Over the course of three Batman: Arkham video games, Harley Quinn has played an important role as Joker's right-hand gal. She even got her own DLC in the form of the "Harley Quinn's Revenge" add-on for Batman: Arkham City.
It makes perfect sense, then, that she would have a large role to play in this current Batman: Arkham Knight story arc as it deals with Joker's post-death schemes. Unfortunately, not even Harley Quinn can save this mostly uneventful issue.
As we saw at the end of chapter #4, Commissioner Gordon has been infected by some form of Joker toxin. Batman rushes in to save his friend and soon turns to Harley for help. After all, if anybody is going to know what Joker was up to and where he stashes his antidotes, it will be his girlfriend. So Batman busts Quinn out of Blackgate prison (why he couldn't just ask for permission to take her is beyond me) and the two travel to Joker's old hideout in Arkham City in search for a cure.
The timeline of events here is a little unclear. Writer Peter J. Tomasi, for the first few issues of this series, retread much of the same ground that came in an earlier Arkham City comic book. We know he is obviously aware of the Arkham City storyline, but it's hard to tell if this sequence of events between Batman and Harley takes place before or after the previously mentioned "Harley Quinn's Revenge" DLC. Or if "Quinn's Revenge" DLC happens at all.
Quinn's storyline in Arkham City after Joker's death was one of grief and revenge, as she plotted to destroy Batman and briefly takes control of Joker's gang. That doesn't appear to be the case here, where Quinn is locked up in Blackgate prison and seems content with moving on in a Joker-free world. It's possible Batman and Robin helped bring Quinn down shortly after Joker's death in the comic's timeline, but this issue makes no mention of it.
Attempting to write a new story so close to the events of already established ones in this universe is just another reason why it seems like it would have made much more sense to start this prequel series weeks or months after the events Arkham City, instead of retelling stories that have already been told and mucking up existing Arkham canon.
While this week's issue doesn't move the story forward much, a bright side is Victor Bogdanovic's art. He continues to deliver some great work here, especially in regards to Quinn's facial expressions. He draws Quinn as a wounded and defenseless girl one moment, and with the flick of a switch can depict her as the mentally unstable and cunning villain she truly is. Bogdanovic's Quinn is so convincing even Batman is starting to hope that perhaps she truly has given up her old ways. Sorry Bats, but that's not going to happen.
Next week's issue is set bring the conclusion of this Joker-centric story arc. Once Joker is out of the way it will be interesting to see where this very Joker-focused comic decides to go next.
Story
★★★☆☆
Art
★★★★☆
Overall
★★★☆☆
More Comic Book Reviews:
Mortal Kombat #11
Batman: Arkham Knight #4
Batman #39
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