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reickel's review against another edition
4.0
Most of these are pretty solid stories -- Bruce Timm's elite storytelling and style carry onto the page just as in animation. Lots of fun stories mostly featuring Harley, Joker, and then some smaller characters (plus an excellent bit with Etigran). A worthy Bat collection for any fan of Batman and/or comics.
nssutton's review against another edition
3.0
With the trailer for Suicide Squad out, there have been a lot of articles about Harley Quinn and from them I learned that she Batman: The Animated Series which I loved as a kid. Reading this made me want to watch them all over again, something I feel like I will never, ever have time for again.
caitcoy's review against another edition
5.0
It's funny that I bought this without realizing that I'd actually read it before. I found that I enjoyed it much more on the second reading. My favorite story is obviously Mad Love which focuses on poor Harley Quinn's delusional devotion to the Joker. The story is absolutely perfect because it is simaultaneously a brilliant story about how Harey fell in with the Joker and also a perfect portrayal of their relationship. Harley tries again and again to please the Joker and when the Joker fails to respond the way in which she wants, she decides that it's Batman's fault for getting in the way and becomes determined to get rid of him. The end is classic Harley and I can't say more without spoiling it but I loved every second of it. The other stories are also entertaining and well-written and are very reminsicent of the animated series, which is probably unsurprising given two of the main collaborators for the book were mainstays of the show. The other stories revolve mostly around classic Batman villains like Scarecrow, Scarface and Two Face trying to go straight as well as a kind of strange but still fun R'as al Ghul story. Definitely a fun read if you're a Batman fan but I'd only really call it a must-read for Mad Love. I'm a die-hard Harley fan and that just hit all the right buttons for me!
Spoiler
I absolutely loved how it ended, with Joker being the megalomaniacal jerk who just can't have Harley pull off what he never could and how Batman taunts him with it.sarahdenn27's review against another edition
4.0
Loved Mad Love and Two of a Kind but wasn't a fan of Demons.
anastasiaadamov's review against another edition
5.0
I am a big fan of Mad Love and Harley character. Mad love was awesome and i loved the author's notes on making the comic and characters. Other stories were nice too.
It kinda made me want to watch the cartoon series also :)H&J <3
It kinda made me want to watch the cartoon series also :)H&J <3
mattiedancer's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Writing: 3.75⭐️/5
Alright, so it’s a fun collection, but it falls victim a bit to some sexist tropes and a bit of unnatural dialogue. I liked the way Harley Quinn’s thoughts were written, and I enjoyed the writing overall.
Artwork: 4.5⭐️/5
I mean, I can’t really say too much bad about the artwork. Maybe the female characters are not proportioned correctly, which is pretty standard in comic books, unfortunately, but it’s a beautiful comic with beautiful art.
Characters: 4⭐️/5
I love Harley Quinn. I love her stubbornness, her tenacity, and even her obsessions. I would have loved a bit more about her and the Joker’s relationship, but even then the characters are well-fleshed and fun.
Plot: 4.5⭐️/5
The plots of the comic books are fun and I enjoyed reading them.
Who Should Read This Book?
- Fans of Batman
- Fans of Harley Quinn
- Fans of the Joker
Content Warnings?
Mental illness, violence, misogyny, sexism, physical abuse, emotional abuse, injury, forced institutionalization, toxic relationship
Post-Reading Rating: 4⭐️/5
I had fun. Did I mention that?
Final Rating: 4.25⭐️/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail
crgs's review against another edition
4.0
Getting ready for Suicide Squad. And I'm doing my homework. This one was surprisingly wonderful!
sapph1re's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Mad Love is the genesis of Harley Quinn. An awarding winning one-shot comic, set in the continuity of Batman: The Animated Series (later adapted as an episode for The New Batman Adventures animated series) is a classic among classics. And has become my gateway into one-shot comics.
Harley Quinn's origin story has been retold, reimagined and recontextualized over the 30+ years from the iconic character's first appearance in 1992. And it's no wonder why because Mad Love is a fanticsic one-shot that truly delivers on creating a compelling mythos behind a counterpart to none other than the infamous Joker. Which is admittedly a tough order to fill considering the Joker is one of the most prominent antagonists in all of fiction, of all time, but co-creators Paul Dini and Bruce Timm rose to the occasion and stuck the landing.
The art work is in the same style of Batman: The Animated Series which is beloved for a reason and even without the heavy nostalgia goggles on (as I never watched the show growing up) I can confinditly say it's beautiful. The artists and colorists bring Gotham to life in a cartoonish style that perfectly fits the tone and ambience in a way that just feels natural in this context.
The only complaint I would say is that this is a collect of stories and Mad Love is definitely the high light with the rest in it's shadow. That doesn't mean they're bad I actually enjoy them all (maybe except for the batgirl one) just not as impactful. TLDR ; this is a must read for any Harley Quinn fan and a certified classic. 4.5⭐️ out of 5⭐️.
gabrielavmarques's review against another edition
4.0
Mad Love was the only story that was worth the time, but it was a hell of a story! The style, similar to the 90's animated tv series was beautiful an made me feel so nostalgic.
It was great to see the original take on Harley Quinn's backstory and how she used to behave compared to more recent approaches. And the commentary was so touching, I really enjoyed it.
It was great to see the original take on Harley Quinn's backstory and how she used to behave compared to more recent approaches. And the commentary was so touching, I really enjoyed it.