mariko tamaki harley quinn breaking glass

The Kanes, one of Gotham’s elite families, are trying to send Harley and her friends’ whole block hurtling into a shiny new future with little care for the residents who’ve spent most of their lives in this community. Mama takes Harley in, she starts attending Gotham High, becomes best friends with Ivy, grows close with the Queens- Mama’s friends and fellow drag queens- and things are good… Until they aren’t. Instead of grandma, she finds Mama, a drag queen who owns the karaoke cabaret below her grandmother’s apartment. The story opens with Harley stepping off a bus, on a quest to find her grandma. She’s still the same Harley I’ve come to know: funny, quirky, prone to violence, and in love with a good hot dog.

Yes, It might be a total reimagining of Harley in high school, but Mariko Tamaki has a good grasp on Harley as a character. In fact, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. I was afraid Breaking Glass would follow suit, but I’m happy to say it isn’t. The one’s I’ve read either simply didn’t gel with me or I felt they weren’t true to the characters within the stories. Now, I’ve read a few Ink and Zoom books, and generally I haven’t been a fan. Creating a new origin story for Harley, this reimagining introduces readers to her as a fifteen year old, struggling to navigate life, discover who she is, and make the right choices as her home is threatened by a wave of gentrification. DC’s young adult imprint, DC Ink, just released its latest graphic novel, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass.

Mariko tamaki harley quinn breaking glass