Next February, DC's Harley Quinn comic book series enters a new era with writer Joanne Starer (Dinner Date) and artist Lukas Ketner (Batman – Santa Claus: Silent Knight Returns).
Starer and Ketner will take Harley from Brooklyn to France in a new story that finds her living with two terrible roommates, travelling abroad with a forged Justice League ID, assembling an unlikely crew of super-powered individuals, and attempting the most Harley Quinn-esque caper imaginable: stealing the Mona Lisa from the Louvre. And as if that isn't enough trouble, an international cadre of assassins wants Harley's head.
Before Harley can take Paris, however, Harley Quinn #71 has some unfinished business closer to home, including haunting childhood memories, an adult bat mitzvah, and one very important question: If you invite Batman to a bat mitzvah, does he have to show up?
"At her core, Harley is basically a little kid who desperately wants love, attention, and approval," Starer said. "Sometimes she acts out, because even negative attention is attention. But deep down, she just wants someone to be proud of her."
Unsurprisingly, Harley's problems aren't confined to France. She stole something from the Eraser, and now he's out to erase her. The new story will also bring back longtime Harley ally Sy Borgman.
Starer explained, "In Paris, she's not a sidekick. She's not a girlfriend. She’s out to make a name for herself as an individual so the world will take her seriously. It's a new city, a new adventure, and a new storyline."
Harley will also get a new look beginning with Harley Quinn #72, designed by artist David Nakayama, who joins the series as the new main cover artist. Discussing Ketner work on the comic, Starer said, "Lukas isn’t just a phenomenal artist. Every page he turns in has extra jokes and surprises. Nothing I write is ever too absurd for him. He matches my level of weird, and then takes it up a notch."
It certainly sounds like an exciting new direction for the character, and one that comes amid uncertainty about Harley's big screen future. James Gunn recently said that he's unsure whether Margot Robbie's Harley is part of the DCU, but that may change following his ousting from DC Studios.
Harley Quinn #71 arrives on February 24, written by Joanne Starer with art by Lukas Ketner and Dave McCaig and a main cover by David Nakayama. It will also feature variant covers by Yona, Nimit Malavia, and Khary Randolph.
You can take a closer look at these variants, Ketner's artwork from the new run, and Harley's new look below.