Customer Reviews

Gotham City Sirens Vol. 1: Union HC

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- "Bruce Wayne" to Harley Quinn as they gaze out from on top a swank skyscraper: "You can see all the way to Blüdhaven."
- Harley: "All I see is an ugly brown smear."
- "Bruce Wayne": - "That is Blüdhaven."

If you feel you need a break from all the somber holy hell that's been going down in Blackest Night and Siege, then may I recommend GOTHAM CITY SIRENS? It features the Great and Wonderful Paul Dini as writer and this Spanish illustrator Guillem March, whose art is growing on me. GOTHAM CITY SIRENS, lighthearted and fun -and that word "fun" will probably soon wear out its welcome; I plan on using it a lot here - debuted along with a batch of other new titles under the Batman: Reborn banner.

The Batman is dead, long live the Batman. The Battle for the Cowl arc ends with Nightwing's assumption of the Dark Knight's mantle, and this inevitably impacts Gotham City, and one fallout is that we get a whole mess of new comic book titles: BATGIRL, RED ROBIN, BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM (also written by Paul Dini), and, of course, BATMAN & ROBIN. Meanwhile Batwoman takes over in DETECTIVE COMICS. And then we have GOTHAM CITY SIRENS which features three foxy femme fatales teaming up not to necessarily fight crime but just to hang out and do fun femme fatale things. Think of them as a more lighthearted, less psychotic Secret Six.

Catching up with Catwoman, it's key that you know she's had a traumatic time of it of late, what with her heart having gotten ripped out by Hush (but then she got better, largely because magic is real in the DC Universe). Still what we see now isn't the same Selina Kyle we're used to. Catwoman finds herself still very much in a weakened state and she almost gets taken out permanently by a third-rate super-powered thug, until Poison Ivy intervenes. And that's how the partnership starts, and Harley Quinn soon gets in the mix. But, first, before these gals officially become a crew, Harley and Ivy feel that Selina should demonstrate her loyalty to them by revealing Batman's true identity. How does Selina Kyle get around that one?

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS Vol. 1: UNION collects the first seven issues of the series, and the premise is a lark and catchy enough that Marvel promptly ushered out MARVEL DIVAS (*coughripoffcough*). There's always this fun caper element around Selina Kyle and Harley Quinn is simply bent, and they offset the much moodier Poison Ivy. Another neat thing in this series is the emergence of the rehabilitated Edward Nigma (a.k.a. the Riddler) as a crime solver in his own right. And nothing gets the seal of approval like trading crime theories with the Caped Crusader himself. How clever is Mr. Nigma? He quickly figures out, with regards to this new Batman, that something is rotten in the state of Gotham.

Paul Dini still finds space here and there to explore the characters' darker side. Because everyone here comes with deep-seated psychological baggage. But I relish that this series means to not take itself seriously. I like that we get a peek into the villain(ess)'s world. Who woulda thunk it that there were such niche specialists as, say, the Broker (he finds and sells secret villain hideouts) and the Carpenter (she builds or fixes up villain lairs)? I, for one, wouldn't mind if the cute Carpenter (real name Jenna) becomes a recurring character. She builds the girls an impressive headquarters, and then blows the money paid for the gig on Vegas. What's not to love?

In these seven issues, our sexy crew does tangle with bad guys here and there, most notably with the low-rent Bonebreaker, with Hush, and the Joker. Surprisingly, the most effective storyline deals with the tragic villain dwarf Gaggy. Oh, that poor bitter dwarf.

When Bruce Wayne starts painting the town red with Harley Quinn, you didn't think Mr. J would stand around and do nothing, did you? And never mind that Bruce Wayne is supposed to be deaders. Still, when the Joker comes calling, this puts Harley Quinn in a position. She and the Joker have called it quits, but she still harbors lovey-dovey feelings for the demented clown prince of crime. It's not that startling that when Ivy and Selina have had enough of the Joker's homicidal attentions and decide to settle scores once and for all, that Harley would hem and haw and suggest an alternate option: "What about we serve him a restraining order?"

Paul Dini, who'd put his own spin on our leads when he was doing BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, comes to this series already with a feel for his cast. Most of us know that Dini actually created Harley Quinn for BATMAN: TAS. The series' tone is breezy and it feels like the reader is hanging out with the girls, soaking in their misadventures. Even though Ivy does sometimes come across as the wet blanket or the den mother. I guess hardcore environmentalists just have a hard time letting their hair down. Guillen March's style, light and not quite cartoony, fits the relaxed vibe, and he draws sensual women like it's his superpower. Some of the provocative poses in which he puts our three girls, well, you don't get that limber without agonizing thru some seriously advanced yoga. The girls look good. This series looks good. Paul Dini is still Great and Wonderful.

Being a Batman geek, it doesn't take long to love Harley Quinn. One thing I love about this comic is that you can hear Arleen Sorkin's voice coming out of every one of Harley's speech bubbles. Not that Ivy and Catwoman aren't lovable and dangerous) too. This gives you some nice up-close-and-personal relationships with all three women, along with a section focusing on a Batman (Nightwing)/Riddler team-up. With everyone else in the Batverse going to hell with their lives, it's nice to see the, by comparison, relaxed lives of the ladies as they make their own headquarters.

Paul Dini's writing is great, of course, and nobody understands Harley like her creator. And some of the lines, like Harley's "A lot of crazy thoughts go through your head just as you're about to be stabbed to death by an angry dwarf." and the "Joker"'s "Shh! Be vewy, vewy quiet. I'm hunting wascawwy wenches.", are just precious. Not to mention the fact that we finally get to see Harley's family. The "Gaggy" storyline seemed a bit odd at first, but I looked it up, and the guy really did exist way back in the early comics age, so I guess it works.

I wasn't quite sure about Guillem March's art at first, being used to Jim Lee's work on Hush, but I'm adjusting to it. You gotta love a lot of his expressions, especially. Ivy's innocent expression when admitting that she gave away thirty million dollars to charity, and Harley's ecstasy upon seeing her neice and nephew ("HI, MONKEYS!") are fantastic.

If you find that Batman's villains actually more interesting than the caped crusader himself, I'd call this a must-buy.

This is something that more comics should be...fun. While the themes were light-hearted for the most part this book was still serious. I really enjoyed hearing Ivy's and Harley's voice as it hasn't happened much in the past. I was not up to speed on the Hush and "replacement" Bruce Wayne stuff so that left me scratching my head some. The by newcomer Guillem March was very good. I didn't always enjoy his portrayal of the ladies out of costume but overall a solid book. Good stuff!

As someone who reads a variety of Batman comics, I would have to say that this series is awesome! I love Harley Quinn, so anything with her is always fun. With the addition of Poison Ivy and Catwoman, and a slew of other characters, this series is a recipe for success! The series revolves around the three girls, they team up after "Heart of Hush", Catwoman approaches Harley and Ivy to work together because she is still weak. So far my favorite issue is the christmas one! Overall, really good stories, great art, and great characters!

I've been a Batman fan since I started reading comics and this is one of the first "side" series that I have liked how the " "Sirens" work well together and have a vib to them that makes this book click. Can't wait for Vol 2