The art in Harley Quinn’s new DC comic, Birds of Prey, is unbelievable

Kelly Thompson, the writer of Birds of Prey, a team that is similar to Batman’s Birds of Prey group knew Harley Quinn was going to be the controversial character. This would be strange for anyone who has seen the film of the same title, which was created by Margot Roberts as Harley Quinn. Robbie used her power as an actress to gain a lot of attention. Suicide Squad breakout into a girl gang film, and as it was DC’s only all-female superhero team, the Birds of Prey was the natural fit.

But here’s the thing: Harley has never actually been on the comic book version of the Birds of Prey, until now. And despite the movie precedent, Thompson still expected Harley’s spot on the team to cause the biggest commotion. “Harley is definitely the most divisive,” she told ComicBook.com in July. “She’s sort of got the most fans, but she also has the most haters.”

And if you’re a Harley Quinn hater, you probably feel like you’re seeing her everywhere. There’s her self-titled cartoon show, wrapping up its fourth season, as well as her ongoing self-titled comic series, her monochrome anthology series Harley Quinn, Black + White + redHer guest appearances on series such as Poison IvyThe following are some examples of how to get started: Dark Knights of Steel, multiple tie-in miniseries set in the show’s continuity, and tons of DC’s YA graphic novels and Black Label books.

But if this week’s actual comic Birds of Prey #1 proves anything, it’s that there’s still plenty of things to say about Harley Quinn. And it said it in maybe the best first issue of a new series I’ve read all year.

You can also find out more about the following: Birds of PreyThompson has teamed up with Leonardo Romero (artist) and Jordie Belleaire (colorist), the same creative team behind the smash hit HawkeyeThe other is not correct. It pays to be familiar. Romero’s clear lines and distinct silhouettes spark against Bellaire’s neon marker washes that don’t much care if they pop out of the lines sometimes. This gives the book an old-fashioned, retro feel with its four-color printing.

It’s a treat for the eyes from back to front, as Romero’s fight choreography — an important skill for a book full of reformed ninjas and alien swordswomen — is given several brilliant showcases. And all that action doesn’t come at the expense of everything else, either. Thompson gives us all the information we need about Birds of Prey in just 28 pages. More importantly, he provides just enough facts for you to be interested to find out what happens next.

Our story is a classic: Black Canary’s estranged sister is in secret, deadly danger, and she’s got to put a secret, near-deadly team together. Her top picks are Batgirl, Big Barda, and Zealot (an alien warrior demigod). The problem, raised in the opening pages of the book, is that Canary needs someone “in the ‘$@#% your pants’ category of dangerous but also impeccably trustworthy and good.” She winds up having to settle for one out of three, and she’s not happy about it.

That’s because Black Canary is a Harley Quinn hater — and in a fun injection of tension, Birds of Prey knows that she’s wrong.

Canary, the book’s most stand-up hero, the one with a legacy reaching all the way back to the Justice Society, isn’t willing to trust Harley. Harley is the only one who doesn’t trust Harley. Poison Ivy, the supervillain in full force? What? She is a member of the ‘Adults Only’ group.It is important to know that you are rescuing a girl of 16 years old.

Canary isn’t willing to trust Harley with her sister, but Harley’s willing to trust all of them for a complete stranger.

The comic lore here, which Thompson leaves succinctly unsaid, is that all of Canary’s other picks have skeletons just as big as Harley’s in their own closets. Zealot is a millennia-old alien who’s dating a mercenary; Batgirl was raised to murder with her bare hands; and Big Barda used to be the foremost warrior of a god of fascism. When does Harley become redeemed, like these characters? When does she renounce her ecoterrorist friend? Does she act like a superhero? Is it when she talks all serious, like a real hero? Does not show the appropriate respect? You can also read about the real-time synchronization of your smartphone. heroes?

The modern Harley Quinn question is one that has been asked by many. Harley QuinnCartoons, her own show, and appearances Poison IvyMany people are struggling with. If Harley isn’t a villain anymore, but Poison Ivy is, what has to change about Ivy’s calling? Harley can only do heroics for so long before the community accepts her as a superhero. How does the caustic bite, manic tone, and survivor’s grit that made Harley compelling in the first place survive that transition? What happens if Harley never gets insider status? You can also find out more about us here. What do you say to her about superheroes who give her the cold shoulders?

You say: Not good things Birds of Prey #1. But that’s the thing about #1 issues — they don’t have to answer questions, they just have to raise some interesting ones. Back in 2020, Yan and Robbie weren’t satisfied with just one bite at the Harley Quinn apple either, and as of last year, James Gunn seemed confident that Harley would be a part of the new direction of DC Films as well. But while Hollywood waits to dig into Harley’s potential, DC Comics is busy doing the work.

Birds of Prey #1 doesn’t just set up an all-female crack team on a secret mission with a wild-card recruit; it grabs the one heroine in DC canon who most ripe for asking, “But wait… Why do we even think she’s a wild card?” and sticks her in with some of the most atonement-focused women in the setting. Harley’s not the only character that stands out. Birds of Prey has going for it, with Romero’s action and Bellaire’s colors, but she’s the secret ingredient that makes the whole book sing. The left is for the hateful.