The bestselling Batman: White Knight and Batman: Curse of the White Knight series written and illustrated by Sean Murphy spin off on a new take written by international bestselling author (and Murphy's wife) Katana Collins, starring the one and only Harley Quinn.
Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn takes place two years after Batman: Curse of the White Knight. Azrael has wiped out criminals in Gotham, Jack Napier (formerly The Joker) is dead, Bruce Wayne (Batman) is in prison, and Harley Quinn is adjusting to life as a single mother, raising the twins she had with Jack.
But as new villains arise, Harley is forced to dance with madness once again and confront her own past with The Joker and Batman while helping the Gotham City police and an eager young FBI agent uncover the truth behind a series of gruesome murders.
This collection also features a chapter from Harley Quinn's newest digital first series, Harley Quinn Black + White + Red, told in a traditional black-and-white format with the color red uniquely shaping Harley Quinn's story.
Collection includes Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn #1-6 and Harley Quinn Black + White + Red #4
Katana Collins is a USA Today bestselling author of over twenty novels, novellas, and comic books in a variety of genres. She is most known for her sensual contemporary romances and her wildly popular comic book— Batman White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn with DC Comics.
When she was younger and stole her mother’s Harlequins to read beneath the covers with a flashlight, she wanted to read about the tough as nails heroine. The perfectly imperfect girl with quirks and attitude and sass. And the anti-heroes who were anything but “Prince Charming.” Forget the knight on a white horse … she wanted the bad boy on a motorcycle.
An avid animal lover, she lives in Portland, Maine with her kind of mean cat, derpy lab-pitt mix, mellow chihuahua, and very not mellow cairn terrier puppy. Oh, yeah… there’s a husband somewhere in that mix, too.
She can usually be found in a coffee shop with her nose buried in a laptop wearing fabulous (albeit sometimes impractical) shoes.
She loves connecting with book lovers like herself, and fellow sassy storytellers, so feel free to drop her an email, visit her on her website. She also loves connecting on Instagram, Facebook or in her reader group, Kat’s Kittens!
I'll be honest, I didn't think I'd like this. So, color me surprised when I opened this up and got sucked into the story.
This picks up a year or so after the events of Batman: Curse of the White Knight and follows Harley as she tries to navigate her new life. She's a single mother of twins, a consultant for GCPD, and maybe Gotham's newest vigilante.
There is a movie-themed serial killer out there who is targeting old silent film stars, and Harley is asked to consult on the case. Turns out, she may have a fan. At the same time, she's still visiting Bruce in jail and it seems to me that these two may end up together at some point. Now that would be a different take on Batman and Harley Quinn's relationship.
The flashbacks to her life with Jack/Joker were really interesting. It's not that she made good decisions, but you can see how she ended up sticking with him for so long.
I really have zero complaints and thought this was an excellent addition to the White Knight universe's storylines.
Rereading it 2 years later and my god what an awesome book it still is like the way it picks up with Harley and her motherhood state and what she does here balancing life and helping GTO vs this new serial killer of golden age film stars named "The producer" and her accomplice "Starlet" and her connection with their FBI liaison its so awesomely told, I love the slow burn and reveal here and like it totally challenges Harleys world view or something, and her connection with Bruce, maybe a romance even and its great to see that and the writer thrives on these moments! Unlike the previous 2 volumes, its lot less epic and more grounded and its good, focusing on the character moments, the strange origins of small events and like those add up to create such a great tapestry of a story and that's why I freaking love it! _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Its one of the greatest Harley quinn stories ever! It starts off with the aftermath of Curse of the WK where Bruce is behind Bars, Harley is the sole hero maybe and she gets an offer from duke about some consultancy and she does assist him and from there the whole spiral of things start where they are assisted with Hector Quimby and the golden age actors murder and a new villain called The Producer and his Starlet and its them vs these people and Bruce assists behind the scene and we get the whole Hollywood drama and how Hector is connected to the Starlet and big revelations of Harley's past about her relationship with Jack and Joker and encounters with Batman and then the eventual fight and great climax! Its one of those books that can be read again and again and still be fun! Also great focus on Bruce and Red hood, and that new costume is wow and a new mission statement for Harley in the end! This book was perfect because it balances so many plots well and the writing is incredible and the art even better!
Another great outing from Sean Murphy's Elseworlds Batman series. This time we focus on Harley Quinn while she tries to juggle motherhood and being a criminologist when a new villain comes on the scene. The story is interesting. Scalera's art is great. An all-around success.
Another awesome book in the In the White Knight universe. The Curse of the White Knight is one of the favourite Batman comics of any bat universe.
For my Harley has been a break out star of comics in 2021. I know she has been around for a long time, but this is the year I actually took notice of her as her own character and a hero. I like that book kind of mirror this a Harley is trying to find herself and who she is.
A good story as well, a bit of misdirection as well as to the main villains and their motives. More on Harley and Jack/Joker's relationship. Of course, Bruce is here as well. Though he is in jail, he is still Bstman. However, this is Harley's story.
The book contains the six issues of this mini series and a short story from Harley's black and white short story compilation. Every story starts with the issue cover and a varient cover gallery at the end.
I keep waiting for the law of diminishing returns to kick in with this series but I still really enjoyed this volume. This book joins our cast two years after the end of the last volume and the world is a very different place with Bruce Wayne behind bars and the Joker pushing up daisies.
As the title would indicate, this book focuses on Harley Quinn and she makes a fine protagonist; just a little too damaged to be 100% likeable but always engaging. This is a Harley that's a far cry from the cinema version, so folks who don't like the Robbie Quinn might want to check this book out.
I really like how the writers of this series use continuity elements from the Tim Burton Batman movies and the '90s animated series here. I particularly liked the inclusion of the Grey Ghost, as that was one of my favourite episodes of the cartoon show.
As long as this book continues to be this good, I'll certainly keep reading.
A bit of a sloppy sequel to the previous White Knight books. I appreciate trying to give HQ something to do that isn't Jack/Joker based, but the plot feels muddled. It doesn't help that the Producer is a weak villain, I still don't really know who he is, and why he does what he does.
I do still like this version of HQ a lot, would like to read more of her.
I really enjoyed this because it explores the relationship between Harley and the Joker from a different perspective--a perspective that gives Harley a lot more agency than she has in the main continuity. That makes this worth reading.
Pretty good story of Harley Quinn discovering her agency and becoming Gotham's new hero in the wake of Bruce Wayne's imprisonment at the end of the previous White Knight story (this is an alternate take on Batman and his milieu). Pretty good artwork throughout, though some of Matteo Scalera's panels are a bit hard to fathom.
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
Our past has a way to sneak up on us when we least expect it. Despite our most humble and profound desire to obtain a clean state, to restart our lives anew, and to pursue new values and principles, there is an uncomfortable and daunting instinct that kicks in when our most memorable memories flood our conscious in an attempt to question our existence. For the ex-underworld Queen and single mother of two, Harley Quinn, life has not been the same since the two most important people of her life are now out of the picture. Collaborating with her husband Sean Murphy, writer Katana Collins explores one of the most beloved characters within the Murphyverse series, Harley Quinn, as she tackles both her past, present, and future in an unpredictable murder mystery. This graphic novel collects all six issues of the original series and features issue #4 from Harley Quinn’s newest digital-first series, Harley Quinn Black + White + Red.
What is Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn about? Two years after the events in Batman: Curse of the White Knight, The Joker/Jack Napier is now gone and Batman/Bruce Wayne is behind bars. Harley Quinn continues to juggle her single-mom life, twins she had with Jack, her two trusty hyenas, and a haunting past that remains difficult to disentangle, even more, to get rid of. With the arrival of a criminal uprising following Azrael’s reign, led by a new villain and his recruit, known as the Producer and Starlet, Gotham is once again threatened by chaos and anarchy. The mysterious series of gruesome murders of Golden Age film stars thus highlights the dark nights of Gotham. Somehow connected to the Joker, these murders lead the Gotham City police department and the FBI to consult Harley. Her professional background and unique history make her an indispensable ally in solving this case before more victims fall prey to these killers.
In this what-if universe, Joker had regained his sanity, and Batman was seen as the villain and source of all crime in Gotham. Beyond those two pivotal characters to an engaging and fantastic series so far, Harley Quinn was a welcome and captivating twist with her unique role in the story. It was only a matter of time before she received her own title and fans couldn’t have asked for a better story than this one where they not only revisit her past, brilliantly exploring her determination and perseverance in helping Jack Napier/the Joker from spiraling into madness, on top of her relationship with Batman, but also portraying her new life where she has yet to learn to juggle multiple identities herself. With an intriguing mystery serving as the driving force of the narrative, it allows her character to be guided by Bruce Wayne’s wisdom while also seeking answers regarding the person she wishes to become for herself, for her twins, and for the city that allowed her to acquaint with love, loss, and mayhem.
Surprisingly, artist Matteo Scalera remains incredibly faithful to creator Sean Murphy’s artwork in this graphic novel. It is incredibly lively, filled with emotion, and oozing with dynamism. Stylish at heart, it is also modern in design, fully maximizing the characters’ potential for original designs that make for exciting and unforgettable moments. Dave Stewart’s colours are also brilliantly utilized to establish a vivid yet sinister tone to the story arc. The artwork simply flows together effortlessly and gives the narrative the edge it seeks to deliver an engaging murder mystery with subtle yet quintessential character development. While the story is a bit more verbose, it is never detrimental to the reader’s immersion or interest; instead, giving the story more opportunities to explore psychological mindsets.
Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn is a brilliant spin-off within the Murphyverse that explores an antihero’s journey of self-discovery post-adversity and -tragedy.
Basically takes place two years after the events of Curse of the White Knight. Joker is dead, Batman in Prison, Harley taking care of her kids. Now there's a new killer in town and they're attacking some big names, from movies long ago. This leads Harley to get involved and see if she can find who it is and stop them.
Some really great work here with Harley. Her growth in this series is really amplified here, with excellent moments both in the past and current. I also thing her as a mother is great, and works well for this version. The new characters introduced are okay, feel little underdeveloped, but her and Duke are great, as is Bruce.
In the wake of some very explicit violence in previous White Knight storylines by Sean Murphy, the criminal backbone of Gotham City has been broken and the city is seeing some semblance of peace. Until, that is a new criminal rises.
Dr. Harleen Quinzel, the villain formerly known as Harley Quinn, has special ties to this new villain so her advice and insight is sought by the GTO in hopes of ending the new reign of terror before it gets too bad. But Harley has demons of her own she must face and slay before she can truly help the GTO.
I love Murphy's White Knight line of comics. The stories are interesting and highly accessible even to the layest of Batman fans. And he has totally transformed Harley into one of my favorite comic characters ever. His interpretation is fantastic and easily my favorite version.
But, I have to point out that this particular storyline is only PRESENTED by Sean Murphy. The story is actually written by his wife, romance novelist Katana Collins. And she knocks it out of the park. It's obvious she understands Harley and her motivations and I really hope she returns for a second go at the character.
i really love what the white knight series has done with harley she’s arguably the best character in this universe. i’m glad we got a story where she was front and center i love the way this showed more of her character and expanding upon her background with jack, how they fell in love and what lead her to become harley quinn and what ultimately had her break away. the series does a great job at focusing on her inner turmoil and the conflictitions she has with who she is and having to come to terms with the duality in her life. i think the main villain was great her introduction felt very much in the same vein as batman tas (a lot of what the white knight draws inspiration from) i hope we eventually see her again maybe in the main dc universe. the art in here was also gorgeous i love scalera’s art it adds so much more depth to the story with its visual metaphors and capture the noir style of the comic that feels akin to batman tas and the main white knight series.
After Curse of the White Knight seemingly burned everything down, I figured the Murphy-verse would be over. Not so fast! In comes Katana Collins with a continuation that's described as standalone, but is clearly a piece of the grander Murphy-verse mythos.
I was surprised by the quality writing from Collins, a comic newbie. Pacing, plotting, and even dialogue were all well done. Harley Quinn is a fairly simplistic story (don't expect many twists), but it's crisp and coherent, which is maybe more than can be said for Curse of the White Knight. Harley Quinn tackles a bland new criminal with the GTO while occasionally exploring her early days with Jack Napier/the Joker. The book is strongest when it's covering the current-day mystery - the Joker pieces feel tacked on, basically just a method for expanding the Murphy-verse.
Of course, Harley Quinn would be merely good without Matteo Scalera's artwork. The rich colors and detailed designs more than match Sean Murphy's artwork in the previous volumes. Honestly, between the art and gonzo storytelling, I'm more intrigued by the Murphy-verse these days than the traditional Batman comics.
Actually really liked this very different rendition of Harley Quinn and how much more detail we got about her here as opposed to the original White Knight books.
Adding to the mythos and shifting points for Harley Quinn is an interesting, yet fairly predictable choice. The married due Murphy and Collins write a fresh (at least for me) take on Harley Quinn a few years after the Curse of the White Knight. The book is shorter, Murphy is just writing and the art is done by Matteo Scallera, who is stellar and clearly takes inspiration and style from Murphy. And once again, I am little bit conflicted. Had this story been focused on Harley, her life and multiple new roles - I think I would have loved it so much. But the plot about the supervillain just did not make me care about them at all and the story suffered by that a lot.
The Murphyverse has a lot of things I love and really enjoy, but for some reason give them only once in a while. I thought that with the heavy focus on Jason Todd we would learn more about him, and the climax of the previous book, but no. It just feels like we have skipped a few years and a lot of important conversations. Another thing that drove me nuts is that Harley was shown as the one person Batman could not sneak up on, and here she is clumsy and being caught left and right. I understand that a few years have passed, but it felt like maybe I've missed the joke there.
Overall the Harley Quinn stuff is great. She is witty, and smart, her family is interesting you understand her motivations and issues, the supporting cast as well, neat spins with Batman, Joker are still built upon and yet the villain drags it down very much and makes it into a forgettable one-off story.
One thing is for sure, I will remember this version of Harley Quinn much more than the current one in the comics and miss Murphy's version.
It's been two years since the second installment of the "Batman: White Knight" series and a lot has changed in Gotham since Azrael ushered in a new era of peace, Bruce Wayne has been locked up for outing himself as the Batman, and Harley Quinn has killed the Joker. This installment of the series may as well be called "Batman: White Knight Book 2.5" since it's really a side story - a personal one about Harleen Quinzel reconciling all of the different parts of herself (the struggling mother, the former criminal, the psychiatrist, and the wannabe hero) into one coherent whole against the backdrop of the GTO recruiting her to help them crack the case of a serial killer going around Gotham City murdering former, black-and-white movie stars.
DC has done a lot with the character of Harley Quinn over the years. She was introduced as the Joker's henchwoman, in an abusive, one-sided "romantic" relationship with the Clown Prince of Crime, before going on to being a single member of the Suicide Squad struggling with her former feelings for the Joker and her current feelings for Deadshot, to finally (and most popularly) being a member of the Gotham City Sirens and going from being Poison Ivy's bestie to romantic love interest. However, I believe that what the storytellers behind the ongoing "White Knight" saga have been doing with the character is the most fascinating - turning her into a still competent (if disbarred) psychiatrist and former criminal; making her a single mom struggling with raising children who believes her greatest failure was being unable to reform the Joker, while struggling with what Batman and members of the GTO and GCPD keep telling her - that she can be a hero and do good. I like Harley on her own, being her own woman, and that's certainly what she is in this story. To me, it's the best depiction of the character.
What the writers of this comic series also managed to do, to great effect, is create and introduce two brand new Batman villains - The Producer and the Starlet - who earn their place amongst the Dark Knight's greatest and most iconic rogues (and whom I hope appear again in the future). Not only that, but I loved the way they weaved the fan-favorite Simon Trent - a.k.a. The Gray Ghost - into this story in a small, yet integral role, and really made you become attached to and feel for Harley's two hyenas - Lou and Bud, who up until this point have been little more than an extension of her armory. I won't get into spoilers here, because the less you know going into this chapter of the "White Knight" saga the better, but it leaves both Harley and the other citizens of Gotham who play ancillary roles in this tale - including Bruce Wayne himself - in fascinating places at the end of the story, leaving me itching for the confirmed third installment of the story we know is on the way (which allegedly will be a riff on "Batman Beyond" and take place sometime in the future after Bruce Wayne serves his ten-year jail sentence). All I can say is, I hope Harley dons her new "noir costume" going forward, because it's truly badass and represents a new beginning and direction for the once downtrodden Dr. Quinzel.
The "White Knight" books released so far keep yielding high returns on the monetary and time investments readers sink into them and for that, I'm grateful. Taken together, it's the greatest standalone Batman/Gotham story told in comics in years; "Harley Quinn" lives up to its predecessors, and I hope the imminent third installment can live up to them as well. I have no doubt, this series will go down amongst comic fans as essential reading when it comes to the Caped Crusader and his lore as classics like "Year One", "The Long Halloween", "The Killing Joke", and "The Dark Knight Returns". Yes, it is *that* good. As such, like the two previous installments in the series, I'm giving "Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn" a perfect five-out-of-five stars. (And yes, for the record, I started the book today - June 30th - and finished it the same day, the story and its art were both that compelling.)
This is certainly a worthy addition to the White Knight Batman universe (Murphyverse)! While I initially did not like how much retconning this jams into Harley and Jack's past, it felt so real by the end.
Giving more time to explore this Harley is a beautiful thing! Her journey through here is genuinely thought provoking and, as is always the case with this series, goes in directions that are very different from the rest of Batman canons! The art is irresistibly wonderful!
Cet épisode du "Murphy verse" autour de Batman est une vraie réussite. Le ton reste très adulte sans se prendre au sérieux. J'adore le traitement du personnage de Harley Quinn, la qualité de la création d'une psychologie très riche. Le dessin est cette fois confié à un autre auteur que j'aime particulièrement, Matteo Scalera, dont j'ai adoré la créativité sur la série Black Science. À lire !
I really liked the original White Knight storyline and I’ll have to back track to the few I missed in between. But I’m loving what the writers and illustrators are doing with these characters!!!
loved loved loved this. beautiful artwork and beautiful story of harley trying to figure out how all the different facets of her personality fit together - esp as now she’s a mother.
Batman: White Knight Presents Harley Quinn collects issues 1-6 of the series as well as material from Harley Quinn: Black+White+Red #6. Written by Katana Collins and Sean Murphy with art by Matteo Scalera.
Set a couple of years after the events of the Curse of the White Knight, Harley Quinn is still reeling in the death of Jack Napier and the arrest of Bruce Wayne. A new serial killer is on the loose targeting Gotham golden age movie stars and Harley decides to join to GTO to help bring the killer to justice.
One of the best characters from the White Knight universe gets her own book and it is well worth it. Harley may be going through some mental issues and depression, but she is still a fantastically strong character. I love her relationship with Bruce in this series. The Jack Napier/Harley origin is very different from the one we are familiar with which took some time to get used to, but it works. It paints the Joker in a completely different light. If you have enjoyed the other White Knight books or looking for a different type of Harley or Batman book, give this a read.
Really great series, that continues the excellent writing of this White Knight series of books! So this volume takes place some time after Curse of the White Knight, with relative peace in Gotham. Harley is recruited by the GTO, to look into a series of murders as a criminal profiler.
While this series is technically a spin off and filler book before Sean Murphy's eventual third White Knight series comes out, this book would probably be required reading as a lot happens! I really enjoy this version of Harley who has tries to escape the criminal life but keeps being drawn back into her it. We also get cool flashbacks to before Harley knew Jack, and the life they had before the Joker, and I also enjoy the friendship she has with Bruce. I also love the art style which remains faithful to the art style of the previous White Knight books.
But overall, another enjoyable Batman book and a great dive into this fantastic Elseworld universe!