Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass

I had been looking forward to this for a long time after reading the supergirl: Being Super series by the author, and i was not disappointed, this is another reimagining of Harley Quinn aimed at the younger teen market, therefore al the characters are aged down a bit. But for me the themes and story here get exactly to the point about Harley Quinn and what has made her such a fascinating character.I would recommend this to all fans of Harley Quinn, but particularly to younger people looking for an accessible way into the mythology of the character.

Tone of voice was exactly right plus fun teen high school stuff, ethical crime dilemmas and drag queens with heats of gold. Very well done.

Harley's sincere, but not smart. This is her childhood, self narrated, and it's a wonderful read. The artwork's absolutely wonderful too.

My daughter is starting Year 8 (12) and was looking for something different to read instead of a novel. As she likes Harley Quinn, and I saw someone recommended these books for engaging reading, I thought I would order one.She has really enjoyed them, but it comes with a note of caution that there is swearing in the books. So just have a look through before hand to see if you are comfortable with your child accessing a book with some swear words in.

My daughter really enjoyed this

Young Harleen Quinzel moves to Gotham City and is taken in by Mama, the local drag queen. Harlee finally feels like she belongs, until a large corporation threatens to take away Mama's home and a new figure calling himself the Joker enters her life.This has to be my favourite of the recent DC novels I've read. Harley Quinn is absolutely iconic and so fun to read about, plus it features my favourite DC character: Poison Ivy.Harley Quinn: Breaking Novel is a Harley origin story all about found family and friendships, rebellion and difficult decisions.I loved Harlee's character. She's a little strange, of course, but she's wild and brave and kind. The comic really captured her rebellious personality and a unique voice, telling the story in a way that was so wonderfully Harlee. The drawing style is amazing! It perfectly reflects both the storyline and Harlee's vibrant personality and made the book come to life in the perfect way. This comic just had so much personality that it didn't really matter what the plot was, and the fact that the plot was great too is such a bonus!The storyline really focuses on Harlee's development and personal problems rather than having an evil supervillain, which I loved. Harlee is carefree, but as the plot progresses and the people she cares for are put at risk we can see her becoming more determined and focused, which was really interesting. Though she does have her own way of fighting back, I loved seeing her become more morally aware and caring for others.I loved the relationship between Ivy and Harlee. Despite them being so different, they really were there for each other and I think that Ivy had a big impact on Harlee's character development. I've always been #1 IvyQuinn shipper so even though in this novel their relationship is purely platonic, I just adored every scene they were in together.Overall, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass was a thoroughly enjoyable and moving origin story for one of my favourite DC characters that I can't wait to see continued.

fantastically written and illustrated

I was so excited at the beginning of this book, I am a huge Harley fan and I’m trying to read all her graphic novels.I couldn’t even finish this.It started strong, I don’t even mind that it was a new sort of look at Harley’s life. I know a lot of comics have a different kind of origins like DC bombshells (which I think is great). Every time Ivy speaks I want to throw the book across the room.I agree with everything she’s saying, as I’m sure most people with a brain and a heart would. Though it was nothing to do with the story and it is so forced and makes me cringe so bad.If you can read this panel and not feel super uncomfortable and cringe then, go figure, you’ll probably love this. I however would like to refund/resell this at the earliest available date.Art is nice though!

Variatie op een thema.

Book came in excellent quality and without even a single crease.

Mariko Tamaki and Steve Pugh’s “Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass” reinterprets Harley Quinn as a high school girl living in Gotham in the modern day. The concept resembles Jeffrey Thomas’s cancelled animated series, “Gotham High,” though Tamaki avoids the urge to force cameos of familiar characters, instead telling her own story. Using the income inequality of a major city like Gotham and the power structures that reinforce it as a backdrop, Tamaki focuses on Harley Quinn finding a group of misfits to call family and the struggles they go though just to find some joy in a world that seeks to grind them down. Along the way she meets Ivy, who introduces Harley to ways she can challenge the status quo, though Quinn naturally makes those ideas her own. The spoiled sons of the wealthy demonstrate all the sociopathic tendencies one would expect from children who have never had to face the consequences of their actions, with John Kane, heir to the Kane fortune and Millennium Enterprises, leading the bunch. Tamaki plays with the concept of performative identity in the story. Harley discovers her own as the story progresses, learning from drag queens how to express her bubbly personality through flamboyance. If she and her friends are expressing their inner joy to the world, people like the Kanes use a mask of joy to hide their soullessness. As Tamaki writes, “Harleen’s mother said to watch out for anyone who can’t smile with their eyes” (pg. 64). In nearly every scene, artist Steve Pugh perfectly depicts the Kanes’ smiles more like rictus grins than anything friendly. Through Ivy, Tamaki sums up the timeliness of the book’s message. Facing the eviction of her entire neighborhood to pave the way for luxury condos, Ivy says, “This is not just about Mama. Or you. Or me. It’s not just about Gotham. It’s everywhere. It’s corporations before communities. It’s a system that protects the rich, ----- the poor. That keeps the powerful, powerful and the oppressed, oppressed. It always has. It always will” (pg. 92). This comes through in Pugh’s art, which brilliantly uses color to set the mood. His depiction of characters is dynamic and lifelike while his color washes evoke emotion in a way more traditional coloring might not. DC markets their DC Ink line of graphic novels to young adults and “Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass” shows that, like other current YA fiction, they’re not shying away from addressing serious topics. Tamaki and Pugh write honestly about issues that teens will understand and they don’t try to sugarcoat the hard facts. Their book uses Quinn to tell a story that’s both faithful to her character and relevant to readers, further demonstrating the power of graphic novels.

Der Autor wählt hier eine andere Sichtweise auf den Charakter Harleen Quinzel, die bekannterweise später zu Harley Quinn wird. Diese Version wirkt weniger comichaft und könnte so auch in jeder heutigen Großstadt spielen. Also wer sich für den Charakter Harleen Quinzel interessiert, wird begeistert sein. Wer hingegen einen Comic im Stil der Harley Quinn Comicreihen erwartet, wird mit dieser Version eher seine Probleme haben.

This book is so full of imagination, and is such a perfect match of author and artist.From the author: the characters are awesome, the dialog is great, the story is original and absorbing from start to finish. I especially love Mama. She's the kind of character that it's hard to accept that she's fictional. She is SO real and likeable in the book, I really want to meet her.From the artist: the depiction of the characters, and their expressions, is so real, and so unique, that every one of these characters springs to life. And the shading and coloring! I've never seen coloring like this, where the artist purposely uses a limited palette. Steve Pugh pulls it off like a master. Almost every page brought a new gasp of enjoyment.I really don't the last time I've enjoyed a book this much.