Review: Harley Quinn: The Animated Series – The Real Sidekicks of New Gotham Special #1

Overview: Harley Quinn has never been more popular than right now with her hit animated show on HBO Max. DC looks to capitalize on that success by putting her and her co-stars at the forefront in Harley Quinn: The Animated Series – The Real Sidekicks of New Gotham Special #1.

Editor’s Note: Due to the anthology nature of this collection, we will feature a synopsis and analysis for each story rather than breaking up the synopsis and analysis. Spoilers are sure to be revealed.

Story #1: “Tawny Talks” by writer Tee Franklin and artist Max Sarin

Synopsis: Tawny and her talk show acts as an interlude between stories as she has all the characters as her guests.

Analysis: There’s not much here in the first story in Harley Quinn: The Animated Series – The Real Sidekicks of New Gotham Special #1. Tawny either has the characters on to preview the upcoming short story or as a review of what just happened.

Story #2: “Double Date” by writer Tee Franklin and artist ONeil Jones

Synopsis: Vixen is telling her girlfriend Elle that she has to go to Gotham City to do recon for Batman and wants to make a trip out of it. Elle texts Harley and Poison Ivy because they’re friends. They go out on a double date, and Elle comments on how it is awkward that Vixen, being a hero, is out enjoying a meal with Harley and Ivy. Elle has an amputated leg, and it can hurt on occasion, so Ivy gives Elle a special plant that helps deal with the pain. The White Rabbit attacks the restaurant looking to steal from the rich patrons. Vixen, Harley, and Ivy leap into action. Harley saves a woman who claims that the White Rabbit is her sister but then disappears as the White Rabbit disappears. Ivy comments that she’s sure this woman will return to haunt them. After the girls go out for ice cream, Harley asks if they would like to hit up a strip club.

Analysis: The best part of this story was the relationship between Vixen and Elle. They had great chemistry that is tough to establish in such a short story. The double date was fun to see with Harley and Ivy, and seeds are planted with the White Rabbit for future stories.

Story #3: “Identity Crisis” by writer Alexis Quasarano and artist Erica Henderson

Synopsis: Barbara Gordon has a final where she has to hack into the Wayne Security website, and while doing that, she comes across an imposter in a Batgirl costume trying to hack into Bruce Wayne’s bank information. Babs dons her Batgirl costume (virtually, of course) and finds that it is her classmate Noah who is trying to hack into Bruce’s files. Batgirl is able to stop Noah and passes her final before time runs out.

Analysis: Out of all the stories in this book, this was the weakest for me. In the Tawny talk show segment it was revealed that Noah is actually Noah Kuttler aka The Calculator. Batgirl vs the Calculator could be a fun rivalry for the future, but will we see that play out in the animated show? Or for a future comic? If not, then this story was pointless.

Story #4: “Showtime!” by writer Conner Shin and artist Logan Faerber

Synopsis: Clayface moves to Las Vegas and stars in a show as every character, but the success overwhelms him. His manager comes to him with an offer from a mobster who wants him to perform at his daughter’s Sweet 16, but Clayface refuses. Instead, Clayface goes on a “Clayface’s day off” in total Ferris Bueller-style, but the mob finds him anyway.  The daughter wants him to be the DJ to embarrass him because he has become an A-list Star. Clayface tries to escape but comes across the mobster’s men. Luckily, he is saved by a girl named Annie, who is Clayface’s daughter, who he created but forgot about for a year. Clayface asks how she survived, and she said that she found different ways until she decided to infiltrate a high school. Clayface is impressed and wants to actually raise her and be a good father. Annie reluctantly says she’ll think about it.

Analysis: This story was a fun nod to the Batman: The Animated Series episode “Growing Pains” in which Robin comes across a lost girl named Annie, but the twist is that she is actually a part of Clayface. Now, Clayface’s relationship with Annie is wildly different from that episode, but it was fun to see that reference.

Story #5: “Wild Ride” by writer and artist Jimmy Mosqueda

Synopsis: Dr. Psycho has his son, Herman, staying with him but doesn’t know how to connect with him and looks to Joker and King Shark for advice (not the best pair to turn to). While on the way home from the bar, a portal attacks them. They wake up in a house and are attacked by a maniac with a chainsaw. While running away from the chainsaw, that same portal attacks them. The three wake up in a Saw-style operating room. King Shark comments on how these scenarios are like the ones in horror movies. Psycho puts it together that Herman has similar abilities to his. Psycho helps Herman control his powers, and they end up back home, finally bonding as father and son.

Analysis: This version of Dr Psycho is definitely a bad guy. He does not treat people well at all, so it was nice to see him get a win by finally bonding with his son. All the goodwill that Psycho gathered was immediately blown in the Tawny segment as he treated Herman’s mother, Giganta, extremely poorly.  Giganta and Herman left Psycho hanging on a camera. This story was unnecessary. 

Story #6: “Two Jokers” by writer Jamiesen Borak and artist Jon Mikel

Synopsis: Mayor Joker is giving himself a key to the city but is alerted by a member of his staff that the Joker is calling him. The other Joker is a friend from college who is dressed as the Joaquin Phoenix version of the character. Phoenix Joker says Joker has changed and gone soft, and they have a fight with giant keys to the city. The fight stops when they come across a picture of the two of them and Jared Leto Joker who is dead. They stop their fighting, and Mayor Joker says that he has changed but is still that same egomaniacal clown the other Joker knows and loves.  Phoenix Joker is a comedian who isn’t very good, so at the speech, Mayor Joker is giving, he has Phoenix Joker do some stand-up and then gasses everyone. They laugh to make Phoenix Joker feel better about himself.

Analysis: This was probably my favorite story of Harley Quinn: The Animated Series – The Real Sidekicks of New Gotham Special #1. It was a fun play on Three Jokers and a good way to poke fun at the Joaquin Phoenix and Jared Leto versions of the Clown Prince of Crime. This story felt tacked on because there was no Tawny segment, but I think that worked for the better.

Editor’s Note: DC Comics provided TBU with a copy of this comic for review purposes. You can find this comic and help support TBU in the process by purchasing this issue digitally on Comixology through Amazon or a physical copy of the title through Things From Another World.