Harleen

This work was done by Stjepan Sejic. To be honest, I can’t see if he was the writer or the artist. All I will say is that the writing and the wonderful artwork are in total harmony. Is it dark and sinister? Yes, very well done for the type of graphic presentation that I like. I was complaining about the comic book concerning three villainous sirens of Gotham City the other day. I was having a minor rant about it being to clean cut. A bit too fluffy bunny – sugar and spicey type of things. I went on to say that I like most of these stories to be dark and sinister. HARLEEN – the new graphic novel is all of this. I unpacked the item and thought to browse through it. As we do when getting such things. I found myself completely hooked straight away. The reader is shown a 30-year-old Doctor Harleen Quinzel. She is a clean cut and well-intentioned young lady. A psychiatrist/criminologist and probably other types of ologist all packed in. She has a revolutionary theory that may help the criminally insane. She gets a grant from the Wayne foundation. With enthusiasm, Doctor Quinzel sets off to Arkham Asylum where there is an abundance of super villains for her to psychoanalyse. We have an Agent Starling to Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs) setting. That is where the conversion is going to happen as the Joker completely turns the tables on our professional young enthusiastic doctor. I thought the graphic novel was an absolute peach. (I know I keep using that tired old platitude.) But for me, this new graphic novel is now one of my favourite stories. Alongside The Watchmen, and Arkham Asylum. This is a superb story. If you have not done this one yet, please do. We all know that this is a genesis of super villainess Harley Quinn.

Far and away the most compelling exploration of Dr Harleen Quinzel ever committed to paper. I have enjoyed many other examples of Stjepan Sejic's work. And so I was overjoyed to see that he had turned his hand to an official treatment of Harley Quinn. The thorough delving into the psyche of Harleen is second to none. Rather than dismissing her as some author's do, or playing into her more psychotic of elements Stjepan shows us the slow insidious allure that Harleen feels for her patient as she is slowly pulled further and further along the path to transforming from Dr Harleen Quinzel to the infamous Harley Quinn. Sejic refuses to glamourise the mental illness of Quinzel or indeed of the manipulative efforts of The Joker unlike some other explorations of the character. This insitead shows a compelling and engaging slip of a perfectly rational woman into a killer who is manipulated by a very intelligent and masterful manipulator. The horror of her actions is not totally lost on Dr Quinzel either. She spends great lengths of times examining her actions and despairing for her future. But this isn't sombre and morose in a self-congratulatory way. It doesn't wallow but expands upon the deep psychology that lies behind the story we've seen play out so many times before. I genuinely feel this is perhaps one of the most definitive representations of the early days of the transformation of Dr Harleen Quizel and her complex relationship with the Joker. Also, the artwork is absolutely second to none. It is like looking at an oil painting. Simply sublime.

I admit, I'm absolutely blown away by Stjepan Sejic's art since I saw his run in Rat Queens. The art is beautiful and Harleen's fall is a lot more believable from previous attempts. There is a running theme of madness and degrees of madness that permeate the everyday. The inclusion of Harvey Dent and the executioners helped create this unstoppable downward slide. Previous stories centre more on Joker and Batman but Batman is barely on the outskirts, only on stage once or twice. Joker is presented as a romantic monster and it makes you feel as if the narration is unreliable, like we're seeing him through her eyes. A couple of things stick out from the story; the first is the idea that Joker does actually love Harley, but what he considers 'love' is far more abusive and violent - so in his mind, he's not doing anything wrong (to be clear, he really, really is wrong), that's just what 'people in love' do. The second thing is that for the entirety of the book, everyone gets her name wrong, except Commissioner Gordon and Batman. Even Joker shortens it to Quinn. I'm rambling but this book is really good. Brilliant art, great storytelling.

Loved loved loved this. Great dive into harleen. Amusing, great story and the artwork was amazing. Pleased with my purchase

Son derece hızlı ve iyi paketlenmiş halde geldi.Herhangi bir hasar yoktu.Mükemmel.

Absolute masterpiece! Story and art are just perfect! If not the best, it definitely is one of the top 3 graphic novels I own. Must buy!

Recién llegada a casa, apenas hace unos minutos, y un día antes de la fecha señalada por Amazon. Excelente servicio. La edición en sí es muy bonita, con una encuadernación preciosa. Un deleite para la vista y, por lo poco que he ido viendo, con una calidad de dibujo impresionante. Eso sí, quiero valorar sobre todo el trabajo del repartidor. Con los tiempos que corren, con todo esto del covid-19, es normal tener miedo al contagio y que se haya terminado el reparto directo a la puerta de casa. Con todo y con esas, el repartidor ha tenido la amabilidad de esperar abajo, en el portal, vigiliando el paquete hasta que lo hemos recogido, y se agradece mucho. ¡Un aplauso para gente como él, y mucho ánimo en su día a día! Hoy más que nunca queda claro lo fundamentales que sois los mensajeros en nuestra sociedad.

First thing to know about this book, is that it's a deep dive in what makes harleen quinzel "harley quinn. Best thing I can compare it to, is the new joker movie. This while story is told from harleen's point of view. You def get to see her slowly descend into madness. This is def not your typical comic super villain story. Just like how the new joker movie was not your typical comic movie. Second thing to know is that this book is just stunning. Inside and out. Its magazine size. Same height as your typical omnibus, but longer length wise. The art def benefits from this oversized format. The story is full of imagery to explain what is going on in Harleen's. It's rather amazing how the arist/writer pulls it off. You see harleen interview the joker on one panel, then the next page you get see how she is seeing it in her mind. One scene shows her dressed like red riding hood because she sees the joker as the big bad wolf. This whole book is full of images like that. It's very thought provoking. In my mind? This book is a must buy. It is truly unique, and I hope that this writer will write more stories that are set in this continuity. Just on how he shows poison ivy in this book, makes me want to see a whole story based on her. Or more of harley. Or whoever he decides to do. After this book? I will take whatever he decides to put out.

This book is absolutely beautiful from cover to cover. The artwork is striking, the presentation feels premium, and it immediately brought back the feeling of reading comics as a kid—so much so that it’s directly responsible for a rapid expansion of my graphic novel collection. It’s the kind of book you finish and then start looking for similar titles right away. The hardcover itself is well made and feels worthy of the content inside. The visual storytelling is strong throughout, and it’s a book that works just as well being read as it does displayed on a shelf. Pros • Gorgeous artwork and visual storytelling • High-quality hardcover with a premium feel • Nostalgic impact that rekindles interest in comics • Easy to recommend to both longtime fans and newcomers Cons • May lead to excessive follow-up purchases of similar books • Could cause mild household tension due to increased comic spending Verdict An outstanding graphic novel that delivers both visually and emotionally. If you have any love for comics at all, this is an easy recommendation—and be warned, it might open the door to collecting more than you planned.