#from harley quinn black + white + redder

[poisonousquinzel]

they've been charged with Being Gay and Doing Crime

[speremint]

Time got away from me- I meant to post about this so much earlier, but, no time like the present, as they say

I had the honor of doing a story for Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder #5! Go grab a copy if you've not already! You can pick one up from your local comic store, or order online.

Huge thanks to @/Marquis_Draper for this opportunity!

[harlivycentral]

Also can I just say I looooove Howard's Harley Quinn run so much 😭 From the beginning, Howard's run has brought back elements of Harley's character that I love and had missed. I loved the way her first issue leaned into the looney-tunes-esque element of Harley, the way we saw her pull out her big hammer again, the way Bud & Lou were back, the way it at once illustrated her tendency toward criminal mischief and her PhD credentials, etc. This most recent issue (#38) feels like it just cements everything I've loved about Howard's run, which is that she has obvious respect and love for all the iterations of Harley that came before and has used them to create a Harley run that is distinctly her own at the same time. Seeing the panel with all of her friends from various runs gathered for her birthday party made me so emotional--it really felt like not only a fun way to honor the history of the character but also to affirm how many people (in-universe and in her readership) love her!

I loved how Howard brought back Carmen & Bonny, mentioned their "sleepover days," and made them explicitly lesbian. Since the beginning, Harley's had this tongue-in-cheek gay undertone to her character, and revisiting a story line from her first solo run that felt soooo gay while being so not felt like a fun way to nod to that history; making Carmen & Bonny explicitly lesbian felt like a celebration of the fact that we don't have to dwell in subtext for Harley anymore!

I've really loved the way Harley & Ivy have been written in Howard's run. Obviously I think the breakup storyline in Phillips' run was probably more editorial than her own choice, but it's been so satisfying to finally settle into Ivy & Harley FINALLY being a canonical couple AND not instantly broken up. I've really enjoyed the way Howard has explored their relationship and at once explored the way Harley's past with Joker still impacts her while also showing that it doesn't define her. (As a side note, I think a lot of the Harlivy content in the Harley: Black & White & Redder series did an amazing job of exploring that too <3)

I really liked the conversation Ivy & Harley had about the whole concept of "hero vs villain" not making sense to them. I think that's been a pretty clear stance of Howard's since the start of her run, but it's nice to see her have FUN with the character, and I'm excited to see Harley hopefully unleash a bit in the next few issues. It's been fun to have her mallet and hyenas back, and now to have the return of her iconic original costume! Again, I feel like Howard has a real sense of balance in writing this plotline: it's clear that we're not going back to the same emotional place that Harley was in when she first went around in her jester suit with a big mallet and a couple of hyenas, and I'm sure we'll see her out of the suit/continuing to explore teaching as well/etc. I like that we get PARTS of Kessel & Doddson's run mixed in with others. I like that Howard also brought Kevin back in a significant role for the conclusion of this last arc, and I was so right to make this post honestly at the beginning of her run--I think she has expanded on the emotional kernels in Palmiotti & Conner's run.

Idk, Harley has just meant a lot to me personally, and I remember reading her comics not so long ago when it felt like so much of what I loved about her had to remain subtext, or was spread out disparately over so many different runs. I just love love love to see it all being so loving solidified and explored in this run! And it's FUN to read! And the art is pretty! I honestly got emotional reading issues 37 & 38 because Harley feels very much like a Real Person to me in a way that few other fictional characters do, and these past few issues have really honored all of that growth and complexity that used to feel more weaved together by fans! Love love love Harley and also y'all xoxo

[brandtandstein]

Heeeyyy, the news is out!! We were invited by @whatthe-shea to contribute to the awesome new Harley anthology HARLEY QUINN: BLACK + WHITE + REDDER, wherein we got to make our stupidest dreams come true and invent an all-animal supervillain team for our story GREAT PETSPECTATIONS!

From the top we have:

Harley herself, the Maiden of Mischief

Barkseid, scourge of the Armakennels and chewer of Father Boxes

Ares’ Kowarla, the master of disaster, the Passive Aggressor

The Squiddler, Eddie Nygma’s Eight-Armed Bandit of Knowledge

Dex-Starr, the terrifying and fickle Red Lantern

And last but definitely not least, the Best Boys Bud & Lou!

We had the most fun time with all of this, and really hope you check it out when it drops in august!

[geekcavepodcast]

Harley Quinn Gets New Anthology Series “Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder”

You just can’t stop Harley Quinn. DC Comics has announced a follow-up to Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red. Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder is a new 6-issue limited series utilizing black, white, and red artwork.

Issue #1 of Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder will feature three stories. writer Chip Zdarsky artist Kevin Maguire’s story finds Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy inside Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. Writer Leah Williams and artist Natacha Bustos’ story will take place in Harley’s past showing her as a high-flying gymnast with a mind for vengeance. Writers Paul Scheer and Nick Giovannetti and artist Tom Reilly will pair Harley up with Gaggy Gagsworth, The Joker’s original sidekick, on a risky heist, if they can set aside their vendetta for each other first.

Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder #1 (of 6) goes on sale on July 18, 2023. The comic features a main cover by Bruno Redondo, open to buy variant covers by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau and Guillem March, a 1 in 25 ratio variant cover from Tom Reilly, and a 1 in 50 ratio variant cover by Kevin Maguire.

(Image via DC Comics - Bruno Redondo’s Cover of Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder #1)

[tameraneanprincess]

Ranting about Harley for a sec!

Guyssss I'm reading more lately and I just finished Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder and I really loved it!!! I read Harley's convergence stories and while I really didn't like convergence's plot I really love these characterizations of Harley. My first comic intro to her was her solo run in 2014 with Palmiotti and tbh I hated it??? I think that run is really where the Harley becoming DC's Deadpool really started. I could be wrong, I was a kid when i came out so my perspective could be skewed. I feel like BWR (aside from the fourth wall break-y chapters which...I didn't care for) kept her this perfect balance between grounded and silly. Same with convergence! I hated the cop boyfriend plot point but I loved how goofy Harley was in it! I think my issue comes when they try to make her really really over the top. It just doesn't mesh for me? It feels like a whole new character and not really Harley...I think it's part of why I don't like the Harley Quinn show? All the characters just feel over the top and kind of flanderized if that makes sense? I get it's a comedy though and I have more issues with than just the characterization.

All in all she's a really beloved character for me, Maybe I need to expand what I read of her but I feel like it's hard to find people who do her justice? If anyone has any suggestions for Harley reads lmk!

[mushroompineapplepizza]

Holy shit, I think the new way DC is writing Harley just clicked for me

~Possible spoilers for the current (2023) Harley runs

Thanks to the first portion of Black + White + Redder, the entirety of the main run that has been confusing me since the multiverse shit started just got a lot clearer. This issue is entirely correct: Harley has been a lot of things. Some of these things contradict previous versions enough that some writers have tried to explain it as her being two separate people entirely (whether or not I agree with that is a separate rant). At first, I was confused by this current run being so focused on her interactions with the multiverse. It made very little sense to me and I spent so much of my time reading the comics trying to figure out what it was going to build up to. Whether or not it was the intended purpose, this specific issue made something click for me. The multiverse of Harleys addresses the issue of her inconsistent characterization in an adventurous and zany way, which is in line with the main character Harley of this run. It acknowledges that there are many different iterations of Harley Quinn. Hell, you can go back in certain issues and look for easter eggs galore. Until then, they had all been more distanced. People have argued over what the canon and “correct” Harley characterization was ever since she got her own books. However, when you not only pull in the very-canon multiverse as well as many wildly different versions of the same character, it sends a very clear message: Harley can be whatever people want her to be.

As I was reading this specific comic, I was reminded of the quote “Anyone can wear the mask,” from Spider-man (who also utilized the concept of the multiverse to reach a larger audience). Harley Quinn is a character many people enjoy and connect with. She can be a very emotionally powerful and fun character! That being said though, that can cause fans of one version to disavow any version that doesn’t align with the specific one they connected with. In a sense, the multiverse addresses that too. For a character that has had so many changes in her story, this current run does not ignore its predecessors as many others have. The Harley you like isn’t gone or invalid because she doesn’t match the current run, she’s still there somewhere inside the multiverse. I find that almost comforting in a sense as someone who has honestly complained about specific tellings of her story, mostly coming from a place where I otherwise so deeply connected with other versions. I feel as though from a psychological standpoint, a huge part of her attraction is identification with the readers. Additionally, it makes the ever-changing and evolving nature of her stories a solidified part of her character. Whereas the Spider-verse may have been a tool to expand upon a fairly standardized character, the Harley-verse is tackling the magnitude of a non-standardized one. It is okay for her to change over time. It's okay for her to be different things to different people. All of them have their place. Again, I don’t know if this was DC’s exact intention, but I find myself really enjoying at least this interpretation. I feel like could expand to even greater lengths, but I actually want to read the comics I just bought, not just write about them ; )

Regardless, she is such a beautifully complex and adaptable character with so many great stories to tell because of that. I love her so much

< 3

[laufire]

top five comic runs you're reading now

definitely "batman/catwoman: the gotham war". does it have flaws, especially if you step away and start seeing the unraveling threads? sure. am I at the edge of my seat here, feeling strangely in sync with dc comics for the first time in... maybe over a decade? hell yeah!! (also, as a jason fan AND an angst fan... ooooooof).

monstress & saga from Image comics!!! Little to say rn (eagerly awaiting the next issue in both cases), but they are GOOD, and I recommend them if you think their genre(s) are up your alley.

I've been reading pre-crisis!jason's appearances and I'm really enjoying the experience ngl! it's a different version of jason but it's interesting to compare them (I do NOT draw the conclusions I've seen other fans do lmao). vicki vale's arc is interesting to follow, her relationship with bruce a big fat mess xD, alfred's surprise daughter appearing, some heartwarming barbara stuff... I'm eager to see what happens with all the nocturna-jason-bruce stuff. also, I did NOT know pre-crisis!jason's parents were FREAKING EATEN BY CROCODILES and I'm still not over that tidbit ñalsdkfjaf.

waller vs. wildstorm. only one issue left (4 issues total). it's one I'm gonna want to re-read after it's finished, to take it in as a whole. also can't get over the reddit comment that said the writers were "a de facto communist and a diversity hire grifter". stuck with me xD. plus having lois AND waller with focus on their professional selves in the same book... gimme.

tbh I'm enjoying the runs I'm following rn (otherwise I'd drop them lmao): justice society of america, batman: the brave and the bold (although for now I've only read the first issue), harley quinn: black + white + redder, the cull (image), batman: gargoyle of gotham (bruce went to arkham as a child! and now he plans to fake his death so he can be just batman!), the invincible iron man (it's... good???), spirit world, tales of the titans, batman/superman: world's finest... but I'm going to go with the vixen: nyc because this little exchange (+ what it lead to with mari's plot) made me fall for it hard.

[sapphicomics]

2023 sapphic comics !

— beginning properly in november, the first full month after this blog's creation. i may occasionally go back to earlier months

— information from league of comic geeks

— will be updated as needed!

— as explained in the pinned post, currently not being updated with marvel comics

november

1st:

— magneto #4 (xuân cao manh, supporting)

7th:

— birds of prey #3 (harleen quinzel, main)

— poison ivy #16 (pamela isley, main; harleen quinzel, cameo; janet mitchell, cameo)

8th:

— marvel unleashed #4 (brunnhilde, cameo; rūna, cameo)

— marvel's voices infinity comic chapter #76 (felicia hardy; loki)

— teenage mutant ninja turtles vs. street fighter #5 (jennika, main)

— uncanny spider-man #3 (raven darkhölme, supporting)

14th:

— detective comics #1077 (selina kyle, main)

— outsiders #1 (kate kane, main)

15th:

— dark x-men #4 (carmen cruz, main)

— deadpool: seven slaughters #1 (felicia hardy)

— star wars: doctor aphra #38 (doctor aphra, main)

21st:

— harley quinn: black + white + redder #5 (harleen quinzel, main; pamela isley, supporting)

— catwoman #59 (selina kyle, main; eiko hasigawa, supporting)

— hawkgirl #5 (galaxy, supporting)

— justice league vs. godzilla vs. kong #2 (kate kane, supporting)

— superman #8 (natasha irons, cameo)

22nd:

— immortal x-men #17 (irene adler, supporting)

— the invincible iron man #12 (irene adler, cameo)

— uncanny spider-man #4 (raven darkhölme, supporting)

28th:

— action comics #1059 (natasha irons, supporting)

— amazons attack #2 (nubia, main; hippolyta, cameo)

— batman: the brave and the bold #7 (selina kyle, supporting)

— detective comics #1078 (selina kyle, main)

— harley quinn #34 (harleen quinzel, main; pamela isley, supporting)

— steelworks #6 (natasha irons, supporting)

— titans: beast world #1 (natasha irons, cameo)

29th:

— x-men blue: origins #1 (raven darkhölme; irene adler)

december

5th:

— birds of prey #4 (harleen quinzel, main)

— poison ivy #17 (pamela isley, main; harleen quinzel, suppprting; janet mitchell, supporting)

— scooby-doo, where are you? #125 (velma dinkley)

— titans: beast world - waller rising #1 (nubia, supporting; jo mullein, cameo)

12th:

— action comics #1060 (natasha irons, supporting)

— dc's 'twas the mite before christmas #1 (kate kane; harley quinn)

— detective comics #1079 (selina kyle, main; eiko hasigawa, supporting; pamela isley, cameo; renee montoya, cameo)

— outsiders #2 (kate kane, main)

— titans: beast world tour - gotham #1 (harleen quinzel, supporting)

13th:

— radiant black #27.5 (eva, supporting)

— the immortal thor #5 (loki)

19th:

— batman/santa claus: silent knight #3 (jo mullein, supporting)

— catwoman #60 (selina kyle, main)

— harley quinn: black + white + redder #6 (harleen quinzel, main)

— hawkgirl #6 (alysia yeoh, supporting; galaxy, supporting)

— justice league vs. godzilla vs. kong #3 (kate kane, supporting)

— nightwing #109 (renee montoya, cameo)

— wonder woman #4 (philippus)

26th:

— batman/santa claus: silent knight #4 (jo mullein, supporting)

— action comics 2023 annual (natasha irons, cameo)

— amazons attack #3 (nubia, main; io, cameo)

— batman: the brave and the bold #8 (selina kyle, supporting)

— detective comics #1080 (selina kyle, main; renee montoya, cameo)

— green arrow #7 (harleen quinzel, cameo; hippolyta, cameo)

— harley quinn #35 (harleen quinzel, main; pamela isley, cameo)

[poisonousquinzel]

she's my everything

[ultrameganicolaokay]

Taken from Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder #2 by Luana Vecchio, Kelly Thompson, Annie Wu and more. Out tomorrow!

"In this issue, Kelly Thompson makes her DC debut, collaborating with superstar Annie Wu on a tale of Harley’s attempts to escape her own origin story — with some begrudging magical help from Zatanna! Fan favorites Ro Stein & Ted Brandt throw Harley and her Legion of Doominals into the high-stakes Gotham Pet Show to go paw-to-paw with the beloved League of Super-Pets! And ROGUE SUN writer Ryan Parrott joins with Russ Manning Award-Winner Luana Vecchio to serve up a story of Jim Gordon and Harley sharing a diner booth, but what brought these two here is more complicated than you’d think!"

HARLEY QUINN: BLACK+WHITE+REDDER #2 in stores August 15th

Artist: LUANA VECCHIO

[alto-tenure]

A Brief Discussion of the Current Birds of Prey

I'm sure other people have done this post -- better than I could do it, anyways, just from my perspective as a Comics Newbie TM -- but I wanted to make a full post anyways about this because I wanted to share my findings about Zealot specifically.

This is going to get long, so I've put it under a cut. Even though I tried to keep it brief. A moderate paragraph per person is still a lot.

Dinah Lance is known as the Black Canary. She has an extensive history of the Birds of Prey, and was one of the first Birds, with initial issues of Birds of Prey (1999) just focusing on the dynamic between her and Oracle/Barbara Gordon. Currently, she's primarily with the Arrowfam, and before BOP has been appearing in Green Arrow (2023).

A longer reading list can be found here; if you're just looking for her appearances with the BOP, then you can read the Black Canary/Oracle mini before reading the rest of the BOP runs. (I don't know how the N52 runs or anything are, so don't ask me.)

Cassandra Cain is currently Batgirl, though she has had other identities in the past (the most recent being Orphan). She was introduced during the No Man's Land arc of Batman comics, where she was a helper/courier for Babs before becoming Batgirl. Her primary connection to the BOP is that she was mentored by Babs, and has also (nominally) appeared in Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of Harley Quinn. Don't watch it if you're watching it for Cass characterization; it's not a very great adaptation of Cass's character. Most recent appearances have been in Batgirls (2019) and the currently ongoing Spirit World mini. (I haven't read Batgirls, I've only read Spirit World. Spirit World is very good for Cass, but it's also just, in general a good comic.)

Big Barda was introduced into the Birds of Prey in issue #100 of the 1999 run. According to DCUGuide she was first introduced in Mister Miracle. Besides the BOP, she's also been in JLA and JLI. I've been unable to find any of her most recent appearances, but her last pre-Flashpoint appearance seems to have been in Booster Gold v2.

Zealot is the character I made this post to talk about, because I looked into her history after reading BOP and knowing absolutely nothing about her (and I suspect many of the people reading this don't either). She used to belong to Wildstorm Productions until they were acquired by DC Comics. She has a mini in the 90s published by Wildstorm. Her first appearance in the DCU was post-Flashpoint, in Deathstroke (2011). (Don't read it. It's not very good.) Her most recent appearance seems to have been in Batman: Urban Legends #6, where she fought Wonder Woman.

Harley Quinn was first introduced in Batman: the Animated Series, with her entrance into comics being during No Man's Land as well. As the title implies, she was also a major character in the Birds of Prey movie, which is why it was really only a matter of time before DC stuck her on a BOP lineup, given the popularity of said movie and what it's done for Harley in the general public. Her most recent appearances were probably in Poison Ivy? Harley Quinn: Black & White & Redder also exists. Is that still ongoing?

[dispatchdcu]

Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder #2 Preview

Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder #2 Preview #HarleyQuinnBlackWhiteRedder #harleyquinn #batman #gotham #DCEU #dccomics #comics #comicbooks #news #dcu #dcuuniverse #art #info #NCBD #comicbooknews #previews #amazon

Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder #2 Preview: In this issue, Kelly Thompson makes her DC debut, collaborating with superstar Annie Wu on a tale of Harley’s attempts to escape her own origin story—with some begrudging magical help from Zatanna! Fan favorites Ro Stein & Ted Brandt throw Harley and her Legion of Doominals into the high-stakes Gotham Pet Show to go paw-to-paw with the beloved…

[mouseratz]

Harley Quinn: black and white and redder....

chapter one: very cute . I liked it pretty well, a great opener.

chapter two: bit of a miss. I like that the gymnast background has made it into harleens actual backstory, but I don't think it makes sense for her to already be doing "bad" things as extreme as getting revenge on her coach- that's the point. she's so used to repressing her own anger & being the subject of abuse (from her family, from her friends, from her teachers), the joker's offer becomes appealing, tantalizing, it's why she believes he could give her everything she wanted. His prison looks like freedom from that lens. if she already felt strong enough to act on her desires on her own, if she already knew how to stand up for herself, it doesn't ever make sense why Harleen would become Harley Quinn. (And when she's Harley, he treats her badly, but nobody else can, and so it looks a lot better than what she had before. She can stand up for herself now.....except for in front of him. She can demand what she wants now.....except from him.)

chapter three: also really good. and I am always a fan of a surprise Selina appearance. I truly love Harleycat I get why harlivy is such a big deal and they're very good, but any interaction with these two is a ball. the slick and coolheaded and always-on-her-game and never-show-weakness Selina and the energetic and silly and overly sincere on purpose Harley. it's sooo fun

[nightwingstits]

Sirens Rising (From Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder #6)

Written by Tini Howard; Art by Babs Tarr

the poorest little meow meow you ever did see

[laufire]

I was tagged by @blairwaldcrf a little while ago (ty!) to list reading novels. but since I'm also reading a lot of comics these days I'll cheat lol.

last:

Angels in America by Tony Kusher.

Young Justice comics based on the tv show.

currently:

La Divina Commedia by Dante Alighieri.

Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

The Annotated Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Plus a bunch of comic runs from DC (Batman v1, Batman: Wayne Family Adventures, Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder, Justice Society of America v4, the Knight Terrors event, Red Hood: Outlaws, Spirit World, Tales of the Titans, The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing, Waller vs. Wildstorm), Image (Monstress, Saga, The Cull), and Marvel (The Invincible Iron Man v5).

next: well. More comics, for one 😔. For example, when I finish season 4 of Young Justice I'll read "Young Justice: Targets", a 6 issues run that takes place after the finale. I'll of course read MORE Jason comics. There are some upcoming DC runs I'm eyeing too, but we'll see how their first issues go; as for finished stuff that I want to read... the Zatanna and the Vixen webtoons, Legend of Wonder Woman, or DC vs. Vampires are on my immediate list asdfñalskdjf.

For something that ISN'T a 30 pages comic book... I want to read James Goldman's "The Lion in Winter" and Catherine M. Valente's "The Refrigerator Stories" next, after I'm done beta-reading a friend's novel.

I'm not tagging anyone, but feel free to jump in with your own list.