Harley Quinn #73: No More Conspiracy Theories

Harley Quinn digs deeper into the mystery surrounding her friend’s death in issue #73 as she turns inward and spirals into an emotionally confused mess just before she finally finds a glimmer of hope. With the end of the series approaching ever so quickly, Harley is in a conflicted place, but luckily things finally start to turn in her favor just before the issue’s end.

Let’s be up front here, I’m an absolute fan of Humphries run with Harley Quinn, and for fans of the series so far, this issue is going to leave you really excited for these next couple of issues. But before we get to that, there is a mystery afoot that Harley is still deciphering. With everyone telling her she’s wrapped up in rather delusional conspiracy, it seems as though she’s hit a new low point. Turning to Booster Gold wasn’t the best idea, and in all honesty, I was very glad to see her running away yelling gross, because yeah…gross. So instead, Harley tracks down someone who is essentially an online fortune teller known as Charity XO “guide to the stars – and the FUTURE!”.

Is she the most mind-blowing character introduced to the series? Probably not. But she’s what Harley needed in that moment, and she suits the story quite well. Her readings even provide an excellent opportunity to showcase some magnificent visuals. While the rest of the artwork is a bit limited due to the structure of the issue, the letters from Sharpe continue to stand out with clarity and a real sense of pop, and there are plenty of emotionally-charged panels that keep the execution at a high level.

After Harley goes through her methods for a while, she’s reached the point of no return and enters a ring in an apparent attempt to just be done. But this is where the issue really comes into focus, and while it’s unfortunate it took so long to get here, the payoff is worth it. The Jade Feather is just the piece she was looking for and with it, some information that had me actually cheering while reading. One particularly old character who appeared towards the start of Humphries run will be making an honest to GOODNESS return and I can’t wait!

Harley Quinn #73 is just another incredibly fun and heartfelt issue that capitalizes on all the best parts of the character, even if there are a few strange decisions (looking at you Booster). It helps to build some strong momentum as we inch towards the final issue #75 and gives plenty of depth to this already complex story without loosing the classic Harley feel. I might not be as much of a fan personally of the whole wrestling focused arc or whatever is happening with Booster, but its undeniably great storytelling.