"Harley Quinn: The Animated Series - The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour (2021 Mini-Series)" Comic Book Talkback (Spoilers)

[Yojimbo]

Harley and Ivy on the road trip of the century!

HARLEY QUINN: THE ANIMATED SERIES - THE EAT. BANG! KILL. TOUR #1

​

Written by: Tee Franklin
Art by: Max Sarin

The Story: Harley and Ivy on the road trip of the century! Following the wedding disaster of the decade, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy end up on the run from Commissioner Gordon and the GCPD! But as fun as all that sounds, Ivy still worries over leaving Kite Man at the altar... Luckily, Harley's got the perfect scheme to shake her out of her wedding-day blues!

Digital First Exclusive Release: August 3, 2021 (DC Universe/Read DC)
Digital Release: September 1, 2021
Print Release: September 14, 2021
Price: $3.99

Discuss Harley Quinn right here at The World's Finest!

Related Discussion:
-Harley Quinn News & Discussion Thread (Spoilers)
-Harley Quinn Season Two Talkback Thread (Spoilers)
-Harley Quinn Season One Talkback Thread (Spoilers)
-Harley Quinn: The Complete First and Second Seasons Blu-ray Talkback (Spoilers)
-Harley Quinn: The Complete Second Season DVD Talkback (Spoilers)
-Harley Quinn: The Complete First Season DVD Talkback (Spoilers)

External Links:
-Harley Quinn: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour on DC Universe
-Harley Quinn: The Eat. Bang! Kill Tour on Comixology

 

[M.O.D.O.K.]

A pretty strong opening issue. It picks up immediately after the season 2 finale and offers a handy recap of what happened in the show. The writing was pretty faithful. While the only characters we mostly get are Harley, Ivy, Gordon, and Tawney, they all felt very in-character. Tee Franklin does a great job recreating the show's voices.

Max Sarin also gives the book a very cartoony and expressive look. It's not a complete recreation from the show, but I think they look close enough. I actually really dig how "animated" the characters feel.

The issue mostly just sets up the plot for the rest of the series. Harley and Ivy are being hunted down, so they're going on a road trip to avoid Gordon and have fun together. They're using the hideouts of specific arrested villains (Killer Frost, Livewire, Nightfall) to hide in-between. Nightfall stuck out to me, since she's a pretty obscure pick and I don't recall seeing her in the series before. I liked the detail that Ivy still feels guilty not just about Kite Man, but also indirectly causing the arrests of the invited villains. It's ultimately Gordon's fault, but I can see why she'd feel guilty. It should set up some good conflict for the rest of the series.

 

[Yojimbo]

I agree that was a great opener to this mini-series. Tee Franklin, Max Sarin, and Marissa Louise did a pretty great job at recreating the show in comic form while adding in their own twists in bits like Harley's facial expressions or Tawny shoving the paramedic away and quickly dissecting Jim. Or even the editor Katie Kubert getting in the spirit of the show and eventually just telling readers to watch the show instead of listing the reference.

First appearance of a Big Belly Burger. Don't think that was in the show. Also it was funny in that same panel, the little girl was poking out the eye of the dead Parademon in the background. Lot of great touchstones in Harley's bedroom like the Frankie Muniz poster or the team photos in the frames. lol at Pyscho being erased from the two group photos.

Makes sense Ivy was still feeling some guilt right after escaping the wedding and the police. I forget who got away that we saw, just them, Kite Man, and Catwoman I think.

I guess Jim bugged the wedding car on the sly. May have to rewatch the episode if we ever saw him near it. Hmm, I bet Jim's vow to haul in Harley in this issue and Patrick Schumacker calling the comic an extended cold open to season 3, I suspect season 3 will start with a time skip and Jim Gordon being raked over the coals for failing to arrest Harley and Ivy by idk a police commission, the Mayor, etc.

Yeah, no clue about Nightfall. Worth another rewatch to see. Unless Tee Franklin is a Black Lightning fan and slipped that in.

They definitely had callbacks suffice to say:

1x11 "Harley Quinn Highway"
-About half the issue takes place on the Harley Quinn Highway.
-Page 19: Ivy mentions her father

2x8 "Inner (Para)Demons"
-Page 2: Jim recounts Harley destroyed Gotham with Parademons
-Page 2: Jim recounts he's after Harley so the President honors his deal and will reunite Gotham City with the USA.
-Page 3: Harley recounts unleashing Parademons to destroy Gotham and killing Granny Goodness.

1x1 "'Till Death Do Us Part"
-Page 3: Harley recounts how she broke up with the Joker, beat him up, and destroyed his lair.
-Page 7: Harley interacts with a hallucination of Dr. Harleen Quinzel

2x1 "New Gotham"
-Page 2: Jim recounts Harley turned his cops into villains
-Page 3: Harley recounts she killed the Penguin
-Page 20: Harley jumps in the car with Bud n Lou

1x4 "Finding Mr. Right"
-Page 3: Harley recounts Ivy took care of her despite her breaking multiple glass tables.
-Page 10: Ivy destroys Harley's TV with a remote much like Harley did to Ivy's in her apartment and Harley alludes to all of Ivy's TVs she destroyed

2x9 "Bachelorette"
-Page 3: Harley quotes Ivy's can't trust you with my heart line from end of the episode.
-Page 9: In her room, Harley has a framed photo of the Cobb Squad

2x7 "There's No Place to Go But Down"
-Page 3: Harley recounts how they got locked up together, escaped the Pit, and kissed.

1x5 "Being Harley Quinn"
-Page 7: Ivy refuses to go in Harley's brain again if it freezes.
-Page 9: Harley's room has a Frankie Muniz poster.

2x12 "Lover's Quarrel"
-Page 9: Tawny mentions when Ivy and Harley's affair was revealed to Kite Man.

2x13 "Something Borrowed, Something Green"
-Comic starts right after this episode
-Page 3: Harley notes Jim has been chasing them since Ivy's wedding
-Page 5: Jim mentions he just wanted a key to the city.
-Page 9: Footage of Ivy and Kite Man at the altar, Harley realizes Tawny was at the wedding, Tawny mentions/see footage of Kite Man rejecting Ivy, Tawny mentions Kite Man's vows
-Page 9: Black Manta, one of the guests, is seen being put in paddy wagon while Batman fights 2 others, Man Bat and Killer Croc. Tawny mentions 2 others, Livewire and Killer Frost but also mentions a 3rd, Nightfall not seen in the actual episode (or was she?)
-Page 11: Jim alludes to Two-Face telling Harley Ivy was in danger (in exchange for helping do a prison break at Arkham) and then how Harley saved the day at the wedding. He again mentions his desire to get a key to the city.
-Page 11: Tawny mentions Harley was locked up at Arkham, and suspects Jim's plan was someone else's

And misc. things like photos with Clayface, King Shark, and one on page 9 where Doctor Psycho is crossed out. Or page 3 with Harley mentioning her original goal of joining the Legion of Doom with her crew in season 1.

 

[Frontier]

This comic definitely felt in-line with the show in terms of humor, sensibilites, and working within the framework of the universe. They definitely did their homework here. As far as a tie-in that will probably be treated as soft canon within the actual show, I think it's doing a good job .

Max Sarin's art made me think I was reading an issue of Giant Days...

This issue was probably a big treat for HarlIvy fans who are really invested in the relationship (whether in general or on the show)...it's even an in-universe ship now! I mean, I don't care much for it by comparison but in context it feels appropriate and I'm happy for those waiting for more loving content on this relationship (and I do mean loving content ) .

Is it wrong that I feel for Gordon more than I do Harley and Ivy? Like, y'know, he is within his right to arrest them and has every reason too...even Harley admitted she got a bunch of people killed because she couldn't handle being in the friendzone. I guess we just expect our protagonist to be a bad, messy, person and the tone to be so comedic that we don't always treat her actions as seriously consequential as they should be, although I'm never quite sure of how we're really meant to see Harley in-universe .

I do love how the big deal about the wedding isn't just Harley and Ivy skipping off together but Kite-Man having enough and rejecting Ivy. He deserved that win .

So Batman eventually showed up to clean up Gordon's mess at the weddings...I feel like most of the villains they caught there were mainly because he finally showed up .

Jeez, what's it going to take to get Ivy to wear a normal costume? Although she does look good in anything .

 

[Yojimbo]

Jeez, what's it going to take to get Ivy to wear a normal costume? Although she does look good in anything .

If she ever considers herself a supervillain which in this series, she doesn't... so never, imo.

 

[Frontier]

If she ever considers herself a supervillain which in this series, she doesn't... so never, imo.

I guess when you look at it that way it explains a lot about her fashion sense in this show .

 

[Yojimbo]

A retailer exclusive cover (and raw version) by Carla Cohen for Bird City Comics.

 

[Frontier]

A retailer exclusive cover (and raw version) by Carla Cohen for Bird City Comics.

Surprisingly Gothic for this show .

 

[Yojimbo]

Shannon Maer did an RE cover for Comic Mint

 

[Frontier]

Shannon Maer did an RE cover for Comic Mint

The contrast with the actual tone and style of the show is palpable .

 

[Yojimbo]

Quick reminder that Issue #1 is now available on all the usual digital platforms.

 

[Yojimbo]

Check out the DC Comics mini-series based on the popular Harley Quinn animated series!

HARLEY QUINN: THE ANIMATED SERIES - THE EAT. BANG! KILL. TOUR #2

​

Written by: Tee Franklin
Art by: Max Sarin

The Story: On the road to romance (a.k.a. an ataxia-filled, Thelma and Louise-style road trip), Harley and Ivy head to Catwoman's to ask for a massive favor (hey, Selina's a natural born cat sitter...). Meanwhile, Commissioner Gordon, on the hunt for the chaos queen herself, crosses a line he might not be able to come back from...

Digital First Exclusive Release: September 7, 2021 (DC Universe/Read DC)
Digital Release: October 6, 2021
Print Release: October 12, 2021
Price: $3.99

 

[Frontier]

Harley leaving the hyena's with Selina reminded me of that episode of The Batman where Bud and Lou first showed up and I think they had Catwoman actually get along with them because they're distantly related to cats .

I feel bad for Ivy that she's still kind of in an emotional rollercoaster where she's not sure how much she's willing to commit to Harley now and she still feels bad for how the wedding ended, but she's still trying to be happy. I also feel like she's starting to apologize for stuff that is Harley's fault and not hers .

Gordon is getting out of control, even compared to his worst moments in seasons 1 and 2. It really seems to be getting to him, where he even attacks Batman when he's trying to rein him in. I'm not sure how this is going to end for him .

I don't know if we can assume it'll be accurate to the show, but this comic gives us our first glimpse of Batman and Catwoman's relationship in this universe. Literally Selina pulls a complete 180 and actually gets flustered when she realizes Batman is there, which is a pretty dramatic contrast to how uncaring and unflappable she usually acts. Like, she seemed genuinely sad that their relationship didn't work out and actually seemed to enjoy drawing him into chasing her, but of course the latter is quintessential Catwoman .

And apparently the relationship didn't work out because he couldn't take all the cats .

 

[Yojimbo]

Hilarious. Naturally, Catwoman is totally an alpha - got that from watching the show so makes since she's a 'hyena whisperer' too. lol. She was so good in this issue.

Wow, couldn't believe how off the wall Gordon is now - chucking grenades in a neighborhood, ignoring Batman, etc.

Nice! A quick scene with Batman and Catwoman at last. I think it was "Finding Mr. Right" when Ivy alluded to their relationship in a certain way. ahem. The "Damn." lol.

Probably the most clutch reference in the issue was when Gordon and his cops were eating Chinese takeout in the van, the restaurant they got it from? Doc's Place from the Birds of Prey movie. And I think that song on the radio was from Jodeci.

Nice little details in the panels, props to Max Sarin. Loved that bit with Ivy's hair getting in the face of one of the hyenas and the other laughs. Tee Franklin is doing an amazing job. Sigh, now another month to wait.

 

[M.O.D.O.K.]

Good issue. It's nice to see the highs and lows of Harley and Ivy's relationship. It feels natural from how the characters were in the show, especially Ivy's lack of patience towards Harley's thoughtlessness and her own low self-esteem causing her to blame herself for it. Catwoman was pretty in-character. I was fascinated by the brief peek we got of the implied relationship between her and Batman. I didn't think this comic would go there.

Gordon's behavior is unnerving. He was a jerk by the end of the series, but he's on a complete rampage, disregarding his fellow officers and civilians, and the collateral damage is NOT played for laughs. He even runs over Batman when the latter tries to stop him. Again, another aspect I'm interested to see if it'll be consistent with the show. I did chuckle at him rambling about his relationship issues.

 

[Frontier]

I wonder if they'll bring in Batgirl to rein Jim in. He might listen to Babs.

 

[Yojimbo]

Issue #1 is going to second printing. The cover is by Max Sarin and is actually the original cover submitted. It comes out on October 19.

 

[Frontier]

Issue #1 is going to second printing. The cover is by Max Sarin and is actually the original cover submitted. It comes out on October 19.

Good to hear for the series .

 

[Yojimbo]

Check out the DC Comics mini-series based on the popular Harley Quinn animated series!

HARLEY QUINN: THE ANIMATED SERIES - THE EAT. BANG! KILL. TOUR #3

​

Written by: Tee Franklin
Art by: Max Sarin

The Story: First dates are usually memorable, and Harley's is no different. When Hush decides to disrupt their date, Ivy takes action in a way Harley's never seen before. And will someone get rid of Gordon, please?!

Digital First Exclusive Release: October 5, 2021 (DC Universe/Read DC)
Digital Release: November 3, 2021
Print Release: November 9, 2021
Price: $3.99

 

[Frontier]

Maybe it's because I'm not as invested in the Harley/Ivy relationship as other people are but I guess I just don't really understand this massive amount of in-universe support and assistance they're receiving as a couple. Like, okay, they're a prominent and cute queer couple, but does that mean it's okay to help them escape (albeit overzealous) justice? I dunno .

Nightwing makes his first in-universe appearance, which was unexpected. Count on a HQ comic to make all the classic Dick butt jokes and objectify him plenty (not that the leading ladies are depicted "tastefully" either) .

Seems like things are icy, if professional, between Bruce and Dick here judging by that call .

Oh hey, Nightwing and Batgirl! They don't really interact, and I'm not sure how much of an age gap there is between Dick and Babs here, but I wonder if there's any intention of exploring that relationship considering the different level of history, experience, and age between Dick and Babs here .

I feel like Babs' priorities get really mixed up when it comes to dealing with Harley...when she mentions Stephanie, does she mean Clayface Stephanie ?

Oh hey, Ivy with normal skin .

Harley's...pantsuit? Onesie? Her outfit definitely felt like her and also pretty much showed off that she was going commando. Guess we know how she wanted the night to end with Ivy one way or another .

Hush kind of appeared out-of-nowhere. So his plan was just to harvest their organs? And he thought he could trap them if he flirted with them like discount Bruce Wayne? I mean, Hush is kind of a sleazy guy but it was still kind of random seeing him here .

Uh...Carmine Falcone? Kind of random, but okay. I'm guessing Catwoman still scratched his face up .