Review: Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy #6
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer:Â Jody Houser
Pencils:Â Adriana Melo
Inks: Mark Morales
Colors:Â Hi-Fi
Letters:Â Gabriella Downie
Reviewer:Â Tony Farina
Summary
Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy #6 beings with Harley and Ivy coming face to face with the real villain of this epic road tripping mini-series…Yep. I ‘m not going to tell. There are spoilers and there are spoilers. Just know this, the cover, where Harley and Ivy fight, that is real. Who is really in control of Pam? Well, that, you’ll just have to read to find out.
Positives
In a book that has spent so much time focusing on heroism, the real hero is Adriana Melo. I can’t simply gush enough about her skills. She manages to pack action, emotion, horror and humor, sometimes all on one page, in such a smooth way. Harley feels all of these emotions all at once and in the hands of such a skilled artist, they all come to life. Check this out.
I have found Houser’s take on Harley and Pam’s relationship to be touching and heartfelt. She has captured Harley’s voice so well and she has given Ivy a depth we never knew she had. This was so much more than just an action packed, madcap romp. Bravo Ms. Houser.
Negatives
The only real problem with this ultimate issue of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy #6 is that I don’t know how much it will affect the real DC Universe. Is this new Harley the Harley we will see in all her other books? What will become of Pam? Is this really her fate? That seems harsh. I guess the problem is that this wasn’t really long enough. Harley can’t really be in every single book and Houser did an amazing job telling this particular story, but I just wonder to what end. I suppose we have to keep reading other books to find out.
Verdict
In the end, I think Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy was a fun series. I enjoyed the jokes. I LOVED the art. The covers were all poster worthy even some of the variant covers. If you missed this series, you should pick up the trade in a month or so because I do suspect some of the fallout of this series will be evident in Birds of Prey and possibly even Batman. I wouldn’t mind seeing this dream team pick up with Pam and give us another six parts explaining what becomes of her after the last panel of this.
