Review: Harley Quinn #73
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer:Â Sam Humphries
Artist:Â Sami Barsi
Colors:Â Hi-Fi
Letterer:Â Dave Sharpe
Reviewer:Â Tony FarinaÂ
Summary
Los Angeles turns on everyone eventually, and now it’s turned on Harley Quinn! As she discovers more about the death of her friend, she decides it’s time to leave town—but the wrestling league she almost considered a family won’t let her go! She’s hit on a big conspiracy—and it just might kill her!
Positives
The action is fierce and fast in Harley Quinn #73 and Sami Barsi has to show off some seriously good action skills. I wish I had some of those pages to share, but suffice to say the final wrestling scene is spectacularly bloody and fan-freaking-tastic. Below is a page that happened after the action took place and that is really a fun visual gag. Take your time looking over that middle panel. There is so much going on. Brilliant. Colorist Hi-Fi is amazing as always. Honestly, whenever I see a comic colored by Hi-Fi, I am thrilled. Everything jumps right off the page and in a Harley Quinn story, colors really matter.
Sam Humphries has once again proven he knows how to give voice to our pal Harley. His dialogue crackles and his banter skills with Booster are dialed up to 11. No matter what Sam does after his run on Harley ends, make sure you track it down. He is aces.
Negatives
There was a LOT of exposition in Harley Quinn #73. I mean a lot. Don’t get me wrong, I think Sam is a great writer, but man, that was a lot to pack in. It feels like maybe this arc needed to be one issue longer. I am not sure if this was always the plan or if Sam realized he needed more space, but this needed more space. It felt like one long exhale and this story has been a slow burn, hard boiled detective story until this point.
Verdict
Harley Quinn #73 wraps up what was a fine story that maybe went on a bit too long. I get that DC really wants Harley to be an Anti-hero and that is working fine here. The stuff with Booster doesn’t always work but I like that he is here. I suspect the plan is to finally get him another title of his own and that too would be fine. Ultimately, I am really excited for next month because that set up is huge.
