Harleen has just been killed on her own boat. Naturally, she’s more than a little bit upset about that. Somebody is going to pay for having killed her. She wasn’t afraid to do some pretty nasty things before she died. Now that she’s reanimated, there’s no telling. It’s the debut of a whole new chapter in the life of everyone’s favorite clown girl in Harley Quinn #22. Writer Stephanie Phillips opens a very intriguing new story that swiftly moves across the page under the power of visuals by artists Matteo Lolli and David Baldeón. Color comes to the page courtesy of Rain Beredo.

Harley made a lot of money for a dangerous job off-planet. Now she’s spending the money the way one might expect from someone of Harley’s energy. Some of that money has gone into buying a ferry. She’s not alone on the boat. She’s got a human friend named Kevin who is really concerned about her. She’s got a pet parasitic alien named Perry, who she’s decided to dress as a cat. Everything seems perfectly fine until she’s killed. Kevin takes it upon himself to seek out those who watch over the Lazarus Pit. He wants his only friend back and is not afraid to lose his own in the process.

Phillips has a deft grasp on the story of Harley’s death in a way that should lead quite well into subsequent chapters. The cover reveals that she’s dead. The first few issues have Kevin rolling through the snowy wastes before confronting the League of Assassins. Then there’s the flashback revealing why he’s risking his life in the first place. Phillips’ characterization of Harley is the perfect blend of unstable and overwhelmingly charming. Kevin feels like a heroic friend. Even Perry comes across as being distinct and distinctly charming as a little blood-thirsty alien parasite. It’s all so warm and fuzzy on an emotional level while still managing to maintain a sense of pulpy, intrepid adventure. 

Lolli and Baldeón are given quite a lot in the first chapter of the new story. There’s a real challenge in establishing a story like this which opens with the dead body of Harley right on the cover. It’s all rendered with a very clever visual storytelling style. From remote snowy mountains to a summery dock and back, the art team brings together an intrepid adventure with deep atmosphere courtesy of the color brought to the page by Beredo. Lolli and Baldeón manage to make a truly alien-looking parasitic organism look cute and comic. 

A revenant Harley is a really clever idea. All too often, the dead are given a humorlessness. Harley has seen death. That can’t be easy, but she wouldn’t be Harley if she didn’t come back from it with a clear sense of humor. There’s every indicator that she’s going to be just as weird and whimsical having been through the Lazarus Pit. Phillips and company have their work cut out for them. This should be fun.

Grade: A