It’s a much quicker read than I’d like, which is the nature of a licensed title. Even a circularly licensed one like Harley Quinn: The Animated Series. It’s following the source media’s plotting. The issue amounts to about a seven-minute segment of TV; between commercial breaks. Harley and Ivy get to Selina’s, with Gordon in hot pursuit, and unintentionally wreak havoc.
They’re stopping by Selina’s to drop off Harley’s hyenas; Harley hasn’t asked Selina for that favor yet, which kicks off a brief discussion of Harley’s impulsiveness and lack of respect for boundaries. It seems to be weighing on Ivy enough she remarks on it, but there’s no real character development on it, though Ivy does get the most narration. Writer Tee Franklin uses most of the narration asides as punchlines—for Gordon, Batman—but Ivy gets more. She’s still the series’s de facto protagonist, with Harley, the agent of chaos, moving her along this journey.
There’s some really fun stuff and some really funny stuff. Franklin and artist Max Sarin have excellent comic timing. Sarin’s action timing could use some work, however. There’s a big action sequence to finish the issue, and it’s either rushed or confusing.
Franklin’s also making Gordon so dangerous—getting his men killed and civilians injured—it’s stifling his comic potential. However, Batman’s still good for a smile or two, especially when Selina’s giving him shit.
Eat. Bang! Kill. is still entertaining, but this issue feels like filler. There’s no reason to stop at Selina’s other than to do a Selina cameo, which doesn’t seem to add anything to the series. Worse, it delays the road trip starting, so the book hasn’t been able to work up any momentum. Hopefully, the road’s smoother next issue.
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