Harley Quinn #61
Recap
Harley travels to Gotham City to blow off some steam with her friend Catwoman in the best way she knows how—no, not a bank robbery—game night! But the good, clean fun soon turns into a nightmare when they discover that the game is cursed, and that they’ve inadvertently turned Gotham City into something straight out of a fantasy RPG! Now, with the entire city gone insane, Harley Quinn is the only one who remembers reality…but will anyone believe her?
Review
Harley Quinn #61 is every DnD and RPG gamer’s wish come true as Gotham’s most notorious villains and even a few heroes are transported to a dark fantasy realm full of swords, magic and of course, an evil queen!
Kicking off the new arc ‘Role Players’, Humphries and the new series artist Otto Schmidt waste no time in diving into an epic story that I honestly did not see coming at all. The ingenuity of the creative team is blatant on every page. They aren’t using overdone stereotypes or boring cliches, but what they are doing is obviously having fun with the story and Harley Quinn is all the better for it. It’s a nonstop whimsical dose of fantasy that is right on brand and really entertaining.
What more could you ask for from a series like this, really?
The real star of this issue is the new artist Otto Schmidt though. An epic dark fantasy really is only as good as its visuals and this issue has multiple pages that are just downright awesome. Selina’s introduction, the Gotham Knights and the Rogue Enforcers are all great examples of the kind of quality that Schmidt is bringing to the table. This story may offer a lot of opportunities for grand artwork, which is easy to appreciate, but I am already excited to see what he can do when the fantasy comes to an end.
Overall, Harley Quinn #61 is just a really fun book. It isn’t breaking new ground or handling sensitive topics, but not every book HAS to either. For fans of all things fantasy, there is a lot to enjoy here. Hopefully it doesn’t get stale after being stretched out over multiple issues though…
Final Thoughts
Taken for what it is, Harley Quinn #61 is a really fun story packed with gorgeous artwork from the new series artist Otto Schmidt. Who would have thought an epic dark fantasy featuring Harley Quinn would be so cool?
Harley Quinn #61: The Kingdom of Gotham
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 8/108/10
- Art - 10/1010/10
- Color - 9.5/109.5/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10
