Precinct1313 Recommends: Harley Quinn And The Birds Of Prey #1

Welcome fellow fans of fantastic fiction to an eclectic, eccentric and exceedingly effervescent episode of Precinct1313 Recommends! That’s right, our beloved DC Comics have daringly deigned to deliver upon us hapless Harley fans this week, not just one but two titanic and terrific takes on our absolute favourite mischievous minx of mayhem – one Ms Harleen Quinzel.

Not content with ably assaulting our senses (in the absolute best possible way, of course!) with the recently released ‘Birds Of Prey And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn’ (which was Quinn-tastic by the way, review coming soon) they throw all caution to the wind with this bombastic Black Label release – Harley Quinn And The Birds Of Prey, a brand new mini-series by Harley gurus and dynamic duo of comics, Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti.

Harley and Ivy enjoying a desert island getaway together… or are they?

When we first catch up with our hellacious hellcat of hi-jinks, she has fallen on hard times, local loan sharks have burnt down her hotel and beat her friend Big Tony so badly he ends up in intensive care, her relationship with Poison Ivy is on the rocks, and her Gang of Harleys, now homeless because of the hotel’s inconsiderate incineration, have temporarily moved into Harl’s place. To combat this Harley hatches a plan to leave her Coney Island home and return to Gotham to gain the funds she needs to rebuild her hotel. Unfortunately, waiting back in Gotham for Harley’s eventual return is her ex Puddin’, The Joker, and let’s just say he ain’t gonna be waiting for her with open arms… nope, more likely Smilex gas, a ton of dynamite and a killer smile (emphasis on killer, of course!)

The Power Girl/Harley meet up is worth the comic’s admission alone… it’s bowel achingly funny!

Once again the titanic team up of Conner and Palmiotti deliver the gleefully gung-ho goods, their wit and wonder is seemingly unbound! Using DC’s mature Black Label imprint for Ms Quinn’s brazen adventures is essential, because this book contains so much toilet humour, overt violence, sexual innuendo (stuffed Beavers ahoy!) and fantabulously offensive material that it probably shouldn’t be read by anyone… well anyone without a sense of humour that is, the rest of us should dive on in to one of the most fantastically funny comics EVER! The dynamically delightful and dazzling artist/writer team of Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti once again prove that as far as comedic story-telling in comics is concerned they are unequivocally the virtuosi of the art!

“Watcha mean ya didn’t pre-order my new Black Label comic, ya mooks!”

Harley Quinn And The Birds Of Prey #1 is available at your local comic-book emporium right now, head on down and secure yourself a copy, you don’t want Harley to find out you didn’t, right?

 

Precinct1313’s End Of The Decade Geekstravaganza

Well hi there fellow agents of Precinct1313, and welcome to the majestic mansion of mystery’s infamous Comic Crypts. I hope you didn’t have too much trouble finding your way down through the Precinct’s convoluted and ever changing hallways and chambers, that’s the problem with running a comic blog from a supernatural entity posing as a resplendent residence, oh and the fact that we are located at the edge of  existence also doesn’t help with navigation, as most Sat-Navs don’t appear to cover that… surprisingly!

And yet here you all are, so welcome, to Precinct1313’s End Of The Decade Geekstravaganza! That’s right, the decade draws itself to a close and we’re here to steer you through some of our favourite geeky moments from the past ten years, so pull up a tombstone (these are the comic crypts after all) and let’s all relive our favourite things of the past decennium…

Our Favourite Comic-Book Series: Mister Miracle 

Masters of the miraculous – Tom King and Mitch Gerads deserve every bit of praise thrown their way by their peers, critics and fans for this superlative series, a groundbreaking, emotional and touching 12 issue maxi-series that took one of DC and Jack Kirby’s most beloved second tier characters, and thrust him headlong into the deserving limelight. We wrote a review on this tenacious tome recently, so we shall leave you a handy dandy link right here .

Starfire 

 Though we feel that Miracle was without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest Superhero story released since Watchmen (really!) we couldn’t leave this particular post without mentioning our other comic-book love from the past ten years – Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti’s tantalising and terrific take on our absolute favourite orange hued alien princess, sizzling Superheroine – Starfire! Conner and Palmiotti are a dynamic duo of some renown in the wonderful world of comic books, a husband and wife team with a wild and wacky sense of humour that light up any character they get their talented hands upon, from Power Girl to their award winning run on Harley Quinn, everything these terrific twosome touch is utter comic-book gold, especially their 2015 maxi-series -Starfire.

Endlessly endearing and wonderfully witty, Starfire’s 2015 series is a gift that keeps on giving, Conner and Palmiotti (along with the series’ fantastic artist – Emanuela Lupacchino) have bestowed upon us humble comic fans, the greatest take on Tamaran’s lost Princess since she was first unleashed in 1980 by her superstar creators, George Perez and Marv Wolfman. An origin tale, a laugh out loud stranger in a strange place fable, Starfire is a beguiling and winsome take on a beloved DC character. Quite possibly the funniest and most captivating series from DC in many a year, the Precinct unequivocally recommends this touching and hilarious series.

(Favourite Comic-book series runners up – Doomsday Clock, Supergirl: Being Super, Wonder Woman: Rebirth)

Our Favourite Comic-Book Movie: Wonder Woman

Can you believe it took seventy five years to finally get one of the most popular, significant and important fictional characters of all time onto the big screen, a primary reason for this according to some producers, directors, movie studios and overall decision makers (all of whom were talking nonsense, of course) was that a female led Superhero movie stood little chance of success… well, I’m pleased to say that those negative naysayers were completely wrong in their assertions, because Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot’s 2017 Wonder Woman movie most assuredly was an exquisite example of, not just a top tier translation of character to silver screen, but a film that also carried a compelling message of love, hope and empowerment.

Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins more than made up for Diana’s seventy five year cinema snub by giving us, not just a superlative and accurate representation of the Themysciran Titan, but also THE greatest Superhero movie of… all… time! 

(Favourite Superhero movie runners up – Batman v Superman, Aquaman, Shazam)

Our Favourite Comic-Book Artist: Amanda Conner

I have been reading, collecting and immersing myself in comic-book worlds since the mere age of six, my first dalliance with a Superhero was the Batman, from there I went on to discover the thrilling tales of the Themysciran titan Wonder Woman and have, over the decades become a devoted stalwart of DC Comics. Not being content to just absorb these wonderful stories of heroism and emancipation, I was also always interested in the compelling creational process behind the formation of these thrilling and titanic tales, from the literary scripting and especially the wonderful artistic endeavours.

From an early age some of my very favourite artists included such luminary delights as – Neal Adams, Brian Bolland, Nicola Scott, Emanuela Lupacchino, Norm Breyfogle and Adam Hughes. Picking a favourite from these amounted to an impossibly herculean task… that is until I discovered the astonishing art of one Amanda Conner. From that point on anyone enquiring as to who my all time fave artist was would not be able to shut me up as I enthused and rhapsodised over her astounding artwork. Quirky, zany, fun and instantly recognisable, Amanda’s incredible artistic style (for me) stands head and shoulders above her peers.

(Favourite Comic-Book artist runners up – Emanuela Lupacchino, Stanley Lau, Nicola Scott)

Our Favourite Non DC Comics Movie:

Mmmmm, now this is a difficult one, I mean sooooo many great movies have been released over the past ten years, how in the name of Zeus’ beard are we able to pick just one? We can’t, so here (in no particular order) are a few of our fave non DC Comics based films of the past decade…

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets:

A tremendous movie conversion of the classic French comic-book ‘Valerian and Laureline’ that was first published in 1967, created by the talented duo of Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mezieres. Stunning effects, decent acting (though Clive Owen, who is usually great, was rather uninspiring in this one) and an engaging, wild and zany plot make this definitely one of our top fave films from the past ten years.

Alita: Battle Angel:

Another comic-book classic given the silver screen treatment, Alita is originally a manga series created by the great Yukito Koshiro in 1990. A post apocalyptic, cyber-punk stylised story that was brought to vivid life at the talented hands of Robert Rodriguez.

Groundbreaking visual effects bring android Alita to the big screen through some jaw-dropping motion capture of the movie’s phenomenal lead actress – Rosa Salazar, who puts in an outstandingly impassioned performance, and with a back up cast that includes such thrilling thespians as Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Maershala Ali, and Jackie Earle Haley, Alita is more than deserving of your free time.

Franklyn:

British cult movie ‘Franklyn’ is a genre defying delight, part superhero saga,  noir thriller, romance, and horror, it takes great pleasure in flouting any kind of atypical filmic categorisation.

Franklyn is a visually rich movie, set across the dual dystopian parallel dimensions of Meanwhile City and contemporary London. It is within these dark, ethereal realities that we encounter four protagonists, each a lost soul, and on an intertwined and fated path to ultimately affect each others lives, be that for good or ill.

Unfortunately, as is the case with a large number of movies emanating from the UK, Franklyn never achieved the audience or status that it truly deserved. With a standout cast that includes Eva Green, Bernard Hill, Sam Riley and Ryan Phillippe, Franklyn is a film the Precinct heartily recommends. We reviewed the movie at the time, so if you find your interest piqued, then a link to our review is right here  

(Non DC Comics movie runners up: Dredd, Halloween 2018, Super, Solomon Kane)

And there you have it, fellow fans of fantastic fiction, I mean we could go on, but then this post would end up novel length, and I only have so much time to get it published before the end of 2019! With that, may I just say a big thank you to all of the Precinct’s followers and readers for the likes, comments and visits to the site over the past five years, it really is so, so appreciated. Happy New Year to you all!!

Oh, and as ever… Make Mine DC!

Women In Comics Presents: The Astonishing Art Of Amanda Conner…

I’ve been actively reading and collecting comic-books since I was a mere six years of age, my first ever encounter with a Superhero was through the dark and surly one himself – The Batman. From there I became a superfan of the Themysciran Titan – Wonder Woman, and eventually over the decades became a devoted stalwart of DC Comics and their menagerie of costume clad heroes and villains.

Not being content to just absorb the wonderfully fantastic stories wrought from the fevered minds of the various comic creators over the years, like most things I love in life, I was also heavily into the creative process behind the formation of the thrilling and titanic tales brought forth by said tomes… especially the diverse styles of the sundry artists who have regaled us with their wondrous takes on classic characters.

From an early age my favourite artists included such talented individuals as Neal Adams, George Perez, Brian Bolland, Norm Breyfogle, Adam Hughes, Phil Jimenez, Nicola Scott, Emanuel Luppachino and many, many too numerous to mention. Picking a favourite from these would always prove to be an insurmountable challenge… that was until I discovered the astonishing art of one Amanda Conner, from that point on anybody enquiring as to who my fave artist was, would not be able to shut me up as I enthused and rhapsodised over her awesome artwork. Quirky, zany, fun, and instantly recognisable… for me personally, Amanda will always be numero uno!

Amanda’s creative career began in the late 1980’s working for companies such as Archie Comics, Marvel and Harris’ Comics on their Vampirella series (which is where I first discovered her phenomenal oeuvre) But it was her work on the sundry female DC characters that led me to fall in love with her adroit artistic endeavours, especially her work with Starfire, Harley Quinn and Power Girl, which all remain (and always will) my absolute favourite versions of those iconic characters. 

On May of this year at the Comic-Con Revolution event in California, Amanda was honoured as the recipient of the Joe Kubert Distinguished Storyteller award, a prestigious achievement given only to the most outstanding comic-book creators, who exemplify both Joe Kubert’s artistic talent and commitment to the nurturing of the comic-book community. And long may she reign…

Precinct1313’s Retro Revivals…

“Aah, welcome fellow agents of Precinct1313, you’re just in time to follow Eldritch (the precinct’s resident carrion crow of woe) and myself down to the infamous ‘Scrying Chamber’  Within this portentous room stands a single stone tablet upon which sits an ominous black crystal ball that not only has the power to decipher the future, but also, recreate the past through vivid evocation.”

“As we wend our way down through the ceaseless and interminable depths of this magnificently malefic mansion of mystery why not take in the various sites as we descend… such as the astounding ‘Ancient Amazon Archives’ or the colossal ‘Comic Crypts’  Just coming up on your right you’ll notice the magnificent ‘Movie Mausoleum’  and a couple of floors down you’ll hear the hearty cheers from the hallowed ‘Halls of Quaffing’  “

“And, we have arrived, please approach the sphere of prevenience carefully and gaze deeply into it’s sanguine depths until something from the Precinct’s posting past begins to take shape… “

“So how about we relive the pestiferous pairing of Hellacious Harley Quinn and the Main Man himself – Lobo, from this portentous post from the past, first published 3 years previous… “

“Feetal’s Gizz” why didn’t anyone think of this pernicious pairing before now (OK, I admit, it didn’t even cross my mind until I saw the previews for this latest issue) but the Main Man and the Mistress of Mayhem teaming up is a match made in heaven (actually, in their particular case, Hell) That’s right my DC Comics’ loving compatriots, Harley Quinn and Lobo are together at last, and it’s as unpredictable, chaotic and crazy as you could imagine… which is great!

Now I’m sure that by now, even if you aren’t a huge fan of reading comics (tell me that ain’t so) you all know who the hellacious Harley Quinn is, but maybe you have never crossed paths with the invincible, space biking Czarnian psychotic Lobo, well never fear… the Precinct is here, and you can read up on the Main Man’s troubled history right here… phew! are you still with us after that briefly violent respite into Lobo’s malevolently malign backstory, you are!? In that case you will love this delectably dangerous duo’s teaming, and there is also icing on this deliciously depraved cake in the form of artistic auteur Simon Bisley!

British artist Simon Bisley is the person most people think of when referring to Lobo, thanks to his stellar work on the character throughout the 90’s, alongside Keith Giffen they made Lobo a household name to comic book aficionado’s across the globe. ‘It’s good to be bad’ was pretty much their mantra, and Lobo is so bad, he makes Harley seem (almost) angelic in comparison!

This book contains so much toilet humour, sexual innuendo, extreme ultra violence and offensive material that it probably shouldn’t be read by anyone… well anyone who is offended by such things, the rest of us should just dive on into a fantastically funny comic brought to us by that dynamically delightful writing duo Amanda Conner (who also drew the classic cover) and Jimmy Palmiotti, once more showing us that as far as comedic storytelling in comic books is concerned, they are the unequivocal vituosi of the art.

Simon Bisley’s Awesome Variant Cover Is Fraggin’ Fantastic!!

“Lobo’s back, the main man and Harley Quinn have a lot in common – motorcycles and mayhem for starters, so it’s long past time they found each other! This could be the start of a fraggin’ beautiful friendship… or they could destroy the planet. Or both! it can be two things!”

Harley’s Little Black Book #6 is available at your local comic book emporium right now. Brought to you by – Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti and Simon Bisley… go and fraggin’ buy it, you don’t want Lobo to find out you didn’t!!

Comic Cover(s) Of The Week: Harley Quinn 25th Anniversary Special #1

That’s right fellow fans of fantastic fiction, hellacious hellcat Harley Quinn turned twenty five this month… which obviously means that this weeks calculatedly celebratory commemorative comic collection of ceremonially charming and cheerful covers (phew! alliteration avalanche!!) is dedicated to the mischievous minx of mayhem.

“Jeez Loweez Harley Give Us A Chance, We’re Writing The Post As Quickly As We Can!”

Welcome my comic collecting compatriots to an extra special instalment of Comic Cover Of The Week, celebrating Ms Quinn’s quarter century turn as one of the medium’s most beloved and zany characters. After (just) surviving our recent up close and personal interview (which you can read right here) with the crazy clowness of crime we would be rightfully remit if we didn’t offer up this week’s episode to our favourite psychedelic psychopath, and hoo boy do we have an awesome set of covers to share with you. Beginning, of course, with our favourite of the bunch, from astounding artistic auteur Amanda Conner:

The recurring team of Amanda Conner and her hubby and co-writer Jimmy Palmiotti kick off this quad tale anniversary special by recounting Harley’s adventures in Las Vegas alongside her Gotham Siren buddies Catwoman and Poison Ivy. Amanda not only delivers another outstanding cover image but also lends her impressive artistic talent to the tale contained within, proving once again that she is one of the most adroit and skillful creators in the wonderful world of comic book craft.

Her artwork portrays eloquently expressive characterisation, and her writing talent showcases her always exemplary comic timing, Amanda Conner is THE jewel in DC’s crown of comic book composers!

Alongside Amanda’s sterling cover are a host of other variant issues, with our next fave from DC Comics’ Co-Publisher and incredible illustrator Jim Lee:

And this magnificent masterpiece from Terry and Rachel Dodson:

‘Celebrate twenty five years of Harley Quinn with this collection of stories by some legendary Harley talent and some who have never drawn her before! How does Harley manage her insanely jam packed life on Coney Island? What haven’t we seen from her past with The Joker? And can even Harley’s psychological acumen crack the twisted mind of Robin: The Boy Wonder? Find out with the Harley Quinn 25th Anniversary Special #1, available at your local comic book emporium right now!

Comic Cover Of The Week: Harley’s Little Black Book #6

“Feetal’s Gizz” why didn’t anyone think of this pernicious pairing before now (OK, I admit, it didn’t even cross my mind until I saw the previews for this latest issue) but the Main Man and the Mistress of Mayhem teaming up is a match made in heaven (actually, in their particular case, Hell) That’s right my DC Comics’ loving compatriots, Harley Quinn and Lobo are together at last, and it’s as unpredictable, chaotic and crazy as you could imagine… which is great!

Now I’m sure that by now, even if you aren’t a huge fan of reading comics (tell me that ain’t so) you all know who the hellacious Harley Quinn is, but maybe you have never crossed paths with the invincible, space biking Czarnian psychotic Lobo, well never fear… the Precinct is here, and you can read up on the Main Man’s troubled history right here… phew! are you still with us after that briefly violent respite into Lobo’s malevolently malign backstory, you are!? In that case you will love this delectably dangerous duo’s teaming, and there is also icing on this deliciously depraved cake in the form of artistic auteur Simon Bisley!

British artist Simon Bisley is the person most people think of when referring to Lobo, thanks to his stellar work on the character throughout the 90’s, alongside Keith Giffen they made Lobo a household name to comic book aficionado’s across the globe. ‘It’s good to be bad’ was pretty much their mantra, and Lobo is so bad, he makes Harley seem (almost) angelic in comparison!

This book contains so much toilet humour, sexual innuendo, extreme ultra violence and offensive material that it probably shouldn’t be read by anyone… well anyone who is offended by such things, the rest of us should just dive on into a fantastically funny comic brought to us by that dynamically delightful writing duo Amanda Conner (who also drew the classic cover) and Jimmy Palmiotti, once more showing us that as far as comedic storytelling in comic books is concerned, they are the unequivocal vituosi of the art.

Simon Bisley’s Awesome Variant Cover Is Fraggin’ Fantastic!!

“Lobo’s back, the main man and Harley Quinn have a lot in common – motorcycles and mayhem for starters, so it’s long past time they found each other! This could be the start of a fraggin’ beautiful friendship… or they could destroy the planet. Or both! it can be two things!”

Harley’s Little Black Book #6 is available at your local comic book emporium right now. Brought to you by – Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti and Simon Bisley… go and fraggin’ buy it, you don’t want Lobo to find out you didn’t!!

Comic Cover Of The Week: Harley Quinn #28

Copyright: DC Comics

Welcome, my comic collecting cohorts, to another instalment of Comic Cover Of The Week, and let me say right off the bat that the Innuendo is strong in this one…                 This is yet another fantastic entry into the ongoing misadventures of Ms Quinn. Red Tool (a thinly veiled parody of Deadpool, I mean look at the costume) has fallen in love with our favourite mischievous minx, and having gone to the trouble of kidnapping Harl’ and tattooing his phone number on her derriere, has now arranged a rather elaborate wedding ceremony.

Harley, of course, is none too happy about the scenario and decides that Red Tool is just that, a tool, and sets about doing what she does best – kick arse, chew gum and assault her foe with her seemingly endless array of world class wisecracks.

Yet again the amiable Amanda Conner delivers the goods, her cover illustration is, as ever, outstanding and her writing, along with her husband Jimmy Palmiotti goes above and beyond even her usual stratospheric prowess with a fantastically fun, innuendo laden issue. The interior art by John Timms is good, but I long for the days when Amanda Conner illustrated Harley’s adventures personally as, to me, she will always be the definitive artist of the Clown Princess Of Crime.

As for the antagonist Red Tool, the whole premise really is rather meta to be honest. You see Red Tool is an obvious parody of Marvel’s Deadpool, who in turn was originally created as a parody of DC’s Deathstroke, a perfect loop of satirical caricature creativity!

Harley Quinn #28 is available at your local comic book emporium right now. Written by: Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti. Art by: John Timms. Cover by: Amanda Conner.

Comic Cover Of The Week: Harley’s Little Black Book #3

Once again we peruse the local comic book shelves in an attempt to pick out the greatest comic cover in a sea of masterful illustrations. And, as ever, it’s tough, with so many fantastically drawn covers appearing each and every week how on earth do you go about choosing just one? For me the choice is always easy whenever one of my favourite artists, Amanda Conner, provides the gateway image for a comic, and it also helps that she always seems to be the lead cover artist on some of my favourite characters from the DC Comics’ Universe.

And lo, what do we see before us but yet another Conner cover masterpiece, intertwined with two of DC’s greatest female protagonists, Mistress of Magic – Zatanna and everyone’s favourite Mischievous Misfit – Harley Quinn.

Harley’s bi-monthly team up book continues its successful march onwards, and this month unites her with, arguably, DC’s most powerful character Zatanna. Also along for the zany ride are Harley’s new best buddies, a cast of awesomely odd British Superheroes with fantastic names such as Big Bad Ben and The Pub Crawler (being British myself and having gone on many a pub crawl in my time – this name certainly resonates with me. But for all the beer I drank, I never gained superpowers… maybe I just need to consume more!!) 

Whilst Harley accommodates her British buds from the London Legion of Superheroes, she also becomes the unwitting host to a group of ghosts, who move into Harley’s Hacienda after their haunted mansion in Coney Island is demolished. Luckily Mistress of Magic Zatanna is booked at Big Tony’s cabaret nearby and agrees to help Harley convince the ghosts to move on to the next world… what could possibly go wrong!?

Harley’s Little Black Book #3 is available at your local comic book emporium right now. Written by: Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti. Interior art by: Joseph Michael Linser. Cover art by: Amanda Conner.

Comic Cover Of The Week: Starfire #8

Copyright: DC Comics

Welcome my comic collecting cohorts to another instalment of Comic Cover Of The Week, and this episode our spotlight of the sublime falls upon “Starfire #8” and yet another stunning piece by the amazing talent that is Amanda Conner. 

“Lovers and other Dangers” is the concluding episode began last issue that sees former Teen Titan sweethearts, Kori and Dick Grayson sharing a tender moment together before all hell breaks loose. Kori has had to deal with many dangerous adversaries since her new series began, from murderous bounty hunters to devastating hurricanes, but her biggest test may yet come from having to choose between her former beau and new love interest Sol.

The dynamic duo of Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti produce yet another fantastic issue that focuses as much on Kori’s relationships and emotional stability, as it does on typical Superhero tropes, which is one of the reasons why this is still currently the stand-out ongoing comic series for me, the other being Emanuela Lupacchino’s exquisite artwork, beautifully realised as ever with vibrant colours that make each and every panel literally jump off the page.

Adult Colouring Book Variant Cover By Dave Taylor

Starfire #8 is available at your local comic-book emporium right now. Written by: Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti. Cover by: Amanda Conner. Interior art by: Emanuela Lupacchino. Variant cover by: Dave Taylor.

Comic Cover Of The Week: Starfire #7

“The name’s Grayson… Dick Grayson”

Welcome my comic collecting cohorts to another “Comic Cover Of The Week,” and this time our spotlight of the splendiferous falls upon “Starfire #7” and another wonderful piece of art by the amazing Amanda Conner.

This issue, old flames reunite when Dick Grayson crashes a cruise liner party in search of some terrorists selling illegal tech and unexpectedly runs into his once, long term love Koriand’r (Starfire), who is attending the party with new beau Sol. The former Teen Titans’ members and lovers were hot stuff together throughout most of the eighties and nineties, and their serendipitous reconciliation is a poignant one, especially for Kori who believed that Dick had previously been killed.

Titans together again…

Starfire #7 is available at your local comic book emporium right now. Written by: Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti. Cover art by: Amanda Conner. Interior art by Emanuela Lupacchino.

Comic Cover Of The Week: Harley Quinn’s Little Black Book #1

Copyright: DC Comics

Welcome my comic collecting cohorts to another instalment of “Comic Cover Of The Week,” and once more our spotlight of excellence falls upon the amazing Amanda Conner, and yet another Harley Quinn comic. The Mistress of Mayhem stars in an all new series that takes cues from classic DC team up books such as “Brave and the Bold,” but with a crazy Quinn spin.

With Harley Quinn series regulars Amanda Conner and husband Jimmy Palmiotti on writing duties, this new book has the same quirky style and tone as her regular monthly. Amanda Conner provides most of the interior art as well as the fantastic cover, with occasional Harley collaborator John Timms stepping in for a short flashback sequence.

 Harley Quinn’s Little Black Book also heralds this month’s DC variant cover theme, with ten titles  shipping in black opaque comic bags, each containing one of three variants; one in full colour, the  second inked black and white, and the third featuring just the original pencil artwork. 

Plus, some lucky purchasers have been opening their black bagged copies to find ultra rare original covers that contain artwork drawn directly onto the blank cover. These original sketch edition specials are in small supply and feature art from the likes of, J Scott Campbell and Joe Quinones, so if you manage to secure one of these extremely scarce alternates count yourself very lucky indeed.

Harley Quinn’s Little Black Book is available from your local comic book emporium right now.

Comic Cover Of The Week: Harley Quinn Road Trip Special #1

Copyright: DC Comics

Welcome back fellow fans of fantastic fiction to another instalment of  Comic Cover Of The Week, and this week our spotlight of splendour falls upon “Harley Quinn: Road Trip Special #1.” What do you get when you take DC’s most popular female psychotic, throw in a little feline felon, plus a dash of vined vixen?, the long awaited return of the excessively popular trio known as the Gotham City Sirens, of course! That’s right Harley, Catwoman and Poison Ivy team up once more on a crazy cross country road trip chock full of mirth, madness and mayhem.

“We’re back!”

Writers Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti present us with another fast and frantic issue that really showcases why the popular 2009-2011 series Gotham City Sirens needs to return… pronto! As with most stories starring the mischievous minx of mirth, this offers a fun and light-hearted tale that follows our terrific trio as they travel across America, so Harley can attempt to fulfill her Uncle’s dying wish to transport his ashes to Long Island… and of course, as always, utter chaos ensues.

Harley Quinn: Road Trip Special is available at your local comic book emporium right now. Written by: Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti. Cover by: Amanda Conner. Interior art by: Bret Blevins

Comic Cover Of The Week: Starfire #2

(DC Comics-2015)

New comics Wednesday is upon us once more, and this weeks cover spotlight falls upon Starfire #2, another magnificent piece by the always astounding Amanda Conner. Even though we are only into the second issue of this brand new series starring everyone’s favourite alien princess, I am already hooked. Awesome cover aside, the story itself is an amusing and heartwarming tale of an outsider coming to terms with her sense of place in a distinctly different culture. Conner and Palmiotti’s narrative is hilarious as ever, easily as funny as their fantastic run on the Harley Quinn series, and the interior art by Emanuela Lupacchino is absolutely stunning.

Starfire #2 is available at your local comic-book emporium right now. Written by: Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti. Cover by: Amanda Conner. Variant cover and interior art by: Emanuela Lupacchino.

Comic Cover Of The Week: Starfire #1

(DC Comics, 2015)

The pick of this week’s comic covers stars everyone’s favourite alien princess, the inimitable Starfire. Brought to you by the talent behind the extremely successful Harley Quinn series, the amazing Amanda Conner and her fellow comic book creator (and husband) Jimmy Palmiotti. It’s a new beginning for Koriand’r (Starfire) former Teen Titan, and one time member of the Outlaws, as she seeks the advice of Stella Gomez, Sheriff of Key West, on the best place to live now that she is making her own way in the world.

Finally, Koriand’r gets her own series. As much as I enjoyed her part in the “Red Hood and the Outlaws” run (which comes highly recommended, by the way) I have always thought that as a character, Starfire is more than capable of carrying her own ongoing solo comic. And here it is, brought to you by two of comics most popular and talented creators. If you haven’t read any of her previous adventures, now is the perfect time to acquaint yourself with DC’s fiery alien warrior princess, with this brand new monthly series.

Starfire #1 is available at your local comic-book emporium right now. Written by: Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner. Cover by: Amanda Conner. Variant cover by: Emanuella Lupacchino. Interior art by: Emanuella Lupacchino.

New Comics Spotlight: Harley Quinn #8.

Welcome comic fans to another new comics Wednesday, today we are recommending our favourite Cupid of crime..the inimitable Harley Quinn, Mr J’s favourite lady has no less than three variant covers for her July issue. The monthly comic book series has been a massive success so far with the fans as they follow the misadventures of the Mistress of mischief, we have been enjoying miss Quinn’s adventures immensely which is no surprise when you have a comic book dream-team like Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner creating her monthly escapades. This is another fantastically fun issue with Harley finally facing off with her mysterious assassins and deciding it’s time to unleash the ‘Scatapult’! 

Precinct1313 rating: 5 mallets out of 5.