Review by Karl Verhoven

Gotham crossover story Fear State provides the background for the opening three chapters of Keepsake. Chaos is the order of the day, but that’s standard for Harley. Stephanie Phillips makes use of the background to continue her own plots rather than greatly tie into the main event, which is welcome. Hugo Strange was the primary threat to Harley in No Good Deed, and his plans continue here, nutty in exploring his Batman fixation.

The cover showing Harley and Kevin about to be savaged by a bear is a passing moment during a country retreat beginning Harley’s search for Poison Ivy, or at least that’s the theory. In fact more of Strange’s plan evolves, and it’s utterly bonkers in creating ersatz versions of Batman’s villains to match his ersatz Batman. Three madcap chapters lead into the bigger search for Ivy.

Series artist Riley Rossmo was a divisive selection, but brings something new and different to Harley. Laura Braga’s polished cartooning on a single chapter is a throwback to the way Harley’s adventures were previously drawn, and very nice it is too, but Rossmo’s art adds an air of menace. His distorted figures sweep over fragmented, expressionistic backgrounds, yet as the sample spread shows, he’s also capable of a stylish approximation of the old madcap layouts.

Ivy has been somewhat of a drag on Harley, and she eventually goes her own way as Strange has done, leaving the deliberately ridiculous Keepsake as the primary threat. Phillips has a nice line in psychological banter: “The trolley problem you are asking me to solve usually asks philosophy students to examine Kantian ethics versus consequentialist reasoning…” and the way she pulls together assorted exploited misfits is charming. They’re already making a fine supporting cast packing surprises, and that continues into Verdict.

Before then, though, there’s a flashback that might have been better placed at the collection’s start, as it delves into Keepsake’s background and his peculiar obsessions. Kevin is used well soliciting help from Gotham’s villains, Keepsake’s sleaziness is amusingly highlighted, and there’s a good payoff. David Lafuente is the most appealing of the three artists used, his clean style the polar opposite of Rossmo’s wild experimentation, but rich in personality.

After two volumes it’s clear Harley is safe in Phillips’ hands.