Comic Review: Batman '66 #25

Despite not realizing it, this is an issue that I've been waiting on for a while. Well, half of it is; this is one of the issues with two stories in it, and the first one is something that I've been looking forward to. Night of the Harlequin features the return of Harley Quinn (spelled Harlequin here, but I just prefer using the other spelling), and I've wanted to see more of her since she first appeared. The second one, Bad Men, is probably the better of the two stories in this issue, but the first is the one I have been waiting for.
In Night of the Harlequin, Batman and Robin discover that Holly Quinn has escaped from Arkham and started a crime spree of her own. She is very successful in a very short time, and that is where that story doesn't work as well here as it should. This could easily have been the entire issue, and while it's a lot of fun while it lasts, the story ends far too quickly to be really satisfying. All told, it's made me really want her to appear again, hopefully in a full-issue story.


The second one, Bad Men, works better in the short time it's given. This focuses on Batgirl, with no Batman or Robin to be seen, as she starts a temp job with an advertising agency while Penguin, Joker, Riddler, and Catwoman come in to get help revitalizing their image. Yes, it's an obvious take on Mad Men, but it's a lot of fun seeing the villains get pulled into a job that feels like, well, a job. It's exactly as camp as it sounds, but so is everything else in this series.

While I'm disappointed with Harley's story not getting as much spotlight as I was hoping for, this is still another solid issue. If you like comics even remotely campy, or generally like things that don't take themselves too seriously, you should check this series out. Grab this issue, or any other one, and just jump right in.