Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica No. 1
Writers Marc Andreyko and Paul Dini; Artist Laura Braga Review by Krystal Moore, Great Escape Louisville
Betty and Veronica appear in Archie Comics in various incarnations. In this book, theyre snarky mean girls taking every chance to belittle or embarrass the other. When theyre both on the guest list of the same charity costume gala with the theme Villains and Heroes, they find themselves needing to call a truce in order to get suitable costumes because theyve waited until the last minute.
The other dynamic duo in this book, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, are laying low because they seem to have gotten on the hit list of every bad guy, thug or ex employer they know. However, when Ivy sees that Mr. Lodge (Veronicas wealthy father) has bought pristine swampland that had been set aside as a nature reserve to develop it into a free college with lots of shopping, eating and other ways to part folks with their money, shes livid and decides she and Harley have to intervene.
When both pairs end up at the same party with the same outfits, the game is on!
This was a fun book written by Paul Dini and Marc Andreyko with beautiful artwork drawn by Laura Braga and a stand out cover by the always amazing Adam Hughes. I cant wait for issue No. 2 to see what craziness will ensue when these two pairs tangle!
Batman: White Knight
Writer and artist Sean Gordon Murphy Review by Meredith Harris, Great Escape Louisville
This new miniseries, Batman: White Knight is set in a world where the Joker is cured of his insanity and homicidal tendencies, is now going by the name Jack Napier, and is seeking to right his past wrongs. His main goal is to save the city from its greatest villain: Batman.
Sean Gordon Murphy is pulling double duty on this book, doing both writing and art. He does a phenomenal job in both roles, though most of issue No. 1 is largely spent laying the groundwork for the story as a whole. It is very much a first issue, like a pilot episode of a TV series, but its a damn good one, exploring the facets of the ever-complicated relationship of Batman and the Joker. The Joker is a hard sell, for me, as a character who interests me, so that alone makes this worth a pat on the back for Murphy.
Murphys art is nothing short of stunning. Every single panel is brimming with incredible detail, some pages packed with so many Easter eggs to past Batman mythos (especially Tim Burtons Batman) that you would easily miss at first, maybe even second, glance.
Whenever a creator illustrates their own script, its impressive. Its even more impressive when both the writing and the art are so solid, as is the case with White Knight. The groundwork has been laid, and its time to buckle up, folks, because this book going to be one crazy ride.
This article appears in November 1, 2017.