DC Super Hero Girls: Harley Quinn at Super Hero High

Harley Quinn has come a long way since Paul Dini first introduced her in the Batman animated series way back when. She has gone through countless costume and personality changes over the years, but currently, she's sort of a crazed anti-hero, not quite a villain, but sometimes yes when the mood strikes her - and she has gone back and forth with her delusion of being the Joker's girlfriend.  She is not really a character I have ever cared for, although I do admit that Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti did make her somewhat readable in recent years.

Lisa Yee, however, with her latest DC Super Hero Girls novel, has actually made the character fun and likable for me!  Harley Quinn at Super Hero High introduces the world to an entirely different Harley Quinn - one who loves attention, one who can't seem to find time for her friends, but most surprising of all, one who is a hero at heart.

While the previous four books in the series all had a mystery element from pretty much the get-go, this one's mystery at the beginning turns out to be nothing more than a prank by Harley Quinn - something to get more ratings for her Harley Quinntessentials internet channel!  While she finds it amusing, particularly her friends' reactions, the other heroes at Super Hero High do not find it quite as humorous - particularly Principal Waller, who puts her in detention.  But does that deter everyone's favorite prankster?  Of course, not!  In fact, all it does it start Harley on her path to finding a way to garner even more viewers for her channel by hosting a Dance Contest!

Of course, true to Harley Quinn form, the Dance Contest doesn't quite turn out like she expected (although it does increase her viewership) - so she does the only thing she can - Harley creates the next big thing with a Battle of the Bands to take place at Capes & Cowls! The heroes, the villains, the surrounding communities, the other countries of the world - heck, even some bands from outer space all try to make the final cut so that they can be a part of this big event!  But, as can be expected, the battle doesn't finish, because all of the animals at the local zoo are suddenly on the loose, and it's up to the heroes to capture them and return them to the zoo.

As a final attempt to boost viewership beyond anything the world has ever seen, Harley decides to film live at the Krazy Karnival that is coming to Metropolis.  But something is not quite right about the Karnival, and it soon becomes obvious to Harley, as well as Miss Martian (the shyest of all the heroes) - and Harley finds herself in a real predicament:  help save her friends and the city, or push Harley Quinnessentials into the stratosphere with more viewers than any other website in all of the internet history!  Which will it be?

These DC Super Hero Girls stories are not the standard versions of the characters you will find running around DC Comics today.  They are younger.  They are not quite as experienced.  They are definitely not quite as dark and villainous.  But, most importantly, they are fun!  Sure, they do battle against villains wanting to take over the world.  Of course, they sometimes battle each other by mistake or out of misguided fear.  And certainly, they make mistakes and have to account for their actions.  But they are light-hearted and enjoyable reads, something I haven't seen in DC Comics (or Marvel Comics, for that matter) in a long, long time.

Author Lisa Yee has remained consistent, more or less, with her storytelling of these characters, and each book builds upon the last (and yes, in case your wondering, there is a sort-of cliffhanger at the end that provides the identity of the next DC Super Hero Girl to be spotlighted in the next book - but don't think I'm going to tell you here - you'll have to read the book to find out who it is!).  This is a series I would whole-heartedly recommend for comic fans of any age.

RATING: 9 uneaten pieces of lemon cake out of 10 for making me wish DC Comics would let Lisa Yee write their comics in the same manner as she does this book series!