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Harley Quinn: The Animated Series - The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour Vol. 1
- Writer:
- Tee Franklin
- Artist:
- Max Sarin
- Cover Artist:
- Max Sarin
- Publisher:
- DC
- Price:
- $24.99
- Release Date:
- 2022-08-30
- Colorist:
- Marissa Louise
There is no denying that Harley Quinn's animated series on HBO Max has been a smash hit, and the same can be said for the spin-off comics. Tee Franklin, Max Sarin, Erich Owen, Marissa Louise, and Taylor Esposito came together in 2021 to tell the story of what Harley and Ivy were up to after the two abandoned Ivy's failed wedding and professed their love for each other another to kick off the Harley Quinn the Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour.
Now Harley Quinn the Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour has been collected in a hardcover edition. So readers who didn't get a chance to read the series while it was beins serialized can finally see exactly what Harley and Ivy were up to after Season 2. For fans who already read the single issues, it's still fun to revisit Harley, Ivy and co. in this collected edition, especially now that Season 3 is finally available.
When this was coming out in single issues, Harley Quinn the Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour was a fun read with lots of heart, and revisiting it in its hardcover form still proves to be enjoyable. Franklin writes a fun and realistic love story with a lot of bumps along the way. But the roadblocks show readers how far Harley has come since her last relationship and what Ivy needs to work on. These are two fan-favorite characters in a fan-favorite relationship, and Franklin delivers a new chapter for them that feels real, imperfect, and full of love.
Harley Quinn the Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour Volume 1 is unapologetically queer. Franklin, who authored Bingo Love, does it again by highlighting the queer joy between Harley and Ivy, as well as several other characters. There is conflict, and the two have things to work through, but that doesn't take away from the love they feel for one another and underscores how much they care for each other. The themes about LGBTQ+ people having each other's backs are loud and clear, which makes it easy for fans to root for the heroes. This is exactly the kind of love story Harley and Ivy deserve, as it's full of heart, humor, and sexy hijinks.
Ivy, in particular, is the star of Harley Quinn the Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour. Her vulnerabilities are put on full display. Her issues go well beyond just what happened on her wedding day, and the comic takes time to address this trauma, validating the importance of mental health and tackling one of Harley's past as a psychiatrist. Anytime a story about Harley brings us back to mental health and her work in that field, it is a treat, and Harley Quinn the Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour does just that, this time, giving us a new look into what Ivy is going through.
One thing that cannot be ignored with Harley Quinn the Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour is the art. It is a huge task to create a spinoff comic based on a cartoon, as it has its own established style. Luckily, Sarin, Owen, and Louise deliver a style that captures the style of the show while still being its own charming thing. Sarin illustrates the characters with hyper-expressive faces, which leans into the animated nature of the series and goes even broader. The moments that explore Harley and Ivy's attraction to one another are particularly striking. Their love and lust are palpable, thanks to the art.
Harley Quinn the Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour is a fun book with so many visual gags and Easter eggs. It captures the cute chaos of this couple in an endearing way that makes the reader want to reread the book multiple times. Their art also complements Franklin's writing, as the team blends heart, humor, horniness, and heroic action.
Harley Quinn the Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour is a must-have for fans of the show and Harley. It's one of the most fun rom-coms to come out of DC in recent years, and it is one of the best Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy stories to date. Franklin, Sarin, Owen, Louise, and Esposito are an unbeatable team.