HARLEY'S LITTLE BLACK BOOK collects a six issue miniseries,
with all stories written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy
Palmiotti but including artwork by various artists, and
including characters like Zatanna, Wonder Woman, Superman,
Green Lantern, the DC Bombshells, and Lobo. Each story
references characters or events from one of the others. The
first few vignettes include a wacky group known as the
London Legion of Superheroes. This group seems like the
"B-list" of superheroes but they're a nice way to tie these
stories together. Green Lantern's ring and Superman's
magic balls are other things that make a transition from one
story to the next. Even though the artwork differs, Amanda
Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti keep Harley sounding like herself
and consistent throughout each tale in this collection.
Things get a little personal in the England-based Wonder
Woman story because readers get a glimpse into Harley's
childhood, and the inspiration she took from Wonder Woman.
This tale has plenty of slapstick, as well as Bond-style
villains and weaponry. Harley's efforts to protect, and
work with, her Amazon idol make for a lot of laughs. Wonder
Woman lets her hair down a little and Harley gains a new,
yet reluctant, gal pal.
My favorite story in HARLEY'S LITTLE BLACK BOOK is the
Zatanna one. I like the chemistry between Zatanna and
Harley. Zatanna's presence as a magician seems a natural
fit for Harley's environment, and I hope for more team-ups
in the future. In this story, Harley does what she does best
-- help the helpless, look cute, and manhandle and generally
put megalomaniacal evildoing jerks in their place. The ghost
element is fun and the artwork by Joseph Michael Linsner
complements the carnival and historical settings.
The Harley story featuring Superman is great for two
reasons. For comic fans, it's cool to have a Harley story
drawn by the legendary Neal Adams. The other reason this
adventure is so much fun is that it's especially amusing to
see Harley get a glimpse of the intergalactic twerps who try
to jerk Superman around on a regular basis. It was
surprising to see just how well Superman and Harley worked
together. In past stories in which Batman and Harley crossed
paths, you can't help but get the impression that Batman
looks down on Harley and can't get past her former
association with the Joker. With Superman, there is a
completely different vibe, and they make an entertaining odd
couple.
Harley's encounter with Green Lantern is action-packed.
Even when under the influence of an evil ring, Harley is
still Harley. Typical for the clown crusader, she is able to
cop a feel of Green Lantern while stopping the world from
certain doom. The costumes in the DC Bombshells vignette are
fab, but the highlight for me is the Nazi/Dracula/Joker
dream sequence. The final story in this collection,
featuring the bounty hunter Lobo, is a treat because their
larger-than-life personalities mesh beautifully together.
Harley proves she's crazy enough and tough enough to handle
a wildcard like Lobo, and give as good as she gets. The
artwork may be a little jarring for regular Harley Quinn
readers, but what comes out of her mouth is typical Harley
goodness courtesy of Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti.
Alien pirates prove to be no match for Harley Quinn.
It's the sensational debut of a massive team-up series in
which Harley meets (and almost certainly annoys) the
greatest heroes and villains of the DC Universe! Harley
is pairing up with the greatest heroes of all time,
featuring adventures with Wonder Woman, Green Lantern,
and more! But can she keep up with superheroes of this
caliber?
Celebrated Harley co-writers Amanda Conner and Jimmy
Palmiotti take on this monumental series, spinning off of
the best-selling HARLEY QUINN series. Collects HARLEY'S
LITTLE BLACK BOOK #1-6.
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