Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Harlin by Stjepan Šejić

14 reviews

malleykde's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Alcoholism

casdelvo's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Fire/Fire injury

mrpointy's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a really interesting character focused story about Harley. I will say I can tell a man wrote it but it does a good job of showing the joker as a manipulative abuser

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Mental illness, and Murder

julesadventurezone's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Fire/Fire injury

frantically's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Obsessed! Such a great insight into Harley's character and really makes you understand her and her motivations better — deep down, she still believes she can save the Joker...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Torture, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Bullying, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

indeedithappens's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

lolajh's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Wowowowowowowow. This was a really good interpretation of Harley’s story. Like really. Building up the character of Harleen Quinzel right until

the very end,

made this story so much more tragic, because she starts off as someone with dreams and someone to root for and

I knew what was going to happen but I had hope that it wouldn’t anyway.

I love Harley so much more now, though every time I see her as Harley Quinn from now on I will be even more sad about her backstory and how she got there, how Batman was right:

the Joker did use her and it’s not all her fault.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Fire/Fire injury

panels2pages's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Sejic has reinvented Harley by returning to her roots as Dr. Harleen Quinzel. He paints an interesting picture of her as a young woman trying to overcome the reputation of her past and maybe having too much to prove. I would have loved to dive into Harleen's youth more. The motives for her decisions aren't unbelievable, but likely to evoke an eyeroll. She's a flawed person and that's not always easy to observe in a main character, though it defines Harley perfectly. This book is just as much about manipulation as it is bad choices. No one person is ever to blame. That's a wonderful takeaway, even if I didn't love Harley Quinn by the end of the story. I loved the journey. Harley is worthy of empathy and I applaud Sejic for humanizing her so thoroughly. 

The art is worth of 4 stars alone. It's a gorgeous book and Sejic's beautiful, lithe figures are always glowing. He's a master with lighting and his color work is fantastic. That said, his line work is suggestive at best and, at times, even sloppy. I don't think I'd have noticed were it not for the oversized Black Label format, but I have to say that it's easily forgiveable in such an immersive story.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Gun violence

bicanthropus's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Stjepan Selgić explores what made Harleen Quinzel into Harley Quinn. It’s a story of manipulation, insanity, and losing hope in the goodness of the world. But it’s a perfect story for those who love the world of Batman. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual content, and Suicide

Minor: Police brutality

fallandfox's review against another edition

dark reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Gaslighting