Theresa Campagna Comic Reviews

This issue is an entertaining installment to Sean Gordon Murphy's White Knight universe, and is sure to please fans of the Batman Beyond cartoon, even if I'm a bit concerned as to where certain elements of the story are going.

This chapter is a mixed bag for me. There's definitely stuff to like about Sean Gordon Murphy's universe, and I love how he writes Terry and the rest of the Batman Beyond cast. Often times, the massive changes to the main Batman cast make this feel like an original action/drama book, rather than a Batman book.

I've just had to come to the realization that I just don't love the world of White Knight as much as I thought I did when it started. So much mischaracterization and drama has been drawn out for, I think, a lot longer than it should have been. This series is going on a hiatus now, but hopefully the second half will finally reconcile the political Gotham that Murphy has been dealing with and bring this entire universe to a final conclusion. Score: 4/10

I continue to be unimpressed as Beyond the White Knight goes on. It almost reminds me of a film series that had one initial movie everyone liked, only to spawn a half a dozen bad sequels.

I feel the White Knight universe is just sputtering along to its final conclusion at this point. I think if one really wanted to take a look at Murphy's vision for these characters, they could go read the original White Knight series and leave it at that. The flaws of the series currently outweigh the positives by a very wide margin. I don't think there's much left to do other than stop Mr. Powers and have Bruce and Harley run away together like he and Selina Kyle did at the end of The Dark Knight Rises (which for Bruce and Harley, feels like a very odd thing indeed.)

I've listened to interviews with Sean Gordon Murphy. He seems like a genuinely good guy who cares about listening to his fans as well as his critics. But I have to say, as someone who loved the White Knight universe when it started, this strikes me as a universe that has long run its course. I'm truly hoping that the final issue for this run really is the end for the entire White Knight universe.

I'm afraid this series is the one that killed the interest I originally had in the White Knight universe. I'd be curious to see Murphy write a Batman book where he wasn't doing the art. Would the reception be as positive then? I don't think so.

The DC Vs. Vampires Hunted one-shot is an imperfect yet fun read that primarily focuses on a conflict within the Batfamily. It's an interesting continuation of the twist at the end of the DC Vs. Vampires miniseries, but does a decent job of standing on its own. It's got some great action and is a good little read if you are also into vampires. However, it might not be the best read for Dick Grayson fans.

DC vs. Vampires: Killers takes another big step in moving DC vs. Vampires' story forward. However, some poor artwork, dialogue, and continued wonky characterization for Harley make it so I can't call this comic good.

This anthology is a mixed bag. I was glad I read some of the stories, others were passable, and a couple were just terrible. I wouldn't say drop everything and go out and buy this book, but you probably won't be mad if you read it either. Just skip the first and last stories.Score: 6.5/10

There's not a whole lot to say about this issue. It's just a little set up and filler for a new storyline with an already predictable ending. If Stephanie Phillips subverts my expectations and brings this arc to a different conclusion, I'll be happy.

The Verdict storyline picks up in this issue, and I found myself more curious, but it's not enough to compensate for the core problems of the book.

This entire book was just frustrating for me to read. All the elements I like about Stephanie Phillips' Harley seem to be missing. The comedy doesn't work, and the one time we are treated to any character depth for Harley, we are given a monologue that doesn't make sense. On top of that, the overall arc is as predictable as it comes. Come on, DC. I know you can do better for Harley.

I didn't hate this issue like I did the last one, but a lot of problems still persist in this book, and in the general writing of Harley Quinn at DC Comics. I swear, I'm not saying any of this to attack Stephanie Phillips. I also swear I'm not some Harley Quinn hater who secretly posed as a fan to get this review gig. I just have to call it as I see it, and if you're looking for a quality book to follow, I'm afraid this isn't the one right now.Score: 4.5/10

Neither the story or the characters make sense or have consistency. The storytelling pretends to have depth through some occasional monologues, though everything is actually very shallow.

While the artist change-up for Stephanie Phillips' run of Harley Quinn probably won't save the series at this point, it does make the book a lot more palatable than before. I still think it was a bad choice to make this book go monthly though, since I don't think it has the clout or substance behind it to handle that.

Task Force XX is a subpar series thus far. It seems like a definite case of quantity over quality in terms of DC capitalizing off of Dark Crisis and Harley Quinn's 30th Anniversary. However, for a character getting ready to celebrate 3 decades of existing, I'm not seeing the love for Harley in this writing. She has no purpose on this mission so far. Her writing is insufferable and completely devoid of anything I ever liked about the character. If I was first introduced to Harley with her being written like this, I'd have never become a fan in the first place.

This entire Task Force XX plot line is a disappointing series to do for Harley's 30th Anniversary. The Luke Fox plot feels forced, the tone is all over the place, the jokes are terrible, and Harley doesn't even feel like the protagonist. I'm really looking forward to Harley's 30th Anniversary special, hoping it provides some better stories to celebrate the character. Meanwhile, I think we've hit rock bottom in terms of her writing in this solo.Score: 3.5/10

Phew! Reviewing this book has been quite an undertaking. It's like I have to give myself a harsh examination to remember what happened in each issue. This entire arc is really about Luke Fox, even though his story feels underdeveloped. It continues to show a lack of interest and understanding for its titular protagonist, even with some half-baked attempts to finally allow Harley to influence the story.

There are some elements to this book that remind me Stephanie Phillips does have talent as a writer, but those talents don't lie in writing a good Harley Quinn. It's sad how unreadable the character has become with no change. This is not character evolution, development, growth, or whatever you want to call it. It never was.

Despite some improvements, Tini Howard has given her Harley Quinn run a relatively weak start. Will the artwork and Harley's return to crime draw people back in? Or is it finally time for DC to turn away from a Harley Quinn ongoing book? That's probably not what DC wants to do. If "Harley Mania is over for now though, we'll see what the future really holds for the character.

This comic is not the worst thing I've ever read for Harley. However, it's really a let-down for me because of the continuous problems DC editorial has had with how they depict and market the character. I saw someone the other day saying that it's been too many years of Harley being used this way for it to change. To that I say that time doesn't necessarily matter. DC can write Harley with depth, consistency, and originality again any time they want to. They just have to choose to do so.Score: 4.5/10

Tini Howard continues a mostly harmless, yet nonsensical run with Harley Quinn here. I still don't believe continuing with a mediocre ongoing series is going to help Harley's character though. What would it take for DC to take a break from giving the character a solo series? Because I think giving the character LESS exposure would actually do her good right now.

I'm truly exhausted by this comic at this point. What makes it all the worse is that I feel I'm the only one reading this book at this point. This is why it was such a bad idea to make this one weekly. I really don't know how it can last after the next arc, but what would happen if it got canceled? Would we just get yet another writer who gives the character a bad voice and doesn't really know what to do with her?

For what it's worth, I told everyone I knew that was going to buy a copy of this comic to avoid it. I myself saved about $20 on it. It's not worth it. Even with the couple of stories that show a little sign of the actual Harley Quinn character, you'd be better off just looking at older material.

Despite my blasting the last story, I will say that it was nice to read a Harley book where I could recognize that I was reading Harley Quinn. Noticeably, every writer so far has chosen to write Harley as a villain here. That shows how people are still viewing the character apart from editorial constraints. However, we can still see the confusion about who Harley is even supposed to be as a character. We can also see that DC just doesn't have the greatest pool of writers to pull from right now.Score: 6.5/10

There are so many things to enjoy about this comic. The stories are either fun or insightful or both. The artwork goes back to Harley's original, eye-popping black, white, and red color scheme. It's so appealing to see that, without an intrusive spirt of pastel pink and baby blue. Importantly, Harley's personality and voice are on point!

I don't really know if I can recommend this comic. Do I recommend this because 2 out of the 3 stories are marginally better than what we get in the main Harley comics? Do I tell you to skip it because it still isn't good enough to make up for the bad stuff? Not only is the quality of this comic inconsistent, but the very identity of the character that each writer thinks they are portraying is inconsistent as well. It's just not good enough to make up for a company that has abused the character of Harley Quinn more than the Joker ever did. Score: 6.5/10

As you can tell, I'm not at all crazy about this book. DC just needs to stop publishing Harley Quinn titles for a while. Just keep her as a supporting character in other books if they can't present anything better for her. Elseworlds tales used to be the only place you could still find any good writing for Harley Quinn, but now this series has gone downhill, too. DC has had plenty of big characters that they've been able to retire from solo content for a time: Green Lantern, Catwoman, Robin, Green Arrow, etc. It's time for them to do the same with Harley Quinn.

As you can see, even this series has gone downhill for Harley Quinn. I see very little hope for this character in comics, given that comics in general are doing so badly right now and no one seems to making any attempt to fix that. The writers and editorial behind the scenes just keep doubling down on their mistakes. So yea, this comic is a "do not buy, and I don't even suspect I'll be buying this series in trade anymore, as I was originally planning to do.Score: 4/10

I'm very solid in my decision to step back from reviewing. Readers and retailers have spoken up regarding their problems with DC Comics and the greater comic book industry. Sales, especially for Harley Quinn, have tanked, yet nothing is getting better. What good is a critic if people behind the scenes won't accept and learn from criticism? I'll always love the REAL version of Harley Quinn, however. I only hope one day she will be given to better writers who actually care about her.

Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing isn't a bad book, but I am used to a lot more from stories that include the Clown Prince of Crime. I think that the character would be represented a lot better if DC continued to focus on giving him arcs in the main Batman book and under the Black Label, and I'll probably keep that opinion until something really spectacular happens in this run.

For the main storyline of The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing, I still feel pretty lukewarm. Rosenberg is proving himself to be a good choice for the writing of the Joker as an individual character, but we're really not being presented with anything we haven't seen before. I hope we get more clues in the next issue that make this run more engaging, but if not, perhaps Rosenberg will continue to entertain in the back-up stories.

I don't like giving out so many negative reviews to comics, but I can't say that anything in this Joker series is worth $5.99 so far. I'd want a Joker series to be fun or intriguing, or both, but I've gone from feeling underwhelmed to being frustrated. DC's not doing their most iconic villain justice so far.

Comics are over-priced. Their contents are of either sub-mediocre work or feature the writers exposing their fetishes. Recently, Batman News lost writer Nicholas Finch to other pursuits. He claimed that he'd fallen out of love with DC Comics. I'm really feeling that. DC comic books seem like they are written for no one, and no one is really discussing them. Yet even as more and more people become disillusioned with DC, the company behind the scenes doesn't seem to care.Score: 2/10

Believe it or not, I wanted to give this comic a better score. I don't want to be negative about DC all the time. When I feel like a comic book story lacks progression and is just wasting my time month to month, however, how can I give the comic a good rating? These pages aren't worth your pennies, if you know what I mean.Score: 3/10

I have no idea where Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing is going and, at this point, I don't know what it's even supposed to be about. I feel that DC should just cancel this book and go back to using the Joker as a villain in various Batman books. That's where he works best. Not every popular DC character needs to have a solo book.Score: 2/10

Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing is an absolutely terrible book that is going nowhere. It may be selling somewhat decently now because it's the Joker, but DC had better be careful that they don't "poison the Joker well" and bring down the reputation of this character.Score: 4/10

Joker: the Man Who Stopped Laughing still isn't a good book, despite the main character being a little more entertaining in this chapter. Readers seem to buy anything with the character's name on it, however. Because of this, you can expect the series to continue, just as it has been.5/10

Despite some improvements in this issue, the only thing that's keeping me into this series is I'm curious about the Knight Terrors tie-in next month. Exploring the Joker's worst fear as being him working a 9-5 job actually sounds brilliant. As for the rest of this run, it's overall just mundane and forgettable. Score: 6/10

All I can do is to tell you to avoid Harley Quinn comics like the plague. They aren't worth anything anymore.

All I can say to you is: don't buy mainstream Harley Quinn comics. No, don't even buy a variant cover even if you think it looks pretty. They're a waste of money. DC doesn't deserve payment for continuing to beat the dead horse that is Harley Quinn. Tini Howard isn't even writing a story here; she's writing a collection of half-thoughts and ideas strewn together. What more can I say?

What can I say? This is an all around great comic. It shows an understanding of the characters it's working with and sets up an interesting conflict to be resolved in the future. It even addresses some of the criticisms I've long had with these characters! I've given a lot of bad reviews to comics in my time at Batman News, and that's because I feel most comics that come out these days truly aren't good.Poison Ivy, however,is the one comic book series I would say is worth checking out!Score: 8.5/10

In the end, we are essentially left where we started in Ivy's journey before this entire event started. I thought Wilson would use this event to further Ivy's development. Now it just seems like a total interruption that doesn't tell us anything about Ivy that we didn't already know. It's a total missed opportunity to me. The quality of the Ivy book is a roller coaster. This is definitely one of its lowest points.

Ultimately, this book is a bust. Mathew Rosenberg came up with an awesome premise, and the cover made it look promising. The actual story is just dour, unfunny, and overly-long, however. I don't see a good reason why people should pick up this book.

Did I mention that the whole Knight Terrors event has been a bust? There was absolutely no reason for DC to use it to interrupt all of its books. Maybe it would be okay if this short arc provided some hilariously memorable comedy for the Joker. While this issue does improve in that area, however, it still isn't enough to make up for this pointless event.Score: 5.5/10

This comic is filled with nothing but dated 90's pop culture references and bodily fluid humor. Its protagonist is disgusting, trashy, and annoying, and behaves reprehensibly, yet the writer thinks making the character show empathy at random moments is somehow going to make her endearing. The best joke of all is that DC greenlit this book in the first place.

I don't know what else to say that I haven't said. I guess if you want to understand how a company can completely destroy a character, you can check this book out? I'm pretty convinced at this point that this book was pitched as "Harley Screws the DCU, and DC just inserted the "Up into the title to make it safe for release. It seems that Frank Tieri is mostly concerned with making Quinnpool try to hook up with everyone in the DCU.

This comic is a little lighter on the raunchy jokes compared to the last couple of issues. However, it struggles with tone and having very unlikable characters. I can't root for anything here, other than the end of the series all together.

I want to offer a ray of hope to anyone reading this: there ARE people at DC Comics who can write Harley well. The upcoming issue of Harley Quinn: Black, White, and Redder I'm reviewing next week is very good. The problem is that DC won't let the good writers have more time with Harley. Why did Frank Tieri get this series? His comics with Harley have never been financially or critically well-received! It makes no sense. Avoid this comic. It's got terrible, insufferable dialogue, a Harley Quinn that doesn't act like Harley Quinn, and a plot line that goes no where.

Despite a few flaws, G. Willow Wilson's Poison Ivy is a really satisfying read, and a good compensation for one of DC's most misused characters. It's so enjoyable to read about one of Batman's most famous female rogues, and have her allowed to BE a rogue. I really hope it continues to be this good and that DC makes a firm stand as to who this character really is.

Poison Ivy #2 is less a big advancement to the story and more of a musing over who Ivy's character is, taking into consideration how she's seen by many today. Wilson still generally has a good voice for Ivy, but some story missteps make me wonder if this miniseries will ultimately be worthwhile.

I still don't think G. Willow Wilson's Poison Ivy is a bad book. There's definitely entertaining elements here. It's just that I think this book could be so much more. Poison Ivy has so much potential to be a complex, sympathetic character, but you have to do the work to make that happen and not confuse complexity with things that are contradictory.

I'm pleased with how G. Willow Wilson has improved on the last couple of issues for this story. So far, I think expanding her work on the series for 12 issues is well deserved. I really appreciate seeing all these elements of Ivy's character that had been cast aside brought back into the forefront again. That said, the portrayal of the Harley and Ivy "romance keeps getting worse, and I really wish it would be cast aside.

If you're not reading G. Willow Wilson's Poison Ivy, you should be. It is a diamond in the rough of DC comic books coming out in this day and age. It's taken a character whose personality was lost and given her definition and complexity again. I don't know if issue #6 will stick the landing as a conclusion to Ivy's first arc, but for now, I'm incredibly happy with this series.Score: 9/10

I still appreciate elements and previous issues of G. Willow Wilson's Poison Ivy, but this finale has definitely been her weakest issue so far. It feels like we're back to square one with Ivy's character where she's still split in two, trying to appeal to two different groups at once.

Poison Ivy got 6 extra issues because of how many people were buying the series, only to have the added arc take a completely different direction. The change is far too sudden for me, and I imagine there'll be other readers lost at this point. That is, unless, the crowd that DC is listening to puts their money where their mouth is and shows there truly is more interest in Ivy as a hero.

This chapter of Poison Ivy was more readable than the last, but at the same time, problems with the dialogue and artwork are increasing. I also am not exactly sure what this book is building towards anymore with its story of Ivy as being more heroic. It seems like it would have been better if DC kept this to six issues.

I believe what we have here is another Harley and Ivy "hallmark issue. However, I'm seeing the same problems with the relationship that I always have seen. DC writers do their best to make it as ideal as possible, but an idealized relationship isn't actually a believable or relatable one.

Wilson is taking Poison Ivy in a direction I would not have expected, but there is potential. It's time to see if Ivy can really support an ongoing title as its sole protagonist.Score: 6.5/10

G. Willow Wilson has seemingly made her Ivy series bounce back. I just hope she will be able to keep this ongoing series interesting. I want to continue to get good insight on Ivy's character and her supporting cast in the future. Score: 7/10

The Poison Ivy ongoing series is far from perfect. Wilson has some great concepts and a good voice for Ivy, but I want to see the execution of this series improve as it continues.

This chapter of Poison Ivy is not a Harley/Ivy issue. Rather, it's a set up for DC's line-wide Knight Terrors event. It has some entertaining interactions, but ultimately nothing happens. I hope Knight Terrors surprises and turns out amazing to make these story interruptions worth it. Score: 6/10

The rollercoaster of quality in this book continues. Issue 14 is more middle of the road. Ivy's been proving she can hold up a solo book pretty well, but bad side characters and subplots are bringing this book down.

I don't hate this series, I'm just very "meh about it. The positives that Wilson, Takara, and Prianto bring to the table in terms of their depiction of Ivy still stand. At the same time, there's nothing about this particular issue that I think I'm gonna remember.

I suppose the most positive thing I can say about Poison Ivy is that it's the best book on the stands right now in terms of having a cohesive story, for the most part, and in terms of having some artistic merit. But honestly, that's not a high bar. I wish that this series would pick up and live up to being one of the top selling DC books as it currently is.

Ivy's not entirely a BAD book. There are still some interesting threads to follow in terms of Ivy's individual character. The artwork is always top-notch. However, I can't help but feel DC has fallen very far if this is supposed to be the best that they can offer. It's just not enough for me.Score: 7/10

Suicide Squad: Get Joker winds up being a meaningless, forgettable tie-in to a movie that's over a half a year old. No offense to Brian Azzerello and all he's accomplished as a comic book writer, but this is a book that I can see overlooked and spending the rest of its days at comic shops and convention stands, unable to be sold.

This story has a good premise. It's a series that I would hope would be fun. However, it appears that this comic is just going to resort to bottom-of-the-barrel toilet and sex jokes to fill out its pages. In my opinion, this is the exact opposite of what the Harley Quinn character needs right now. However, I'm going to have to take this series for what it is going forward.