Writer: Tee Franklin
Art: Shae Beagle, Scot Eaton and Roberto Poggi
Colors: Lee Loughridge
Letters: Taylor Esposito
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 15th, 2022
Harley continues wrestling with being an anti-hero in Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: Legion of Bats! #2, as Ivy prepares to interview potential members for her all-female Legion of Doom! But nothing ever goes smoothly for Harley and Ivy as they have a face-off at Gotham Mall and stumble right into a massive fight between Bane and a new powerhouse character. All this, and Nightwing and Batgirl too!
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The Story
Harley and Poison Ivy’s relationship shines again in Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: Legion of Bats! #2. It’s one of the most realistically written relationships in comics and I hope writers of other comics take note of it. Most comic relationships seem one-note or merely thrown in to fill pages, but Harley and Ivy have a deep connection that happens to produce a great subplot, where Harley wrestles with being an anti-hero while Ivy forms a new Legion of Doom.
That conflict comes to a resolution this issue, but before that happens, there are some great sequences of the two going to Gotham Mall to craft new looks for themselves. The mall sequences are super fun, especially one hilarious scene where the duo runs into a pair of Batman villains and the encounter gets snarky. There’s also the introduction of a new character named Knockout who’s going to be an interesting member of the supporting cast from here on, and may cause some turmoil between Ivy and Harley, as they both want her to join their causes (Harley wants her to join the Bat Family while Ivy wants her for her new Legion of Doom).
A couple of other subplots are set up by the end of the issue too, including a cliffhanger ending with a powerful figure from Ivy’s past. The book captures the feel of the animated series wonderfully, from the art to the dialogue, everything’s on point. Like the show, the four letter words fly and there’s no holding back on the language and violence. And what’s Harley without some skull cracking and expletive chucking?
The Art
Shae Beagle and Scot Easton’s art on Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: Legion of Bats! #2 is a visual treat. I especially love Beagle’s artwork, which isn’t too cartoony but rather a combination of more realistic art with an anime style twist. Her artwork makes you feel like you’re watching a new episode of the animated series as it rolls from page to page.
I love how the supporting characters are drawn, like Chaz (who’s like a grunge version of Shaggy from “Scooby Doo”) and Frank, the giant talking plant with an attitude like Don Rickles. The art gives them personality and adds life to the dialogue.
Final Thoughts
Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: Legion of Bats! #2 is another great issue of the mini-series that introduces some great new characters, gives us a few juicy subplots and laughs, and ends with a great cliffhanger. Highly recommended.