RIP Octavia Butler you would have loved xenogenders

I've never read a Batman comic, I don't really read superhero comics, I haven't liked any Batman movie I've ever watched other than Lego Batman. The only DC comic I've ever read is V for Vendetta, so I don't really know how qualified I am to critique this book. I've had my eye on it for years because I love Šejić's art style, particularly the way he draws Wonder Woman. I really appreciate a man working with superhero comics who draws women built like a tank, so I was really looking forward to this book. 

A lot of these layouts were pretty atrocious. Maybe this is the standard for DC, but they're bad. Sometimes it really feels like they're cramming as many panels on the page as they possibly can. I know the physical book is pretty big, so many it isn't as annoying as a physical copy, but reading the digital edition on my phone was god awful. The full grids of vertically oriented panels were weird and ugly and it fucks with the pacing a bit. 

I am a fan of Harley Quinn as a character. I think watching a character get dragged into an abusive relationship that she knows is bad is fascinating. I think descents into madness are fascinating. I think there's a lot of interesting things to play around with. I don't have a massive scathing review of the way Harley was seduced in this particular book, I'm more annoyed that Harley starts to fold because Joker tells her he wants to see her smile. It's something every woman has had hurled at her on the streets on her way to work or pick up groceries. Personally, I think it's a little irresponsible and disrespectful to have that one particular line be the thing that a character starts obsessing over and turns into a "romance."

I think the characterization of Harley, Joker, and Harvey Dent were interesting. I could have done without the very Disney-esque "adorkability" of Harley in the beginning, especially since that only really seemed present for maybe 10 pages, but I also don't know how I would fix it because I do think it's a disservice to the character to make her completely serious before her transformation into Harley Quinn. 

I'm also not a fan of how Joker and Harvey both look like Tumblr Sexymen. Make them look fucked up and old and haggard. This is a guy who keeps breaking out of prison and a fucking district attorney. They're from fucking Jersey. No man in Jersey looks like that. 

A really important introduction to intersectionality, blackness, and queerness. definitely telling everyone i know it's required reading 

not the kind of book i think i can listen to as an audiobook