Harleen by Stjepan Sejic was a fantastic Harley Quinn origin story. The approach was a romance novel gone wrong, and it works really well. Harleen managed to balance all four drama, action, romance, and comedy very evenly. The character of Harley generally wants to do good and help people, the Joker manipulates her feelings, but did she really change the Joker and make him care for him? Is the question, Batman and Alfred actually discuss it at the end. Harley does have layers to her character, and they are explored here. Harleen is written and drawn by Stjepan Sejic, with both done beautifully. The Joker and Harley have never loved better, the Joker is a little bit EMO which did take a second to get used to. Harleen is up for best graphic novel in Goodreads choice awards, and after reading it, it has my vote. Harleen collects 3 double issues of Harleen that was produced on DC Comics Black Label making it not part of continuity of the DC Universe.

The Plot: Harleen has just proposed a new study dealing with criminals lack of empathy if it can be restarted or is it gone forever. Harleen’s study will have her interview criminals and the police. She’s pretty sure it failed she has no career, and no love life. Her friend Shondra says it is in the stars that she will meet a tall dark and handsome man. Seconds later a police car slams into the side of the building chasing the Joker and goons who are well armed, on their escape they pass Harleen who shakes in fear, he puts a gun to her head, and gets into the vehicle, saying she’s going to dream about me. She watches as Batman stops him and beats him as the crowd cheers on. Harleen research is picked up by the Wayne foundation, and she starts with interviewing criminals, she purposefully avoids the Joker until she had to. The first interview he knows exactly where they met. She ask him, why didn’t you just shoot me that night? He says there are two response I love getting absolute terror and a genuine smile, I thought I would like to see her smile. This starts a romance that will change Harleen’s life.

What I Liked: The seriousness this novel takes, it shows how the reader could get charmed by this guy. I like that it shows their relationship as not being so one sided. The Joker will probably never admit it but he has feelings for her as well. I love the fantasy that Harleen has about the Joker with her as Alice and Joker as the Cheshire cat, all because she was reading the Mad Hatter’s case file. This book acknowledges the three Jokers storyline that just got explored a month ago. The romance was plausible and never went into cheesy. I liked the really colorful dream sequences. I liked the duality not between just Harley and the Joker, but Harleen and Harvey Dent, who both have similar storylines to how they tired to be good, but end up going bad. The finale was great super action packed and emotional. I like that we have a self aware Harley Quinn narrate her story of the past. My favorite quote was about the smile, but my second favorite quote was, I said I wanted to heal your scars but here I am adding some of my own.

What I Disliked: Luscious Fox looked to white for a black man, I didn’t even know it was him until he was introduced. Harleen making Batman back down was just an okay scene, but he’s the world’s greatest detective, and he can’t tell she has changed with her words and action.

Recommendations: Harleen is a great book that adds to the Harley Quinn mythos. The book has action, humor, romance, and drama. If you are like be fascinated by the Joker and Harley Quinn relationship then this book is for you. If your just a fan of comic book art work the panels in tis book are breath taking and enhance the words of the story. I rated Harleen by Stjepan Sejic 5 out of 5 stars. I was not familiar with Sejic work before this but will actively seek his work out.