HARLEY QUINN VOL. 2: JOKER LOVES HARLEY (REBIRTH) by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti is the most cohesive collection of Harley stories I've read so far. The bulk of this book deals with Harley's emotional state after the last few books. With her BFF Poison Ivy away, Harley wears her loneliness like a shroud and battles some lingering demons. Harley's gang, friends, and Red Tool brighten her day and add some humor to all the supervillain angst.

After her major violent and cathartic dustup with the Joker in HARLEY QUINN VOL. 5: THE JOKER'S LAST LAUGH, Harley has been haunted by odd occurrences that trigger memories from her time with the Joker. It's almost as if somebody was trying to gaslight the normally bubbly antihero. For me, this collection could have been titled "The Haunting of Harley Quinn". Every time she tries to put her past with the Joker behind her, he pops up like a bad penny. In HARLEY QUINN VOL. 2: JOKER LOVES HARLEY (REBIRTH), the Joker's presence seems to permeate the atmosphere until he finally shows up at Harley's apartment like the ghost of psychotic relationships past. Her friends rally around her and Red Tool makes an amusing, and surprisingly sweet, protector. Ultimately, even with all her support, it's Harley alone who has to lay the past to rest. As she lays out retribution and dishes out some hard truths, Harley shows how she is not a woman to mess with. I like that Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner have Harley settle things at the end, rather than allow other characters to take care of the problem for her. As always, the artwork is amazing and scenes are set up, and the characters posed, in fabulously appetizing ways.

HARLEY QUINN VOL. 2: JOKER LOVES HARLEY (REBIRTH) has Harley throwing punches, busting some teeth in, and generally kicking ass as she works out her melancholy woes. "Egg Noggin" - the Christmas-themed romp with Red Tool, and final story, is a fun palate cleanser for all the violence in the previous story. I look forward to reading Harley's next adventure written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner.