Harley Quinn #16 - DC Comics

HARLEY QUINN No. 16, August 2022

Tackling the thorny question as to just how mass-murdering psychopaths are suddenly able to be accepted as (anti) heroes within the “DC Comics” universe by firmly focusing upon “the whole villain origin story” of the Verdict, Stephanie Phillips’ script for Issue Sixteen of “Harley Quinn” must surely have caused the odd bibliophile to question just why they’re now cheering on Joker’s former girlfriend. In fact, the death of hapless police van driver Gary at the hands of the Clown Prince of Crime’s co-dependent via flashback is so heart-breaking that it’s hard to see the cackling, blood-splattered Quinzel as anything other than a notorious, cold-hearted killer.

Intriguingly however, the same cannot arguably be said for Kevin’s homicidal girlfriend, who clearly intended to be the finest member of Gotham City’s Police Department she could be up until she experienced the scale of corruption prevalent within her own team. True, Sam Payne strangles surviving guard Miller to death in his hospital bed without a thought once she realises her Captain is purposely covering for him after he willingly allowed the Maid of Mischief to escape lawful custody.

But such a traumatic event as her innocent partner’s ghastly demise, coupled with the sense of betrayal from the rookie’s superior officer, at least provides some understandable logic as to why the Verdict is now working outside the law so as to slaughter the amoral Justices of the Peace who supposedly work within it. Indeed, the American author’s excellent writing even takes a moment to reflect upon just why this ongoing series’ audience have seemingly taken the former criminal Kevin into their hearts, when he too previously wickedly plagued the metropolis’ population during the Joker War; “You heard me. You’re a hypocrite, Kevin. You used to work for the Joker. Not only do you know how bad he is… But your helped him.”

Perhaps quite surprisingly adding a whole bucket load of blood to these proceedings is Riley Rossmo, who does a tremendous job in imbuing the old Harley Quinn with all the maniacal dynamism a reader might expect from one of Batman’s most popular adversaries. The black, white and red garbed psychologist almost leaps off of the printed page at some points within this publication, especially when she’s hurtling through the streets in a “little red convertible that I stole” or beating the living daylights out of two crooked cops just to “make the escape look believable.”

The regular cover art of "HARLEY QUINN" #16 by Riley Rossmo