Harley Quinn Holiday Special 1

We got you a present, comics fans – a gut-busting (sometimes literally) collection of short stories featuring Harley and her special brand of holiday cheer! Can she get through Christmas dinner without blowing something up? Who will survive the war of the department-store Santas? Don’t miss this one – after all, you can’t spell “holidays” without “Harley!” (Give or take a couple letters.)

Harley Quinn has always been out there, and this one-shot is no different.  Here we have three short stories all done by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti.  First of all, if you haven’t read the series yet, I highly recommend it.  The cute, little psychopath gets into all sorts of hilarious hijinks that sets the series apart from the more serious Bat-books.  So, if that tickles your fancy then you won’t be disappointed with this one as the writers are the same for both.

The book consists of three short stories.  The first one is all about Harley having to give away all of her puppies and kittens which was a result of her forgetting to get all of her collection of dogs and cats fixed.  Of course, Harley gets too attached to one pup and then hilarity ensues.  Artwork by Mauricet.  Next we have a tale about how Christmas songs get stuck in your head, which drives Harley even more insane.  This one was illustrated by Brandt Peters.  And finally, the new year is approaching and Harley discovers her first gray hair.  Now she’s willing to do whatever it takes to turn back the clock and maintain her youth.  Artwork courtesy of the awesome Darwyn Cooke.

Each story had its own charm to it and Harley ends overreacting to every situation she finds herself in.  I believe that it’s this over-the-top response that makes this issue and in turn the rest of the series, a really fun read.  I mean, in the first story alone she befriends a kid by getting sick on each other and the chases the kid around with an axe to make good on a deal.  This is the kind of thing you have to look forward to in this special one-shot.  Amanda and Jimmy really bring something special to the character of Harley Quinn and with this book we get to see a bit of Harley’s softer side in between her moments of craziness.  I’ve always been a fan of this character, especially now in her later years since she’s branched off from the Joker and these three stories only help to cement my love of her even more.  I can definitely say that this is one worth picking up.

The Harley Quinn Holiday Special is a fun romp with the cutest little nutcase this side of Gotham while she fights her way through the holiday season. If you’ve ever been a fan of Harley Quinn, then this is the one for you. Fans of the series will also enjoy the fact that the mainstay writers continue their prose in this collection. So, be sure to head out now and pick your copy of one of the craziest times a girl can have over holiday. For more info on where to find this issue, visit the DC Comics website, or the DC Comics Facebook page.