Written by Katana Collins
Illustrated by Matteo Scalera
Published by DC Comics
Gotham’s new serial killer targeting golden age movie stars is hitting close to home.
Harley Quinn and her new acquaintance, FBI agent Hector Quimby, are beginning to get a little closer. Collins uses Quimby’s obsession with Harley as a narrative melting pot. Some believe his curiosity is purely professional, while others believe there is more to it.
Just when it seems like Quimby is honest, something else comes to light that makes him look more like the bad guy. The ”I didn’t think it would matter” argument when it’s revealed that Quimby’s mother is connected to murders seems highly irresponsible for a responsible agent.
The mystery of it all questions whether Quimby as a bad guy is either red herring or precisely as advertised.
Harley is incredibly understanding of Quimby. Collins uses her past as a vehicle of sympathy. Harley’s tenure at Arkham Asylum didn’t come without a lie here and an omission there.
However, it was all in the name of the work of curing The Joker. She believes Quimby’s suspect looking actions are in the same vein. It’s hard to get anything past Harley; however, she’s been emotionally distracted lately. It will be interesting to see if Harley is playing the long game or is taking everything at face value.
Matteo Scalera’s artwork continues to match the motif of the White Knight/Murphy-verse while making It his own.
The Gray Ghost who first appeared in Batman: The Animated Series makes an appearance and looks like he leaped from the cartoon to Scalera’s pages. And yet, Ghost’s golden age flair fits like a glove in this universe.
The final page doubles as a visual delight for Harley Quinn fans while increasing the story’s overall tension. Quimby has a lot of explaining to do as the closing image wonderfully caps off this installment while making the next issue an automatic buy.
Grade: B+
