Summary
Harley Quinn’s stylish new redesign gets the perfect “pulpy” treatment in a new variant cover. Since her debut, Harley Quinn has had many roles, including a Suicide Squad member or Bird of Prey. Now, anew era for Harley has begun in this Fall’sHarley Quinn#45, which sees her set up her own “Destructive” agency, and a variant cover gives this new position a pulpy makeover.
Incoming Harley Quinn writer Elliot Kalan served as head writer for the Netflix episodes ofMystery Science Theater 3000.
DC’s November solicitations included a first look atHarley Quinn#45, written by Ellliot Kalan and drawn by Mindy Lee. Kalan and Lee took over in the previous issue, giving Harley not only a new mission, but a new costume as well.
David Nakayama, Robin Higginbottom
Attention residents of Throatcutter Hill!
Art! Since the dawn of humanity, we have found emotional, spiritual, and even intellectual meaning through the visual arts. But sometimes…even art can suck real, real bad. Is a soulless and aesthetically meritless corporate statue ruining your view of a perfectly good park full of uncollected trash and dead rats? That’s where I come in—Hello, I’m Harley Quinn. Recently, I launched my latest business venture, the Harley Quinn Destructive Agency.
My goal is simple: if there’s something you need blown up, if you need somebody clobbered, if there’s anything I can do to make Throatcutter Hill a more dangerous place again—I’ll do it. My rates are reasonable! And for an introductory price of $3.99 you’re able to witness me beat the crud out of a corpo superhero! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll slap your thigh! So what are you waiting for? Call your local comics store, and be sure to order a copy of Harley Quinn #45 today!
Jorge Fornes' variant cover, shared above, keeps with the spirit of Harley’s new mission.Drawn to resemble a sleazy pulp-fiction paperback from the 1950s, it depicts Harley Quinn, sporting her new duds, tearing down a statue.Bold letters proclaim: “a public work…to kill for.”
Harley Quinn Has Embarked In a New Direction
Harley’s New Direction Is Rooted in a Real World, Hot Button Issue
The past two years have been some of thebiggest in Harley Quinn’s career. Put on probation, Harley took up teaching as a psychology adjunct at a local college. She tries to put her life of crime behind her, and forget the days of abuse at the hands of the Joker. Trouble always finds Harley, and before long, she is ricocheting across the multiverse. The current creative team of Tini Howard and Sweeney Boo will be wrapping up their run with issue 44, setting the stage for the new team of Kalan and Lee.
And the new creators have hit the ground running,giving Harley Quinn a new mission: to undo the gentrification of her favorite neighborhood in Gotham. Gentrification (or urban renewal) is a hot button topic, with its critics leveling charges of racism and classism. While Harley may not be versed in every aspect of the debate, she nonetheless knows an injustice when she sees one. The people of Throatcutter Hill are Harley’s people, and watching them forced into lives of desperation does not sit well with her.
Harley Quinn’s Pulpy Makeover Is Perfect for Her
Jorge Fornes' Cover Gives Harley A Stylish and Humorous Send Off
The title “A Public Work to Kill For” is the perfect parody and the image of Harley Quinn gleefully toppling a statue seals it.
Jorge Fornes’ variant cover ofHarley Quinn#45 gives her new mission a stylish sendoff. The hand-painted paperback covers of the mid-20th century featured memorable art that sometimes transcended the book’s contents. These covers would mix provocative titles with lurid art, and Fornes has duplicated that vibe here. The title “A Public Work to Kill For” is the perfect parody and the image of Harley Quinn gleefully toppling a statue seals it.Harley Quinn’snew, pulp-tinged makeover may seem silly at first, but it conceals an awesome new role for the Maid of Mischief, one continuing her development as an anti-hero.
