Absolute Batman #22 is promising to deliver the origin of Harley Quinn. Up to this point Harley Quinn has been a minor supporting character. Even as she has been elevated into a more consistent role in the supporting cast she only appears in a handful of panels per appearance. Getting time dedicated to her origin is interesting timing given what Absolute Bruce Wayne found out about Jack Grimm in the previous issue. How will Absolute Harley Quinn’s origin play into the greater narrative of the series? Let’s find out with Absolute Batman #22.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Werther Dell’Edera
Colorist: Frank Martin
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #22 SOLICITATION
“THE ORIGIN OF HARLEY QUINN! As the Robins nest in Gotham’s backyard, and Batman faces ultimate defeat, Harley Quinn’s origin is revealed. How does Harley connect with Ark M, and how did the Robins fledge from hatchlings to birds of prey? The call of more than one predator will be answered in this issue.” – DC Comics
REVIEW
Absolute Batman #22 lives up to what it promised with the origin of Harley Quinn. Not only that but it did so in a way that showcases what makes the Absolute Universe special. Scott Snyder and Werther Dell’Edera do that by utilizing Absolute Harley Quinn’s origin story to enhance the greater story that is going on in this series.
It is in how Absolute Harley Quinn’s origin works into further expanding Jack Grimm’s role that made Absolute Batman #22 special. Snyder did a great job at make sure he timed the switch between Harley’s origin and the present day. Harley’s origin does a lot to inform why she reacts to Absolute Batman’s decisions as they are hunted by the Absolute Robins.
What’s particularly fascinating is how she is so easily able to see through Absolute Batman’s cape and cowl. It is not that she knows that Bruce has completely been thrown off his game. She sees all the signs she saw in her mother when she went from a supportive mother to being the corrupted by Jack Grimm to become Doctor Arkham.
This is understandably personal for Harley when seeing this in Bruce after we learn that Jack Grimm is likely her father. This is such a great twist to the narrative for Harley Quinn’s character. It further ties her into the greater narrative of how Jack Grimm seemingly has his hands in the entire origin of Gotham City’s current state.
As a reader you see things from Harley’s perspective because of this. All the choices Bruce makes as Absolute Batman feel more unhinged. It is not just that he is taking extreme measures like we’ve seen in different takes on the character. What he learned about how Jack Grimm basically made Batman shake him. And the final page with learning that his father is possibly alive is the cherry on top of how broken Bruce is now.
The Absolute Robins hunting both Bruce and Harley throughout this issue continued to help progress their subplot. While they are obviously fully bought into the role Absolute Deathstroke and Joker gave them we see that they all have different ideas of methods. The dynamic between all of them emphasizes what they each bring to the table. There seems to be the door open for some to serve different roles in the future based on how things evolve.
Werther Dell’Edera artwork does a lot to help tell Absolute Harley Quinn’s narrative throughout Absolute Batman #22. The artwork is certainly at its best with how he adjusts make Harley’s origins feel like a flashback. It is the present-day scenes where the lack of consistency hurts the momentum of the story. There are many panels that feel unfinished with how they lack detail. The lack of detail shows up in several conversation heavy scenes and in action sequences. It doesn’t ruin the story but certainly makes this not hit on the level that we’ve come to expect from the series.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Absolute Batman #22 delivers a fascinating narrative around Absolute Harley Quinn’s origin. Her origin story does a lot to enhance what we recently learned about Absolute Joker and the current state of mind of Absolute Batman. It is all capped off by yet another game changing development at the end that further hooks you into wanting to find out what happens next as soon as possible.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 7.5 Night Girls out of 10
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