Future State: Harley Quinn might be one of the prettiest books out this week from DC, with some absolutely gorgeous artwork from artist Simone DiMeo and colourist Tamara Bonvillain, but it's also the most engaging book that centres on Gotham City.
The story sees readers in a Gotham where masks have been outlawed, and the forces of the Magistrate are making it their mission to arrest or kill anyone in a costume, hero or villain. It's here that we see Harley Quinn get captured by the Magistrate's forces, and brought in to be questioned by Doctor Jonathan Crane, the former villain Scarecrow.
Having apparently been cured of the psychological trauma that made him act out as Scarecrow, Crane is now working for the Magistrates, using his background as a psychologist to hunt down the other costumed heroes from Batman's rogues gallery. However, rather than simply locking Quinn away he offers her the chance to do the same, to use her past as a psychologist to help him bring these criminals to justice, in exchange for a more comfy incarceration.
On some level the book feels a little like Suicide Squad, chiefly due to the fact that Quinn is being given a chance to make things better for herself by doing some good in the world. However, instead of this meaning that she will be going out into the field on missions, she's using her mind to come up with plan and tactics to capture other criminals. It's a neat twist on the formula, and one that shows that Harley is more than a costumed clown with a baseball bat, but an incredibly intelligent woman.
Over the course of the issue we get to see Harley help with the capture of both Professor Pyg and Firefly, and we learn a lot about those characters along the way. Harley goes into the minds of these criminals, explains what motivates them, what drives them to do what they do, and shows how you can use these insights to bring them out into the open so that they can be neutralised. We also learn that Crane's biggest goal is to bring down Black Mask, who's so far managed to avoid capture.
The book seems to be setting the stage for things to come, for future conflict between the forces of the Magistrate and Black Mask and his gang, yet manages to tell a pretty self contained and satisfying story as we watch Harley help to bring two of the city's criminals to justice.
Stephanie Phillips really seems to know how to write Harley as more than an over the top, 'crazy' character, and walks that fine line where we can see the weirdness that inhabits Harley along side her educated intelligent side. It makes her feel like a more well rounded character, and someone who might be more of a challenge when she takes a step back and actually allows herself time to thin things through.
The book also looks gorgeous throughout, and there were times where panels felt more like they were frames lifted from an incredibly well polished and sleek animated movie rather than a comic, and the colour pallet and inclusion of things like lens flare here and there really add to that feel.
Out of all of the books from Future State set in Gotham City this is the most fun, and most engaging, one that actually did something interesting with its main character that didn't feel like a huge departure from their nature. I'm definitely interesting in seeing what else Harley will be doing in future issues, as well as seeing what happens next with Black Mask.
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