phillips's tenure on the title.

What works in this issue? The art is good. The lines are clean, and the action is decent enough. Beredo's colors are excellent, and the overall look of the comic is solid.

In fairness, this issue has a bright spot, and it's the same bright spot throughout the series - Kevin. The former clown shows some grit and courage in a scene where he stands up to his friend for making a bad choice. Kevin truly is the heart of this series.

The rest of the plot could be more exciting and exciting. The jokes could be better. The "plan" the Harleys eventually come up with makes sense only if your level of strategic thinking comes from watching too many Looney Tunes cartoons, and where is Batman while Gotham is burning around them?

While not entirely terrible, the plot is a loosely connected series of contrivances designed to get everyone in the same place simultaneously. So, we'll see how the next (and final) issue turns out.


About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces:

Harley Quinn #26 ranges from serviceable to mediocre as Harley and her team hatch a plan to get all the multiversal Harleys together in one place for a showdown against the Harley Who Laughs. The art is strong, but the story could be more varied and active.

6.5/10