Written by Frank Tieri
Illustrated by Inaki Miranda
Published by DC Comics
Welcome to the Hangover III of comic book issues as our Old Lady Harley arrives in Vegas, baby! She seeks the Joker, but has to deal with a pill-popping Lobo and all of the Sins of the Strip.
Tieri starts off his issues with a nice framing device that is more effective than the usual page of credits. In a nod to Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, talking heads, an army Cat Grant clones are broadcasting news vids into the mind chips of the public at large.
Each one has a different character trait to set them apart, our favorite is this week’s Lactose Intolerant Cat who just couldn’t resist a smoothie before going on air.
Our futuristic Mayor Lobo is playing the part of Carl the neighbor from Aqua Teen before popping a shape-shape-shifter pill that gets him in Fraggin’ shape to welcome his ex-girlfriend, Old Lady Harley!
Don’t forget that Catwoman and Croc are along for the ride, quite literally as Catwoman is on a cute little scoot-scoot that you’d ask for from the hotel concierge. Red Tool gets a lap dance from a creature that may not even have a lap.
Lobo reveals something about Joker’s disappearance from Lobo, and it turns out that Mr. J may or may not have been beheaded by accident from our fish-loving friend Aquaman.
If that last sentence made your brain hurt, then this mini-series is for you. In this penultimate issue of Tieri’s Mad Max style romp brings the party to Atlantis. Is that Popeye? Is that Tony Stark? Can it be both?
This ne’er do-well in a Shipwreck costume is getting kicked out of New Atlantis just as our ‘heroes’ are arriving the7e in head-to-toe mermaid costumes to promote a local bar, Frank Frank’s. There’s no need for Mr. Tieri to be shy here, he’s named an undersea bar after himself! Do I get a no-prize?
As the quest for Joker torpedoes to it’s inevitable conclusion, I’ll be sad to see this slice of weird Mad Magazine humor go away! One more issue to find out if Joker is alive and we decide if Old Lady Harley Vol. 1 is indeed the promised Chicken of the Sea or just chum!
