Back in May, Bam Smack Pow announced the return of Gotham City Sirens (Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman) in a four-part mini-series by Leah Williams with art by Matteo Lolli. Despite Harley being a wild card, it’s easy to see why the three worked well together. They’re all take-no-prisoner antiheroes that live in Gotham City. Now that the first issue has debuted, it’s time to discuss why this will be four weeks of fun.
Gotham City Sirens No. 1 starts with mysterious (but clearly evil) cowboys dressed like exotic dancers chasing White Rabbit. A few pages later, more conventionally dressed cowboys chase bison through Gotham City. Luckily, Harley Quinn was there taking her hyenas on a walk. Unfortunately, the bison are biological, cybernetic, and self-healing. This left Harley to bring one of the bison to her girlfriend Poison Ivy for dissection and get Catwoman to help hack its system.
It gets wilder. This is all because of an energy drink called XO. Everyone has become so obsessed with it that riots break out and local stores are broken into. Who’s the cause of this? None other than Joker’s former sidekick, Punchline. She’s webcamming herself in a bikini for streams, money, and the opportunity to kill people at the request of her fans.
Gotham City Sirens review
The first issue is always difficult. The creative team has to establish the story and the characters—even classic ones like Harley, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy. No matter how well-known they are, you must adjust for new readers. Leah Williams did a fantastic job doing this.
Catwoman is established as stealthy and cunning, Poison Ivy is a genius geneticist who controls plants, and Harley Quinn is a dangerous wildcard. Then there’s the villain. If you aren’t familiar with Punchline, you may have been confused. However, three things are known. She’s the one in charge of a huge money-making scheme, she has a bit of a cult, and she's deranged. It was perfectly executed.
You should definitely grab this title. It’s a four-week event that breaks up the continuity of everything going on in DC Comics and Absolute Power. As great as that crossover is, it could be fun to see something else happening within the universe. Stay tuned to Caped Crusades to see what happens in Gotham City Sirens No. 2.
Did you read Gotham City Sirens? What did you think? Let us know on the Bam Smack Pow Instagram and Twitter.