Written by Katana Collins
Art by Matteo Scalera
Published by DC Comics
The final chapter of Katana Collins’ entry into the MurphyVerse has filled Harley Quinn’s quest to catch a serial killer with severe heartache.
In the last issue, one of Harley’s Hyenas, Lou, died in Starlet’s apartment fire. Collins makes excellent use of Harley’s grief by forcing her to revisit painful memories of her own criminal past.
A flashback sequence showing how Harley stopped The Joker from killing Robin revealed Lou saving her from a razor’s edge. In the fire, he sacrificed himself to save Harley’s children.
Reminiscing about Lou’s heroics has Harley out for blood. The GTO wants her to stand down, but Harley is not having it.
The visual cache of Matteo Scalera’s illustrations consistently evoke the right emotion at the perfect time, and this issue is no exception.
Sorrow with Lou’s passing, wonder at Harley’s new threads, and a pleasant nostalgia shot with the 1989 Batmobile.
Graphical cues are essential, but it’s also the little things, such as depth of field while Harley climbs a catwalk or someone falling through a trap door, that augments the story.
White Knight comics shepherd by Sean Murphy always carry a big moment to set the book apart from previous installments. While this is a very well laid out story, I was beginning to think that a pivotal moment was never going to arrive.
As soon as I finished that thought, BOOM!, Collins didn’t disappoint. A character’s fate will always conjure an opinion or two. Here, it was the right move considering there was no room for the character to grow.
After a several-year absence, the backdrop of crime returning to Gotham City was the perfect linchpin to throw the protagonists desperately into action. For Harley and Hector, it meant more than anyone could fathom, which Katana Collins fleshes out quite nicely throughout the series, making the payoff here more enjoyable.
Batman appears for a short but sweet cameo, and his actions are felt in the closing moments of the book. There is one dangling plot thread left unresolved, which suggests the story will continue at some point.
Future books featuring Harley could use a little more bite to resonate more profoundly with the fans of the White Knight series.
Overall, Collins’ take on Harley Quinn is subtly told with fine quality.
Rating: B+
