Harley Quinn #12 is written by Stephanie Phillips, drawn by Riley Rossmo, colored by Ivan Plascencia, and lettered by AndWorld Design. This issue is part two of the Bad Math arc. 

Harley Quinn #11 left off with Harley on a train speeding towards downtown Gotham, and Kevin is tied to the tracks. And the train is carrying a bomb. It’s all part of Keepsake’s elaborate plan to kill Harley. At the start of Harley Quinn #12, not much has changed except that now, she’s also handcuffed to the train. Harley thinks about how various other heroes, including Superman, Batman, and even Aquaman, would solve such an impossible equation. Unfortunately, Harley doesn’t have superhuman strength, the ability to talk to sea creatures or any of the gadgets Batman has. But there hasn’t been any situation Keepsake has put her in yet that she can’t get out of. 

Though she’s been fighting to help Gotham, Harley’s reputation as a villain still hangs over her head, and if she’s not careful, she could lose everything. Though she’s narrowly avoided disaster thus far, Keepsake isn’t the only one with a desire to take her down. But on the flip side, Kevin isn’t the only new friend Harley’s made who wants to help her out. The relationships Harley is forming with other heroes and former Joker henchmen alike gives her allies in unlikely places and people that will come to her aid. So while Harley is solving the train problem, members of the support group she created go after Keepsake.  

Harley Quinn #12 has good pacing, balancing Harley’s train adventure with the support group’s fight with Keepsake and his robots. The pacing of the story within the larger plot is also well done. There’s a conflict and a resolution, but there are still plenty of obstacles left. 

The balance between Harley’s internal development and her relationship development makes this series so enjoyable. The more connections she makes, the more perspective she gains into herself, and the more she cares about her new goal of being a hero. And it makes her a much more interesting character by giving her depth and motivation, by putting her in situations where she has to think in-depth about what choices she makes and how they’ll affect her friends and Gotham at large. Now that she’s a hero, she cares about the consequences of her actions. Villains can be selfish and put themselves first all the time, every time; but heroes must often be selfless, even if that means being self-sacrificing. 

Harley Quinn has had a trend of using creative page layouts and panel placement, and Harley Quinn #12 is no different. One particular page that really sticks out uses a series of diamond-shaped panels, showcasing Harley’s expressions as she brainstorms solutions for her train problem. On another page, arrow-shaped speech bubbles point towards the bomb. These details keep the story visually interesting.

Harley Quinn #12 wraps up loose threads while building intrigue for what’s coming next for Harley and her friends. This issue is a stellar entry in a run that keeps getting better.

GRADE: A+