So, because you all care so much, here are my thoughts.
Gotham City Sirens #23 -
So the last few issues have been a bit more Harley Quinn centred, which is fantastic because she can get showed into the corners by Catwoman and Poison Ivy. I don't like that she can be so overshadowed and overlooked, but then despite how cool Harley is, having her in the spotlight all the time would ruin her.
Previously we saw Harley using not only her gymnastic ability but her psychiatrist button pushing smarts to break into Arkham Asylum, intend on revenge for all the pain Joker has inflicted on her. Ivy and Catwoman had a minor dispute as the Sirens seemed to be falling apart and going their own ways. The reunion of the Joker and Harley saw Harley realising she still loved the clown and they seem to be back together.
Present time opens on Catwoman mid-heist, enjoying being on her own and reaping the fruits of her recovery. When the Sirens formed, Catwoman was still weak after having her heart cut out by Hush and had to be saved by Poison Ivy. Batman shows up and doesn't stop Catwoman robbing the Penguin, but tells her that he will repay her good deed to his allies by letting her know that anyone she knows who might be in there will be staying there.
Catwoman takes offense because she realises that Batman only wants her to do his dirty work again, save Harley and stop Ivy from destroying the asylum. They exchange bitter words and part, changing the scene to the chaos of Arkham surrounding Harley and the Joker while they kiss.
If you take away the carnage, it could look like the Joker and Harley were simply taking a stroll in the park. Just one of the things I like about their skewed perspective and kooky romance. Harley seems a little more aggressive in these panels than normal, with even Mr. J telling her to relax. It might seem weird that the famously estranged couple had little to make up for with so much time apart, but they're so off and on again, why should this break be any different?
They head off for a long awaited game night and focus returns to the riot at hand. The dialogue shows how prepared Harley was for this night, how much of a threat she can be when she has a purpose. The staff are in trouble, especially when the new Black Mask makes an appearance and there's some mind boggling make out scenes involving a skull.
Catwoman realises she can't just leave the girls to their fate, this happens in a few short panels and kind of seems forced. Catwoman is a great villian because she's not evil, she just has her own goals and methods. This page just seemed crammed in like the writers realised they forgot to do this earlier. The angst about Batman using her -AGAIN - would play out better if it was longer and more thought out instead of Catwoman going 'Screw those guys, I'm going home.' Catwoman walks in the front door. 'Well, they did help me that one time. I guess I'll go out again.'
The Black Mask realises that Harley Quinn has mucked up his own escape plans, and so goes in to stop the Joker and Harley. This goes about as well as you can expect. Harley has the controller to the inmate debilitation system and effectively disables Black Mask's inmate henchmen. Black Mask is unaffected thanks to his evil girlfriend on the inside and Joker is similarily unaffected. I loved that little interaction where Black Mask puzzles over this and Joker simply tells him that 'he enjoys the agony.'
Joker finally loses his own cool when Black Mask tells him that Batman will be here soon and since they've lost the guards as their bargaining chips, this is not a game. As Joker goes to attack, Harley tries to stop him as she's seen a sure since of a Poison Ivy entrance, and sure enough the woman herself sprouts out of thin air on a massive vine that flings the Joker to the ceiling. Harley is livid, yelling at her gal pal to let him go. Ivy of course refuses and offers Harley an ultimatum - him or me.
Cut scene to Catwoman and *a* Batman chatting and I can't decide what scares me more, Batman's smile or Catwoman's Joker grin in the forth panel. The issue ends with this defective duo leaping off to Arkham. Harley's own Joker smile on the cover is disturbing, especially since she's immune to the Joker toxin, but I expect it's meant to be an expression of how like the Joker she's becoming.
Throughout the issue, Joker maims and kills guards, with Harley encouraging him. It's not like she hasn't done this before, she's by his side good or bad but ever since the pair broke up they keep making a point of how she's sane now, she has morals now, she's on the straight and narrow, she's kept out of Arkham, she buys rather than steals, helps save the worlds..
Of course she's going to relapse when she's back in the Joker's pasty arms but standing there cheering while he slices off someone's wrist after being back together for all of five minutes is pushing it a little bit I thought.
My main problem with this issue is that it all seemed crammed in, and it's not surprising when there's half a Super 8 comic in the middle and a Constantine preview at the end. I wanted moar Harleyyyyy, haha.
It'll be interesting to see where this goes now. Are the Sirens going to split up? Will Harley and Joker be at each other's throats again? Is the friendship between Ivy and Harley for real real, or play play? Will Black Mask finally crack a smile? Will there be an awkward moment when more than one Batman shows up? Is Catwoman batting for the other team, the other other team, the first team, or her own team?
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