Review: Batman: White Knight Presents Harley Quinn #6
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Katana Collins, Sean Murphy
Artist: Matteo Scalera
Letters:Â AndWorld Design
Colors: Dave Stewart
Reviewed by: Carl Bryan
Summary
“I’ll do you proud Bats!” – Harley Quinn
Batman: White Knight Presents Harley Quinn #6 -Gotham City’s fate hangs in the balance in this conclusion to Harley Quinn’s quest to catch a serial killer!
Harley knew the risks when she agreed to help the GTO capture Gotham’s most savage new criminals and all her fears have come to pass. Her pursuit of Starlet and the Producer has magnified the overwhelming responsibilities of motherhood, endangered her life and loved ones and forced her to revisit the most painful memories of her own criminal past.
Now, on the eve of Starlet’s final spectacular act at the Gotham Film Festival, the case has become personal. As Harley grieves a shocking personal loss, she prepares to risk everything to prove she can deliver on her commitments and bring the case to a close. With one final assist from Bruce, Harley heads to center stage for a showdown that will make or break Gotham’s future—and determine Harley’s role within it.
Positives
Katana Collins, and Sean Murphy..sigh. This book concludes the saga of Harley straddling the fences between good, evil, motherhood, hyena owner, and the oddest love triangle (square) we could have possibly hoped for.
This was the type of book that you hated to see come to an end as it was perfectly written and had a rhythm of angst and anticipation on every last page of the six book series. Collins and Murphy salvage the day as I have a very soft spot for pets. The sacrifice that Lou made to save one of Harley’s twins was gut wrenching. The loss of a pet on top of everything else that Harley has lost should have rocked her to the core more.
To see her persevere is phenomenal and the surprise at the end provides full circle to this entire story line.
Katana Collins and Sean Murphy…have they just rewritten A Death in the Family in the Murphyverse? I mean….OMG! This book takes us to a new level in what this duo has done with their pens. Murphyverse canon takes the DC storylines of Batman, along with the movies, dumps them onto a playroom floor, and rearranges those puzzle pieces in a way that is both an homage to the original and a new refreshing take!
Positives 2.0
Bruce/Bats…in this Murphyverse, Bruce may be an inmate on the run, but he still has his wealth. And one heck of a uniform design team. Gone is the trademark Harley Quinn red, black and white. In comes the grey, black and yellow of Batman.
I feel like DC is moving Bruce out of the way on a lot of different levels. The main timeline has replaced him and allowed so many of his “sidekicks” to go to the forefront. Now we see Harley becoming a guardian of Gotham. This opens up a lot of cans and an entire playground for this team of artists and writers.
Negatives
Book six provides the perfect ending/beginning to this saga. What White Knight and the Murphyverse has done for Harley is to provide this character with the treatment she deserves. Not some silly, campy, off her rocker personality…but a true Forensic Psychiatrist that packs quite the punch/mallet!
Verdict
Sean Murphy, Matteo Scalera, and Katana Collins are hitting all the bases in the series. With every turn of the page, you get Easter Eggs, homages, but better yet…the Harley this character has always needed to be. DC should be praised for allowing Sean Murphy to not only expand the Batman Universe, but to allow other artists and writers play in this Murphyverse sandbox.
Sean Murphy’s universe needs to expand to beyond the Bat Family. His reduction in characters make for a stronger detective storyline that is both a throwback to the pulp novels, but also a treasure of Easter Eggs from storylines gone by. Soon instead of the Snyder Cut, we will ask for a Murphyverse treatment of a Batman movie!
