Following her debut in Batman: The Animated Series, the popularity of Harley Quinn boomed to the point where DC could actually release a series, with her as the main character, and sell a reasonable number of comics. So, in late 2000, they did just that. With Karl Kesel writing and Terry Dodson on pens, Harley Quinn took off. The title may have ended in 2003 but, a couple weeks ago, DC released a hardcover collection, Harley Quinn: Preludes & Knock-knock Jokes, that includes the first seven issues of the comic.

Having never read anything else by Karl Kesel, I’m not entirely sure how this little collection would stack up against his other work. Regardless, he keeps Harley and company in character extremely well with her zany off-the-wall antics and great cameos by some of the great villains in Batman’s realm. While Kesel’s writing, in my opinion, started to lose some steam in the later issues of this title, these seven issues were the best of the bunch and are a great read for any fans of Ms. Quinzel.

Terry Dodson has been one of my favorite artists since I first saw his work in Marvel Knights Spider-Man. Since Harley Quinn’s book is mainly based around her and her group of girlfriends, Dodson’s art fits in perfectly. His soft lines and simple, yet detailed figures are a nice contrast to the crazy action and fast-paced writing of Kesel. There are a couple shots that aren’t quite as pretty as some of his newer work but overall, Terry manages to create a really fitting environment for Kesel’s writing to take place in.

Harley Quinn: Preludes & Knock Knock Jokes

7.9/10 (How’d you get that?)

If you’re in the market for a comic that really doesn’t take itself too seriously and doesn’t rely much on the rest of the DCU, give this one a look. It’s a fun comic that should fit in nicely with readers or fans of the Batman comics. Also, this trade includes some of the best issues so you know you’re getting the best that Harley Quinn has to offer.