Harley Quinn Invades Comic-Con International San Diego
Written by Amanda Connor & Jimmy Palmiotti
Art by Paul Pope, Javier Garron, Damion Scott, Robert Campanella, Amanda Connor, John Timms, Marco Failla, Dave Johnson, & Stephane Roux
Colors by Lovern Kindzierski, Paul Mounts, Brett Smith, & Dave McCaig
I lov-lov-loved this special issue of Harley Quinn. It is very much in line with what Connor and Palmiotti are doing in Harley Quinn proper, and contains much of the same kookiness you would find there. The roughly forty pages of content is filled with Harley wreaking havoc throughout the convention and features many incidents, events, and characters you might see at an actual show.
Personally, I have never been to San Diego Comic Con, but every year I make it out to Dragon Con in Atlanta. So many of the scenes in Harley Quinn ICCISD are ones I recognize, and it felt like I was witnessing Harley’s antics first hand. There are a ton of jabs and japes in both the art and story that poke fun at some of the various stereotypical con-goers as well as many DC creators.
There are an incredible number of in-jokes throughout the pages, and it just adds incentive for multiple read-throughs of the issue. If this sort of meta-commentary and semi-4th wall cracking is something that does not sit well with you, then you might want to stay away. I for one love it, so every page was a blast. Re-reading the issue now is like a convention exclusive edition of a Where’s Waldo? book.
There are a lot of artists doing art in this book, and I can understand that given the size of the issue. There were a few pages I was not entirely a fan of, but overall the art was fun. Each artist brings something a little different to the table. The multiple artist kind of works for this issue, as it makes the issue a sort of mini-Artist Alley, and (no spoilers) really fits in with the core of the story being told here.
The Verdict
Harley Quinn Invades Comic-Con International San Diego may not be everyone’s cup of tea. BUT if you are a con-goer looking for a huge issue of fun, and some meta-ness of awesome-ness, then you should forego dropping five bucks on a burger for lunch today, and feed off of this juicy nougat of whack topped with a light powdering of charm and insanity. In other words, BUY the damn book!
