The trouble with Tim and Harley
Comic Reviews for week ending 9/25/2022
Good morning, my friend,
Oh, DC. What are we going to do with you?
If you’re new to this newsletter, first, thanks for reading along. Second, I’m not only the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, but I’m also a regular reviewer for WeirdScience, which means exposure to all the Big 2 titles. And third, the comics industry peers we interact with from other channels help us gain a broader perspective on what’s happening. So, when the announcements and previews for forthcoming titles starring Tim Drake (the third Robin) and Harley Quinn were released, we already knew those announcements were coming.
What I didn’t expect was the public reaction. Oi!
Before going any further, this is not an essay intended to disparage any of the creators involved. Every creator, whether writer or artist, has their strengths and weaknesses, and in a big, wide world, those strengths will eventually appeal to somebody.
The problem with Tim and Harley, in this case, is DC’s failure to “read the room” and understand what appeals to the audience that would buy a Tim Drake or Harley Quinn comic.
Look What They Did To My Boy
Tim Drake hasn’t led his own title since Red Robin concluded in 2011. Tim’s popped up here or there in team books and sporadically teamed with Batman in one of the Bat-titles, but Tim hasn’t had his own book for eleven years. At best, Tim Drake was relegated to a supporting character for over a decade, only receiving media attention when Tim was sloppily outed as bisexual in late 2021.
Now, the same writer responsible for that sloppy outing, a writer with no proven track record of success writing superhero comics, is writing a Tim Drake limited series. A series that puts Tim’s exploration of his sexual identity at the forefront.
The artist selected for this limited series has worked in the industry for some time, and it’s fair to say Riley Rossmo’s art style is an acquired taste that doesn’t lend itself to superhero action. Rossmo’s style is intentionally cartoonish, painting characters as exaggerated caricatures that look like something you’d see in a funhouse mirror. That’s not to say Rossmo’s style is wrong or bad, but it doesn’t fit drama, action, or adventure.
Consider Tim Drake’s history. He’s the third Robin, first introduced in 1989. His personality type is methodical, smart, and tactical. Since Dick Grayson is now Nightwing, Tim Drake is poised as most suitable to take over Batman’s mantle if and when that day ever comes. To many, Tim Drake is the best Robin.
How does DC editorial handle possibly the best Robin? DC puts Tim on a shelf for over a decade, suddenly makes press for a poorly executed sexuality flip (there was no hint of bisexuality prior to last year), and then announces a new series with an unsuccessful superhero comic writer and an artist whose style doesn’t lend itself to superhero action. No matter how you slice it, DC is making every bad decision possible with Tim Drake.
Is It “Mad Love” or “Bad Love”?
If you’ve been following WeirdScienceDCComics.com, you know I’ve written dozens of reviews for Harley Quinn comics. If there’s one observation I can make with absolute certainty, it’s that DC has no idea what to do with Harley.
We have a (surprisingly popular) opinion piece on the site explaining Harley’s origins and the best role for her moving forward. If you haven’t read it yet, check it out below.
Is Harley Quinn a Villain or a Superhero?
Now, the piece above is an opinion that may work or may not (hint: it will work), but the basic goal is to pick a direction for Harley and stick with it. Harley in DC Comics right now has a massive identity crisis.
In the recent Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Special, ten different creative teams were asked to write ten different short stories featuring Harley, and to nobody’s surprise, every version of Harley turned out as a different character. Not Harley in different situations or faced with unique challenges. Every version of Harley was written as a different person. In short, there is no Harley at DC Comics. Just a vague impression of a character that twists and turns with every new creator.
The last 20+ issues of Harley Quinn’s solo title are a rough read. Stephanie Phillips hasn’t brought anything new to the character or developed her in any direction, and Riley Rossmo’s art style (yep, the same artist now on the Tim Drake book) deflates what little drama, growth, or meaning Phillips manages to write.
When Phillips and Rossmo announced leaving the title, DC had the chance to make a positive change for the character’s benefit. Instead, DC announces Tini Howard as the new writer. The same Tini Howard struggling to produce any comic of value at Marvel in the X-Office. The same Tini Howard publicly states a preference to only write magic/fantasy stories. The same Tini Howard whose only experience writing an ongoing title at DC is Catwoman, and that title is failing miserably.
Again, the point is not to disparage the creators but to lament DC’s lack of understanding of the characters, why fans have kept those characters relevant, and how to select creative teams that suit the best direction for those characters going forward.
The Fan Reaction
The fan reaction is surprising for how swift and negative it’s come across. Early looks at the Tim Drake series have received harsh criticisms for Rossmo’s “ugly” art and Firzmartin’s “juvenile” dialog. At least one reputable reviewer has promised to swear off Tini Howard’s Harley Quinn due to DC’s poor choice of a new writer when the last year and a half have scuttled Harley’s comic sales, and the new writer selection appears to be more of the same.
In short, fans like Tim Drake and Harley Quinn, and fans want good stories for both, but DC appears to be wholly disconnected from what fans want and what will sell comics.
Where do we go from here? Who knows. If you’re a fan of either Tim or Harley, give the books a try because you never know when something will speak to you. If those stories miss the mark, all we can do is wait until somebody at DC figures out what to do. Either way, we’ll be here… waiting.
Are you a Tim Drake fan? A Harley Quinn fan? Leave a comment and let us know what you think, and we’ll spotlight your comment in the next newsletter.
Now, on with the reviews.
BLOODSHOT: UNLEASHED #1 – Review
BELLE: HUNT OF THE CENTAURS – Review
VAN HELSING: FLESH OF MY BLOOD – Review
SAMURAI SONJA #4 – Review
VAMPIRELLA STRIKES #5 – Review
DRACULINA #6 – Review
ELVIRA IN HORRORLAND #4 – Review
LADY HEL #2 – Review
AUGUST: PURGATORY UNDERGROUND #2 – Review
POTIONS INC. #4 – Review
THE TIGER’S TONGUE #3 – Review
TWO GUN TERROR #1 – Review
HEAVEN’S REJECTS #1 – Review
LITTLE RED RONIN #3 – Review
MONSTROUS: BOOK OF THE DEAD #4 – Review
Dead Kingdom #1 (Red 5 Comics)
Grimm Fairy Tales (Vol. 2) #64 (Zenescope Entertainment)
Man Goat & The Bunnyman: Green Eggs & Blam! #3 (Zenescope Entertainment)
Born of Blood #2 (Indie Submission)
Pantha #5 (Dynamite Comics)
Sheena: Queen of the Jungle (Vol. 2) #9 (Dynamite Comics)
Vampirella: Year One #3 (Dynamite Comics)
Mechanix #3 (Source Point Press)
The Oblivion Trials #4 (Source Point Press)
Promethee 13:13 #3 (Ablaze Publishing)
Stealth Hammer #2 (Indie Submission)
That’s the shortlist for now. We’ll add more titles and adjust as time and resources allow.
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Have a great day!