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

It's very rare I give a book a five star rating, but this one is brilliant and totally deserves it. For me, this is an absolutely ace book from the tips of it's toes to the top of its spine. Now along with many people, I do have a bit of a problem with Harley Quinn. I like the character (especially when she became a more singular entity in the comic world) but there is the matter of her relationship with The Joker and her constant over sexualisation. I mean in the Suicide Squad, M. R. made the character stand out but I was constantly face planting every time we got another shot of Harley's arse. Thank god that misdemeanor of a film got rectified. Anyway, I go off topic. That one has been brewing for years. However, with this comic things do get put into perspective. Sejic does not shy away from the fact that Harleen is manipulated from the start by the joker. I think as well , not only does it show The jokers manipulation of her, but also society's manipulation of her in the way that she is constantly alienated by those around her The comic explores the fragile psychological state of Harleen before she completely disassociates from her old life to become the character that she becomes. I like as well, that this is Harley's narrative, her voice telling the story, looking at the events leading up to her demise as though it's been told in a psychiatric interview. Moving on to the artwork. Oh my goodness, this is just brilliant. I mean we all know how it ends up, but the art is constantly giving portents to her fate, using shadows and reflections as glimpses of the future. Harley herself is portrayed as a woman, not the cartoon extreme of boobs and bottom that she is usually depicted as. I mean, I was showing this to my daughter who is terribly arty and picking out particular panels and going look at that one, look at that one. The Joker is drawn well as well. I am not sure, but it seems to me that it is from Harley's point of view and how her view of him changes, transforming from a monster to almost angelic. Instead of him been the misshapen monster that he is usually drawn as, in this comic, he is one handsome fella. I mean he really is. Do you know, I am going to have to stop now I could go on and on about this all day. All I can say, this is an ace comic and deserves to be put up there as one of the best comics, ever!.

There is no padding to protect the book during delivery resulting in it being damaged at the corners with a larger dent in the side of the cover which is pretty disappointing. In terms of the story itself, I found it really enjoyable and am a big fan of the art.

Great book and looks as pictured

I ordered this book after seeing it advertised in my 'based on previous searches' feed. I instantly felt drawn in by the stunning artwork which was quite unlike any I had previously seen. When the book came, it was much larger than I expected and has a 3d style cover. I began reading it that night with great enthusiasm. The pictures are truly stunning and are very detailed. The story itself is one of the best Harley/Joker backstory versions I have read to date and by far the one which is more believable. I read it in about 3 days and I would again. There is nothing I would change about this book. Just hope the author does some more Harley/Joker themed stuff. Highy recommend for any die hard fan of Harley and the Joker.

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.