Comic Review Harley Quinn #61 – Grab Your D20s!

For those of you Harley readers that are D&D players or other fantasy RPG’ers, then Harley Quinn #61 should be right up your alley. What starts as a game turns into a reality as Harley’s next quest begins.

Cover To Cover: Harley Quinn #61

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Both of this issues covers are their usual great quality. On the main cover we see barbarian warrior Harley standing in her mighty warrior’s victory pose, toting Queen Selina on her shoulders. This cover is very fitting to the issue within, which helps with its meaning.

Cover B for Harley Quinn#61 is just typical, beautifully drawn Harley spontaneity. Selina has a rat trap on her fingers, which look to have come from a trick on Harley’s part. It has nothing to do with anything, but it is a beautifully drawn cover.

Gaming Night

I love how Harley Quinn #61 opens. Harley and Tina are playing some sort of frivolous RPG game from the creators of Munchkin. Meanwhile Selina is on the couch wondering why she is sitting through this insufferable game. Harley hopes its some sort of release for Selina after her marital disaster, but it obviously does nothing for Selina.

Then we begin the trial as Harley, Tina and Selina are sucked into a fantasy world. Anyone else having Jumanji flashbacks at this point? Note that while the first person Harley has to deal with is Hugo Strange, he wears a robe of a warlock or evil wizard. This is our first clue that Harley Quinn #61 takes us to a fantasy realm.

Game of Thrones fans – I’m sure none of you missed the reference on the next page. I love Harley’s quote “By the paws of Nymeria and Ghost”. Harley is not Deadpool, but she comes closest in the DC universe to breaking that fourth wall like Wilson.

Into the Kingdom of Gotham

Harley pieces her nemesis together and realizes they are facing Enchantress, who rules over the ‘Kingdom of Gotham’. I love how both the heroes and villains in Harley Quinn #61 have ‘fantasy’ names and looks. Harvey Bullock is Harvey the Bullock (a Minotaur), Nightwing is Knightwing(a knight looking charcter, Two-face is Duece-face, and Penguin is Orcwald Cobblestone.

The one down side to this set-up is Tina appears to be on the other side serving Enchantress. This really is not good, especailly when Tina gets Harley in a choke hold. I’ll be curious to see how this is explained later.

This issue is a lot of medieval fun, but the one thing I am not seeing is – exactly what test is this for? Most of the tests Harley has needed to pass so far have been fairly obvious, but this one remains elusive. Perhaps it will deal with Tina being the enemy. I guess we find out in the next issue: Burned at the Stake.