batman: HARLEY & IVY #1 (of 3)

[CountD]

"Bosom Buddies" Part 1 OF 3

Writer: Paul Dini
Writer/Pencils: Bruce Timm
Price: 2.50 USD, 3.85 Canada

This is a much anticipated book from the famous creative team that brought us Justice League and Batman Adventures. This is a light hearted, fun-loving 3 part story that involves two elements:

1. The humorous dynamic between Harley & Ivy
2. The manner they handle confrontations with Batman (they get caught by him after attacking him with a potted plant!)

The art is superb and pays less attention to detail than it does to thick bold lines and clear expressions on character's faces. If you like the cartoon, you'll have no problem w/ the art.

I recommended you give this a try. You may even get a chuckle or two out of it.

GRADE: A- Excellente!:D

[MatthewSmith]

This was an extremely fun read. It was a light and entertaining read, which was exactly what I wanted from this book.

It's just a three issue mini-series, so if you're looking for something fun to read I definitely recommend picking this book up.

Plus, for the T & A fans out there, this book includes a Harley and Ivy prison shower scene that turns into a catfight! Does it get any better than that?

[LoveForFire]

I was on the edge about getting it or not but after reading these reviews, I must have it.

I always liked Bruce Timm's work.

[Big Grim]

I picked this up yesterday as well. I just can't say no to Dini and Timm's animated Batman. Especially now that Batman Adventures is ending at issue #17. So I'm enjoying this mythos while I can.

[Godfather]

Sold, I'm getting it, thanks :)

[Supreme Convoy]

Originally posted by MatthewSmith
Plus, for the T & A fans out there, this book includes a Harley and Ivy prison shower scene that turns into a catfight! Does it get any better than that?

Now that was a surprise :D

In anycase, I highly recommend this book for those Batman: TAS fans. It's a fun book and although it's a "kid" book, it has it's moments for the grown ups (like the shower scene)

By the way, what other Paul Dini/Bruce Timm books are out there? I have Mad Love and that's all I'm aware of.

[punkmonkey]

HARLEY AND IVY #1 (of 3)
Title: “Bosom Buddies”
Publisher: DC Comics-- $2.50 / 22 pgs.
Writer: Paul Dini
Artists: Bruce Timm/ Shane Glines
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Cover Artist: Timm

Reviewed By: Jared Moraitis
Grade: Story -- B

At long last, HARLEY AND IVY finally sees the light of day!! This book has been many years in the making, and, as is often the case with highly-anticipated projects that take forever to creep through the development stage (see STAR WARS: EPISODE ONE), the end product fails to live up to the hype and expectations. The thing is, this was never meant to be an epic, earthshaking project -- this is purely a fun romp with two of the breakout popular characters of the BATMAN animated series, and when read as such is pretty entertaining.

Part of the problem, besides the long wait, is the fact that this series is finally being released at the lowest point of popularity of the animated series, indeed at a time when even the comic based on the series is being canceled to make way for the new upcoming animated series (with a different look and tone). Were this series released several years ago, it would have been met with much more enthusiasm. I question the decision to release this project as a three-issue series instead of a one-shot release. I think reading the whole book in one sitting would be much more entertaining than digesting 22-page chunks one month apart. It’s hard to judge where the series will be heading from this first act, but enough of a hint is dropped that the girls will obviously be taken out of Gotham City for a while.

Bruce Timm, of course, does the best Batman Animated style art because he invented it! I found his art in this book to be a bit less rowdy and energetic than his work on the award-winning BATMAN: MAD LOVE special from several years ago. This may be partly due to the tightly-controlled inks of Shane Glines, but seeing as how this project was begun so long ago, it should retain that same energy that was present in Timm’s animated art back then. Titillation plays a rather large role in this issue, as we are treated to a nude shower scene with accompanying naked catfight! Harley remains charming and a bit pitiful due to her gullibility, incompetence, and illogical positive outlook. She grates on the nerves of those she associates with (Joker, Poison Ivy), yet for some reason they always take her back. Pamela Isley (Ivy) proves to be deadly and cunning, yet her friendship with Harley seems to be based on equal parts loneliness and a sort of sisterly pity toward Harley.

In the end, I think this will prove to be an overall fun and lightweight story, as it was meant to be. Dini and Timm don’t seem to have lost their animated edge, but the excessive wait for this series seems to have tainted the experience just a bit.

[Michael Eidson]

Originally posted by Supreme Convoy
By the way, what other Paul Dini/Bruce Timm books are out there? I have Mad Love and that's all I'm aware of. I believe that is it.

While I love Timm's art, the story was a bit too "kiddie" for me. How does this style rank with the two previous Batman Animated comics series. Did Dini write any of those issues?

[Moonbeam]

I picked this issue up a week late, telling my comic shop manager, "it was recommended by a friend that I get this."

"Was it a guy that recommended it?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," I said, thinking, c'mon dude ... like I have any comics reading chick friends out there.

"You do realize they probably recommended it because of the shower scene with two chicks?" he said.

I laughed out loud. I hope that's not why you guys are recommending it!

OK ... I'll take the cheesy shower scene. I'll even take the chicks in prison implication. I actually had no problem with them in this story, cause it works. It's just a fun issue, packed with great dialogue and giggles.

I admit that I wouldn't get this if it was an ongoing, but as a three-issue mini, it's just a great little addition to my monthly reading. :)

[drdash]

this book is great! it read like a lost episode of the tv series, i'm anxiously awaiting the next isntallment.

ciao
drdash

[Evan Waters]

I confess, I picked this up mostly because I'd heard about the shower fight. I don't want to sound like a Horndog- and it's not like I was expecting something out of HEAVY METAL- but yeah, it was a selling point.

Fortunately, it's a very good book, and the T&A element comes across as funny, not pandering. It was weird to see it in a book done in the style of the cartoon series, though.

Anyhoo, the whole book is fun- the two characters play off each other very nicely, and Harley's airheadedness comes off as downright cute. I seem to recall her being a bit harder-edged in the cartoon- more of a moll- but this version works too. THe story seems brief (despite the book being normal length), but I'll definitely try and pick up the next two issues. I almost wish this could be a regular title.

[CountD]

Originally posted by Evan Waters
I almost wish this could be a regular title.

I concur

[arvydas]

This was simply a fun and hauntingly upbeat issue. Just a question though; do Dini-Timm issues usually sell out and go up in value? Or do they just end up in bargain bins like Batman Adventures and Justice League Advenures?

Just curious if people take these "cartoony" titles seriously...

[theseacow]

hauntingly upbeat? :p

But yeah, this ish was a blast. I love the adventures titles.

To answer your question, yes, they usualy end up in bargain bins. Too few care about the "cartoony" titles (even though batman adventures told more quality batman tales than shadow of, detective, and the regualr series combined).

This is sad stuff, but the good news is then you can pick up all the old issues for $.50 a pop!

[arvydas]

I agree. Some of these titles do have more substance. I loved Mad Love (compared to oter crappy Bat titles).

I'm glad you liked my oxymoron.

Originally posted by theseacow
hauntingly upbeat? :p

But yeah, this ish was a blast. I love the adventures titles.

To answer your question, yes, they usualy end up in bargain bins. Too few care about the "cartoony" titles (even though batman adventures told more quality batman tales than shadow of, detective, and the regualr series combined).

This is sad stuff, but the good news is then you can pick up all the old issues for $.50 a pop!