Harley and Ivy: Love on the Lam
2001
Don't let the title fool you... the characters are neither in love nor are they on the lam, at least, no moreso than usual.
Given Judd Winick's talent for hilarity in his own creation, The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius, I expect a riotous read from Harley & Ivy. Sadly, it was not to be found. Nor did I find much of an examination of the more touching or disturbing aspects of the Joker/Harley Quinn relationship. The art is fun, inventive and light, but I expected a lot more from this book, especially given the hefty cover price.
The Joker boots the ever-delusional Harley Quinn to the curb, so the peppy sidekick sets out to commit a crime that'll help her set things right with her puddin'. She plans the perfect scheme, but she needs help from her pal, the lovely environmental villain known as Poison Ivy. The pair aims to pilfer funds from an industrialist and expose his destructive schemes during a big bash, but the attendance of Bruce Wayne and Tim Drake could throw a wrench into their plans.
Chiodo's art captures the super-sweet tone of the story nicely, but it's primary purpose to present the title characters as sexy sirens. It's a Chiodo specialty, after all. The art is cheesecake, but it doesn't go too far with the sexuality, especially considering the simpler tone of the story. The painted colors are rich and textured as well.
To my surprise, Winick delivers a rather... ordinary story. The twisted nature of the Harley/Joker romance in Mad Love is nowhere to be found. The strength of character and search for independence we've seen in the past year in Harley Quinn is absent as well. Instead, we get a cutesy script that really doesn't delve into the characters at all.
Now, "ordinary" doesn't mean "bad," keep that in mind. Winick captures the innocence of Harley Quinn and the savvy and singlemindedness of Poison Ivy. He also has a little fun with Batman and Robin. At times, this story came off as a pastiche of the old Adam West Batman TV show.
Given Judd Winick's talent for hilarity in his own creation, The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius, I expect a riotous read from Harley & Ivy. Sadly, it was not to be found. Nor did I find much of an examination of the more touching or disturbing aspects of the Joker/Harley Quinn relationship. The art is fun, inventive and light, but I expected a lot more from this book, especially given the hefty cover price.
The Joker boots the ever-delusional Harley Quinn to the curb, so the peppy sidekick sets out to commit a crime that'll help her set things right with her puddin'. She plans the perfect scheme, but she needs help from her pal, the lovely environmental villain known as Poison Ivy. The pair aims to pilfer funds from an industrialist and expose his destructive schemes during a big bash, but the attendance of Bruce Wayne and Tim Drake could throw a wrench into their plans.
Chiodo's art captures the super-sweet tone of the story nicely, but it's primary purpose to present the title characters as sexy sirens. It's a Chiodo specialty, after all. The art is cheesecake, but it doesn't go too far with the sexuality, especially considering the simpler tone of the story. The painted colors are rich and textured as well.
To my surprise, Winick delivers a rather... ordinary story. The twisted nature of the Harley/Joker romance in Mad Love is nowhere to be found. The strength of character and search for independence we've seen in the past year in Harley Quinn is absent as well. Instead, we get a cutesy script that really doesn't delve into the characters at all.
Now, "ordinary" doesn't mean "bad," keep that in mind. Winick captures the innocence of Harley Quinn and the savvy and singlemindedness of Poison Ivy. He also has a little fun with Batman and Robin. At times, this story came off as a pastiche of the old Adam West Batman TV show.
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