Harleen

This work was done by Stjepan Sejic. To be honest, I can’t see if he was the writer or the artist. All I will say is that the writing and the wonderful artwork are in total harmony. Is it dark and sinister? Yes, very well done for the type of graphic presentation that I like. I was complaining about the comic book concerning three villainous sirens of Gotham City the other day. I was having a minor rant about it being to clean cut. A bit too fluffy bunny – sugar and spicey type of things. I went on to say that I like most of these stories to be dark and sinister. HARLEEN – the new graphic novel is all of this. I unpacked the item and thought to browse through it. As we do when getting such things. I found myself completely hooked straight away. The reader is shown a 30-year-old Doctor Harleen Quinzel. She is a clean cut and well-intentioned young lady. A psychiatrist/criminologist and probably other types of ologist all packed in. She has a revolutionary theory that may help the criminally insane. She gets a grant from the Wayne foundation. With enthusiasm, Doctor Quinzel sets off to Arkham Asylum where there is an abundance of super villains for her to psychoanalyse. We have an Agent Starling to Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs) setting. That is where the conversion is going to happen as the Joker completely turns the tables on our professional young enthusiastic doctor. I thought the graphic novel was an absolute peach. (I know I keep using that tired old platitude.) But for me, this new graphic novel is now one of my favourite stories. Alongside The Watchmen, and Arkham Asylum. This is a superb story. If you have not done this one yet, please do. We all know that this is a genesis of super villainess Harley Quinn.

Far and away the most compelling exploration of Dr Harleen Quinzel ever committed to paper. I have enjoyed many other examples of Stjepan Sejic's work. And so I was overjoyed to see that he had turned his hand to an official treatment of Harley Quinn. The thorough delving into the psyche of Harleen is second to none. Rather than dismissing her as some author's do, or playing into her more psychotic of elements Stjepan shows us the slow insidious allure that Harleen feels for her patient as she is slowly pulled further and further along the path to transforming from Dr Harleen Quinzel to the infamous Harley Quinn. Sejic refuses to glamourise the mental illness of Quinzel or indeed of the manipulative efforts of The Joker unlike some other explorations of the character. This insitead shows a compelling and engaging slip of a perfectly rational woman into a killer who is manipulated by a very intelligent and masterful manipulator. The horror of her actions is not totally lost on Dr Quinzel either. She spends great lengths of times examining her actions and despairing for her future. But this isn't sombre and morose in a self-congratulatory way. It doesn't wallow but expands upon the deep psychology that lies behind the story we've seen play out so many times before. I genuinely feel this is perhaps one of the most definitive representations of the early days of the transformation of Dr Harleen Quizel and her complex relationship with the Joker. Also, the artwork is absolutely second to none. It is like looking at an oil painting. Simply sublime.

EXCELLENT QUALITY LIKE NEW INDEED. This is the best Harley Quinn story, and I'm so glad to have gotten it for nearly half the original price.

I admit, I'm absolutely blown away by Stjepan Sejic's art since I saw his run in Rat Queens. The art is beautiful and Harleen's fall is a lot more believable from previous attempts. There is a running theme of madness and degrees of madness that permeate the everyday. The inclusion of Harvey Dent and the executioners helped create this unstoppable downward slide. Previous stories centre more on Joker and Batman but Batman is barely on the outskirts, only on stage once or twice. Joker is presented as a romantic monster and it makes you feel as if the narration is unreliable, like we're seeing him through her eyes. A couple of things stick out from the story; the first is the idea that Joker does actually love Harley, but what he considers 'love' is far more abusive and violent - so in his mind, he's not doing anything wrong (to be clear, he really, really is wrong), that's just what 'people in love' do. The second thing is that for the entirety of the book, everyone gets her name wrong, except Commissioner Gordon and Batman. Even Joker shortens it to Quinn. I'm rambling but this book is really good. Brilliant art, great storytelling.

It's very rare I give a book a five star rating, but this one is brilliant and totally deserves it. For me, this is an absolutely ace book from the tips of it's toes to the top of its spine. Now along with many people, I do have a bit of a problem with Harley Quinn. I like the character (especially when she became a more singular entity in the comic world) but there is the matter of her relationship with The Joker and her constant over sexualisation. I mean in the Suicide Squad, M. R. made the character stand out but I was constantly face planting every time we got another shot of Harley's arse. Thank god that misdemeanor of a film got rectified. Anyway, I go off topic. That one has been brewing for years. However, with this comic things do get put into perspective. Sejic does not shy away from the fact that Harleen is manipulated from the start by the joker. I think as well , not only does it show The jokers manipulation of her, but also society's manipulation of her in the way that she is constantly alienated by those around her The comic explores the fragile psychological state of Harleen before she completely disassociates from her old life to become the character that she becomes. I like as well, that this is Harley's narrative, her voice telling the story, looking at the events leading up to her demise as though it's been told in a psychiatric interview. Moving on to the artwork. Oh my goodness, this is just brilliant. I mean we all know how it ends up, but the art is constantly giving portents to her fate, using shadows and reflections as glimpses of the future. Harley herself is portrayed as a woman, not the cartoon extreme of boobs and bottom that she is usually depicted as. I mean, I was showing this to my daughter who is terribly arty and picking out particular panels and going look at that one, look at that one. The Joker is drawn well as well. I am not sure, but it seems to me that it is from Harley's point of view and how her view of him changes, transforming from a monster to almost angelic. Instead of him been the misshapen monster that he is usually drawn as, in this comic, he is one handsome fella. I mean he really is. Do you know, I am going to have to stop now I could go on and on about this all day. All I can say, this is an ace comic and deserves to be put up there as one of the best comics, ever!.

There is no padding to protect the book during delivery resulting in it being damaged at the corners with a larger dent in the side of the cover which is pretty disappointing. In terms of the story itself, I found it really enjoyable and am a big fan of the art.

Unfortunately I'm not at all familiar with Mr Šejić's other work but I just picked this up as a big DC fan hoping for an interesting exploration of Harley Quinn's origins at the very least. The cover art was striking and I knew being part of the DC Black Label series that it would have a maturity and an edge to it that I like. In the wrong hands it could have easily backfired, but Mr Šejić has lovingly crafted the definitive Harley Quinn origin story here. Dark, engrossing and tinged with tragedy, here we see how the well-meaning psychiatrist Dr Harleen Quinzel slowly becomes twisted and eventually entangled in Joker's dark and seductive web. Their toxic relationship could have easily come off as ham-fisted but here it's grounded and intelligently woven. Backed up with some really sharp writing and striking, surreal imagery, you feel you are being pulled in with her into the heart of madness. Without spoiling too much it also features the origin of another of Batman's villains and The Caped Crusader himself makes a brief appearance too. But this is her story, a cautionary tale of the death of empathy in the face of the unrelenting madness and chaos that surrounds her that by the end she hope's she can still turn around but we know how it ends. Here is how it began.

So I've just finished what has to be my now favourite graphic novel. HARLEEN, a more mature retelling of the origins of Harley Quinn. Harley has always had a special place in my heart since day one of her debut on Batman: The Animated Series. With a lot of the inspiration being taken from the 'Mad Love' story, this Black Label DC edition by Stjepan Sejic hits every nail. I loved this story so much that I refused to finish it in one sitting and spanned a few pages across the last few nights. Sejic's attention to detail is sensational and the level of heart put into the characters shines through out. I enjoyed this version so much that I would even go as far as to point to this as the defining origin story to Harley Quinn. At times I sat back and thought to myself 'it would be cool if the story goes..this direction'.. then 3 pages in, Sejic would see my idea, spit on it, and provide something that would blow my mind. Harley has had a bumpy road with her comics over the years and have always felt like something I would force myself to read just because its Harley. Now finally we have something that is cut like a diamond. I hope he continues to release more stories with Harley, as he teases some storyboards with the only other woman that means just as much to me as Harley, her true partner in crime.. Poison Ivy.

Son derece hızlı ve iyi paketlenmiş halde geldi.Herhangi bir hasar yoktu.Mükemmel.

You already know the entire story of the book from the very first page, if not the product description, and yet the book manages to deliver one of DC's best stories yet. Comprised of three smaller books, the plot explores a twisted and abusive relationship between the two main characters and is entirely narrated from Harley's POV. This could honestly be recreated into a dark, Joker (2019) style movie; wish DC explored this side of Harley more, rather than jumping to her lunacy. A nice little touch was how almost every major DC character appears, or is mentioned, at least once in the book. The artwork is PHENOMENAL. It doesn't try to be realistic and yet manages to make every single character and scene feel real. I've only finished reading the comic once, and some of those scenes are already ingrained in my head because they were depicted so well, especially the ones where an entire page, or two pages are used for just one panel. I surprisingly received the comic in good condition, but note that if you're ordering this in India you won't get the transparent jacket that international reviewers are talking about.

Absolute masterpiece! Story and art are just perfect! If not the best, it definitely is one of the top 3 graphic novels I own. Must buy!

Harleen is one of the best graphic novels I’ve read. Instead of relying on nonstop action, it takes its time exploring Dr. Harleen Quinzel’s psychology and the choices that gradually change her life. The story feels mature, compelling, and character-driven, offering a fresh perspective while staying true to the core of the character. The artwork is absolutely stunning. Every page is packed with detail, expressive emotions, and cinematic panel layouts that make the story even more immersive. The coloring and visual storytelling elevate the experience from beginning to end. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Harley Quinn or simply enjoy well-crafted graphic novels, Harleen is an easy recommendation. It’s an emotional, beautifully illustrated, and unforgettable read that deserves a place in any comic collection.

Recién llegada a casa, apenas hace unos minutos, y un día antes de la fecha señalada por Amazon. Excelente servicio. La edición en sí es muy bonita, con una encuadernación preciosa. Un deleite para la vista y, por lo poco que he ido viendo, con una calidad de dibujo impresionante. Eso sí, quiero valorar sobre todo el trabajo del repartidor. Con los tiempos que corren, con todo esto del covid-19, es normal tener miedo al contagio y que se haya terminado el reparto directo a la puerta de casa. Con todo y con esas, el repartidor ha tenido la amabilidad de esperar abajo, en el portal, vigiliando el paquete hasta que lo hemos recogido, y se agradece mucho. ¡Un aplauso para gente como él, y mucho ánimo en su día a día! Hoy más que nunca queda claro lo fundamentales que sois los mensajeros en nuestra sociedad.