Once upon a time a young man is casually browsing the graphic novel section of his local library, he picks up Hush and as he reads he is taken a back by a bubbly blur of black and red bounding and cartwheeling across the pages. Fast forward almost a decade and that same young man puts down his copy of Detective Comics #23.2 and has to wonder just what is going on. Let's reel it in a bit because Harley Quinn #1 isn't an absolutely abysmal comic but it's also not a particularly great one either and this reviewer is undecided as to whether this article should list the good points before it launches into the bad, or get the bad out of the way before it tries and salvage some good. Let's go with the latter. Despite early assurances to the contrary one does ponder; what if pre-Flashpoint Harley Quinn and post-Flashpoint Harley Quinn are ultimately completely different entities? True, the amazing, and highly recommended, Gotham City Sirens ends with it's three female leads going their separate ways. This itself would conveniently segue into a new continuity for Harley, Ivy and Selina, but, as the New 52 Harley Quinn is developed one begins to wonder what of her pre-established continuity actually occurred? Having done so; what would be compatible with the compressed five year bat- history and revised origins for Harley that we are given in Suicide Squad issues six, seven, to some degree fourteen, fifteen and now this Villain month one shot? Yes Harley is still an intelligent, under appreciated maverick psychologist from humble beginnings and yes she begins to develop a dangerous fascination with not only hardcore psychotics but also one in particular. Fascination leads to infatuation but this defining relationship with the Joker is given such little attention as to be almost disdainful. When we are indulged it is presented with an unsettling sense of sadism rather than the gleeful slapstick abandon of stories like Mad Love. We then move on to the story behind Harley's new costume which admittedly is a somewhat humorous interlude and does go someway towards, if only for a few pages, succeeding in portraying the strong independent Harley that we'd been told she would evolve into. The story then flashes forward to a few days before Forever Evil #1's iconic meeting at the fallen Watchtower, with Harley pulling off a scheme worthy of her creator and mentor. That said despite the quite entertaining use of disguise and deceit the finale; involving the mass murder of children, would barely even be comical had the Joker himself perpetrated it. The issue here is this, for a character who is apparently being portrayed as stronger and more empowered than her prior incarnation Harley seems to still be defined by the men in her life. Not only through some vague attempt to emulate the Joker or by the way the story wraps with Harley being white knighted by Deadshot but also by the fact she is now created by the Joker rather than creating a persona as an inspiring compliment to him. In this particular stories defense we are presented with a daughter who manages to prove her overbearing father wrong, so as I say it isn't all bad. Other reviewers have been far more scathing and uncharitable so let's finish with attempting to draw out some positives. Firstly, the art. From Chris Burnham's delightful, if somewhat misleading, cover to the interior work of Neil Googe and Wil Quintana we are treated to something of the living cartoon clown many of us fell in love with. Then of course there are certain elements of the story which in their own right are refreshing, but as part of a greater narrative are problematic or downright uncomfortable. Finally, as one reviews a comic one has to read it multiple times and in Harley Quinn #1's defense the initial sense of dissatisfaction wanes with each reread but sadly doesn't completely disappear. Perhaps in the same madly devoted and futile way Harley once hoped the Joker would love her back, this reviewer cannot help but hope the recently announced Harley Quinn solo series brings a little something back of the character we knew and loved.