Ever since its announcement, I've been looking forward to DC Comics' Convergence series and spin-offs. Why? Like a lot of long-time readers, I have a personal history invested in the "old" characters (i.e., pre-New 52). Not only that, they seem to have more personality and character development than those in the New 52.
Of the main series, I've read Convergence #0 and #1 so far. It's been interesting, but even better have been the spin-off Convergence series. The ones I've read from week one have been:
- Convergence: Speed Force #1 - starring the (Caucasian) Wally West Flash and his two speedy kids
- Convergence: Superman #1 - starring Superman and his pregnant wife Lois Lane
- Convergence: The Atom #1 - starring an "I-Hear-Voices" Ray Palmer
- Convergence: Nightwing & Oracle #1 - starring a romantically involved Dick Grayson and wheelchair-bound Barbara Gordon
- Convergence: The Titans #1 - starring Donna Troy, Starfire, and Arsenal
- Convergence: Harley Quinn #1 - starring a fully clothed Harley
All of got to say is: FANTASTIC. This is what DC Comics has been missing for the past four years since the inception of the New 52 Universe. Not only does it bring back the characters that I know and love and that have an actual history, but it involves character development, human emotion/interaction, and decent dialogue. Maybe people (myself included) wouldn't dislike the New 52 Universe so much if it wasn't focused on dreariness, flat emotions, battles/fight scenes, and cheesy dialogue.
With these Convergence titles, I get Wally West worried about his kids and wife, Superman looking forward to being a father, the Atom wigging out, Dick Grayson proposing to Barbara Gordon, Starfire being jealous about Dick's romance, Roy Harper still agonizing over the death of his daughter, Donna Troy working her photographer job, and Harley Quinn interacting with Catwoman and Poison Ivy again. (Not to mention Captain Carrot's teammate Fastback chasing after Wally West!) These are real human traits, feelings, and emotions, and they're what's missing from DC Comics today.
The bigger question about Convergence is: Why is the storywriting so much better? Is it due to the return of the better characters? Or are they using writers who aren't fatigued and/or mandated to write crap?
I'm not sure what the future holds for the DC Universe, but I'm thinking that if they decide to stick with the flat, two-dimensional characters of the New 52 Universe, then I'll probably drop several titles and maybe even quit reading comics all together again. (And don't even get me started with the new Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman; I've already canceled those comics.) Until then, I'm going to enjoy seeing my old friends converge.
Harley Quinn (aka Harlequin, aka Dr. Harleen Quinzel) is one of my favorite DC characters because she's so colorful and off-the-wall. She's a former psychiatrist who turns to crime and falls in love with the Joker. What a concept! A love interest for Joker? Who'd have ever thought anyone could fall in love with a pasty whackjob like him? It was a bizarre love story 50 years in the making.
I wasn't reading comics when Harley was given her first solo monthly series from 2001-2003, but I was fortunate to have been around when Gotham City Sirens was published from 2009-2011, a series starring Harley, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman. It was a decent series and it humanized Harley, showing us her friendship/kinship with other women, especially her closeness to Pamela (Poison Ivy). It also portrayed her as in between a hero and a villain, much like Catwoman.
Unfortunately, there seems to have been a lot of inconsistency in developing Harley's character/personality over the years. With DC Comics' New 52 reboot, Harley has another new, more violent personality; she's a member of the Suicide Squad; and she's wearing a much different costume. She's also a lot more methodical and serious, which is kind of disappointing because her goofiness, innocence, and naivety were her biggest appealing qualities and what set her apart from other villainesses. And, although I like the idea of her new costume, I think it could be a lot less skimpy/slutty. Her former costume was head-to-toe covering, which seemed a little silly (like her), but the slutty look is a bit too extreme, too. She's not Harley anymore, and she doesn't have that personality that would make me think she'd fall in love with the Joker.
Now, in late 2013, Harley is being given a chance at a second solo monthly series. DC Comics recently released Harley Quinn #0. What should have been an origin story was kind of a throwaway issue. It featured Harley breaking the fourth wall (like John Byrne successfully did with She-Hulk back in the 1980s) and going from scene to scene, but there didn't feel like there was any flow or story whatsoever. It was basically a showcase for different artists. A multitude of artists contributed to the issue, with the supposed hunt for a permanent artist for the series. Why Amanda Conner (one of the co-writers) doesn't illustrate it, I have no idea. She did an AMAZING job with Before Watchmen's Silk Spectre, and it's evident from her cover art that she could produce a beautiful Harley Quinn comic.
Anyway, I look forward to reading Harley's misadventures in her own comic outside of Suicide Squad, but I hope the zero issue wasn't any indication of how future issues will be. Harley and her readers deserve better.
After Batman's lame reboot in DC's New 52 with the never-ending Court of Owls saga, they followed it up with one of the best Batman stories ever: "Death of the Family." Yes, it mimicked the original late 1980s "Death in the Family" title to try to grab some headlines and piggyback on that popular story's sales, but we'll forgive DC for that cheap marketing tactic.
"Death of the Family" gave us the New 52 version of the Joker. And he is freakin' scary. How scary is he? He removed his own face and then loosely reattached it. And with every issue, the reattached face decomposed more and more as it barely clung to him, tied only with strings, with flies buzzing around the decayed skin. Twisted!
The story involved Joker haunting the entire Batman family of superheroes, including Robin, Red Robin, Nightwing, Red Hood, Catwoman, and Batgirl (alas, no Batwoman), and the stories ran into their own individual titles. This is the story DC should have rebooted the Batman series with, but I can see why they'd save it in their back pocket.
I was a little disappointed in reading the conclusion of the storyline in Batman #17. I thought, "That's it?" However, after a closer second reading, I appreciated it more. It established an interesting (new) bond between Batman and Joker, and delved a bit more deeply into the Joker's past than ever before. Joker's still up to his games all in the name of dark humor, but they're much more serious and deadly. And I like it. This Joker is extremely psychotic, making him all the more interesting. I'd love to see even more character development with this new Joker.
All in all, DC did a fantastic job with the entire "Death of the Family" storyline in Batman, including all of the related titles. I hope they collect all 23 issues in one chronological graphic novel. That would make for one fantastic gift.
I give DC an "A" for effort and an "A" for content, and it almost makes up for the ongoing Owls saga (know when to quit!). Let's hope the next time we see the Joker, he's paired with the new, darker Harley Quinn (aka Harlequin).
