Harley and Ivy

Hey Everyone, B@girl here. We’re going to shift moods a little and focus on a funnier comic.

Today I will be reviewing one of my personal favorites: Harley and Ivy

It’s a nice, simple, light-hearted comic to break up the dark and brooding mood that Batman comics can create.

Harley and Ivy is composed of several short stories starring the works of my two personal all time favorites; Paul Dini and Bruce Timm.

The first story, The Bet, is only a few pages long, but you will remember it for years to come. It is the simple story of our two main characters making a bet that Ivy can kiss every single man in Arkham Asylum. At the very bottom of each page in the story there are several wordless frames of Batman beating the snot out of the Joker, simple, but it plays a part when Ivy wins the bet by kissing all the men in the jail except Joker who was dragged in by Batman. Batman only has one line, but it is a golden one. So Ivy tries to kiss the Joker, but it seems that Ivy can’t kiss him because she is put off by his talk of missing his “poopie-kins.” However Dini always has to end with a funny moment, so we find out just what Harley had up her sleeve.

Story two is called Love on the Lamb. The art leaves much to be desired, but the story is well written if a bit predictable. Joker and two-Face art trying to steal the same artifacts from a museum and Harley makes them compromise. On the way home, Joker tells Harley that she needs to earn her own money and throws her out of the car. Harley runs to Ivy to help her pull off a scheme to get back in “Joker’s good graces” as Ivy so aptly put it. So they sneak into a party that Bruce and Tim are attending to transfer the host’s profits into their overseas accounts, at least that is until they figure out that Harley messed up the bomb and is now teaming up with Batman to try and get all the people out. They succeed of course and both the girls’ bank accounts are filled to the brim. Harley goes back to the Joker only to be kicked out again. It may be predictable, but it is a refreshing change of view into the lives of Harley and Joker…and their messed up romance.

The third story, and my favorite, is Bosom Buddies which is written by Paul Dini and illustrated by Bruce Timm. The story begins with Ivy and Harley scaling a skyscraper to break in so that they can get a plant called “Zombie Root” that can turn people into slaves. Batman gives chase and in order to get rid of him, Harley throws the plant at his head losing it in the process. Needless to say, Ivy is a little pissed off.

It shows them two weeks later in Arkham Asylum with some of the funniest pages of Batman comics ever drawn. It is page after page of Ivy dreaming up Harleys demise; including Explosion, hanging, and the good ol’ guillotine.

Oh, and there is a shower scene in there too, just for kicks. Of course Ivy is quickly hauled away by the guards for attempting to kill Harley.

Eventually, Ivy breaks out, but she forgets Harley. Okay,

so she didn’t really “forget” Harley, but can you really blame her?

The next day we find Ivy on the deck of a large cruise ship ready to launch. She is taking in the scene only to find Harley on the dock waiting for Ivy to help her aboard, which she does, kind of.

Part 2 of Bosom Buddies called Jungle Fever is not quite as amazing as the first part, but it does have its moments.

Our girls head out to Costa Verde to get a new Zombie Root and win an audience with the President himself. It’s not as glamorous as it sounds, we do however get to see some butt kicking. After a kiss, the girls head out to the jungle to get the root only to be met with a pair of men ordered to burn down the surrounding area. After a few fights they manage to make their way out, but not before having one last conversation with the President.

The last story in this wonderful trade paperback, Hooray for Harleywood, is probably one you should read first. Unfortunately it is not a great or original story to end the book on. The plot is a simple one; the girls try a new mind control device in Hollywood. However it just so happens that the people controlled are the ones in charge of the new “Harley and Ivy” movie. The script doesn’t do the women justice so Harley has to fix it, of course, and gets sucked in to the alluring role of director where she gets all-to-easily- carried away. The story, for everything it lacks, does end on a cute note however, when Harley wins an Oscar.

Overall, this comic gets a 4.5/5. Yes, it has its flaws, but they are made up for by the sheer greatness of the comic.

NEXT WEEK: Hopefully next week I will be reviewing one of my favorite Scarecrow stories; Year One: Batman Scarecrow

Unfortunately I have to wait for the second book to be mailed to me since I lost it somewhere I the move to my last home.

Hello again readers, B@tgirl here. Sorry I missed Sunday; I’ll be honest, it was my husband’s birthday and I completely forgot. However I am updating today for two reasons: 1- I loathe to let you down and 2- I’m terrified that Kspaz will hit me in the face with a 2x4 should I miss a post. I hate splinters. So here we go; my review of (duh duh dunnnnn)

Batman: Terror

(Spoilers as usual, also foul language)

The beginning starts out thrilling enough as we watch “Batman” kill a man in his sleep and draw a bloody bat upon the wall. At this point I openly let out a “What the fuck?!” only to turn the page and find out that it was Dr. Strange. Maybe the whole dressing like the Bat thing has been done before, but this felt somehow original and far more terrifying and I was excited as to what would happen.

My main problem with the comic was Jonathan Crane, now don’t get me wrong, he is one of my favorite villains, but his character was a very weak one in this comic. His mind is completely broken in the Arkham cell when Dr. Strange tries to rehab him into evil again, all the while slowly stocking him up on straw, and while this is interesting, I as a Scarecrow fan am not buying it. One of the wonderful things (I use wonderful as a loose term here) about the best villains of the Batman universe is that they are secure in their Psychopathic ideals, they do not wane in their shared hatred of Batman, just as they do not ebb in their psychotic delusions of righteousness and self importance. This is one of the things I love most about the portrayal of the villains, the realistic way in which they are presented as pure psychos. So you can see why I am upset with the fact that they depicted the Scarecrow as a simpering school girl ready to follow the orders of Dr. Strange. But back to the story…

Scarecrow breaks out with Dr. Strange’s help and we get a glimpse of what made Jonathan Crane become the Scarecrow, and while not my favorite, it serves it purpose. Strange inhabits the house of the stranger he killed all the while Scarecrow is biding his time by placing traps around the house.

Meanwhile we find that Dr. Strange has not only broken into Wayne Manor, but has tied Alfred to a chair and left a message for Batman in the dummy or Strange’s likeness. A little bit hard to believe since we have seen Alfred kick ass many times, even in the early days of Batman, but whatever.

Later in the house we find that Scarecrow has not only attacked Strange in his sleep, he has drugged him, given chase and lead him to his doom as Strange is impaled upon a weathervane, left to die a slow painful death. Now that’s the Scarecrow I know and love! So Scarecrow takes the house and Strange is out of the picture, which is just as well because at this point in the story it is getting a bit confusing and hard to keep up with.

It is halfway through the comic and as the reader; I’m not entirely sure where this comic is going to end up, since Strange is dead. So you can imagine my wonder when Scarecrow captures Catwoman and blackmails her with photos of her demasking all to get her to bring him Batman. I personally don’t think he would have had to go through all of that trouble had he simply played his cards right, but whatever. So Catwoman leads him into an alley way as Scarecrow beheads a man, who is hung upside-down and dosed with fear toxin, with a scythe. Have I mentioned how much I love Scarecrow? Anyway, plot ensues as Catwoman and Batman temporarily team up to bring down Scarecrow, in a few days time. Meanwhile we get the rare treat of seeing Bruce visit his parent’s graves, looking just a little too eighties for my comfort, especially seeing as this was written in 2001. But enough complaining. We cut to the storyline of Scarecrow torturing two victims, victims who turn out to be some of the bullies we saw in his flashback earlier in the comic. I can’t say that I saw this coming because I was hoping for something a bit more left field, as this rest of the comic has proven to be. From here on out the comic becomes a slope of sheer predictability. Batman and Catwoman arrive; Batman tries to save the bullies while accidently falling into the pit where Strange is, dragging Scarecrow along with him and the prisoners, Catwoman is off burning the photos of her face. A little bending of the rules of Physics and Batman and everyone else escape in an explosion, along with a strangely alive…Strange. Unfortunately he was washed away into the lake surrounding the house so, yet again, no one is sure if he is alive or dead. Sigh. The comic ends with a predicable dialogue, filled with sexual tension of course, between our main character and Catwoman, and one last witty remark.

Overall the Comic wasn’t bad. I’ve read worse, but I have also read better. I was really taken in by the complex, yet sometimes confusing, plot of the first half but unfortunately the second half did not live up to the expectations and hopes that the first half had readied me for. Batman: Terror gets about a 3/5.