HARLEY QUINN X ELVIRA #3 – New Comic Review

Harley Quinn X Elvira #3, by Dynamite Comics on 12/17/25, staggers from one disjointed scene to another without earning its comedic bits, leaving readers wondering if they’re reading a finished product or an early draft that somehow made it to print.

Credits:

• Writer: Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti
• Artist: Amanda Conner, Juan Samu,
• Colorist: Amanda Conner, Walter Pereyra
• Letterer: Dave Lanphear
• Cover Artist: Amanda Conner (cover A)
• Publisher: Dynamite Comics
• Release Date: December 17, 2025
• Comic Rating: Teen
• Cover Price: $4.99
• Page Count: 22
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

Analysis of HARLEY QUINN X ELVIRA #3:

First Impressions:

The opening pages thrust you into a brawl with minimal context, relying entirely on loud sound effects and frantic dialogue to carry momentum. The comedy falls flat immediately, trading genuine character moments for surface-level quips about appearances and crude references. What should feel like a wild team-up instead feels like listening to people shout jokes at a party where you missed the setup.

Recap:

In the previous issue, Harley and Elvira teamed up to take down mobster Boffa Fungoo at his Long Island headquarters. The plan involved Harley’s crew staging a heist while Elvira served as cover in a borrowed ice cream server costume. The job went sideways with endless slapstick and food-related puns, culminating in them successfully crushing Fungoo’s legs and destroying his office building, but failing to secure any real victory or character development in the process.

Plot Analysis:

The issue opens with Harley’s team celebrating their victory over Boffa Fungoo by boasting about taking down “lowlifes” and forming their own superhero team called “The Vixens a Virtue.” Power Girl interrupts this celebration, appearing out of nowhere to demand the full story of what happened at Fungoo’s headquarters. Harley reluctantly explains that five hours earlier, they’d infiltrated Fungoo’s company headquarters while Elvira waited in an ice cream truck outside. During the heist, they overheard Fungoo hiring assassins and countered by making him an offer to take out whoever had hired them in the first place.

The negotiation quickly falls apart when Harley insults Fungoo by calling him a psychopath, prompting him to order his crew to strike. The team escapes in the ice cream truck, which gets stuck with Elvira’s foot on the gas pedal, sending it careening through neighborhoods and crashing into various obstacles. They manage to drive backward, escape Fungoo’s men, and make it home safely. Back at headquarters, Power Girl learns that Boffa Fungoo has hired a new assassin called the Bad Samaritan, who’s coming after both Harley and Elvira.

The Bad Samaritan arrives and attempts to charm his way past Power Girl by flirting with her and bragging about his numerous superpowers. When asked if he can breathe in space, he proudly confirms he can, which turns out to be a mistake. Power Girl grabs his cape and launches him into the vacuum of space, sending him flying through Mars, Saturn, and eventually Pluto. With the immediate threat neutralized, Power Girl arranges for Harley and Elvira to flee to a castle in Transylvania belonging to a mysterious Count who doesn’t do daytime. The issue closes with a subplot reveal on Long Island where a mad scientist named Suzie Shellman has created a horrifying creature from what remained of a grandfather after an explosion, naming her creation “Frankensid.”

Story

The pacing is erratic and unfocused, jumping between multiple plot threads without establishing why any of them matter. The ice cream truck chase sequence stretches for pages while adding nothing to character development or narrative momentum. Dialogue relies heavily on crude innuendo and cheap pop culture references (Futuro, Alien) rather than character-specific wit or meaningful banter. The jokes about Power Girl’s anatomy repeat obsessively, turning what could have been playful into exhausting. The story structure itself is problematic: we spend most of the issue recapping previous events instead of moving the narrative forward, making the issue feel like filler despite introducing a supposedly major threat in the Bad Samaritan. That threat is then casually disposed of in mere pages, eliminating any stakes or tension.

Art

The visual storytelling is muddled, particularly during action sequences where it becomes difficult to track what’s actually happening. The ice cream truck scene sprawls across multiple pages with repetitive panels that don’t add clarity or visual interest. Character expressions and reactions are inconsistent, with some panels showing detail while others feel rushed and vague. The color work is uneven, with some scenes popping while others feel washed out or monotonous. Backgrounds are often secondary to character close-ups, creating a claustrophobic feeling even in supposedly open spaces. The art struggles to convey comedic timing or physical comedy effectively, meaning the slapstick relies entirely on dialogue to land, and dialogue alone isn’t carrying the weight.

Characters

No character experiences meaningful growth or displays consistent motivation beyond “follow the plot.” Harley alternates between competent strategist and one-dimensional wisecass depending on what the script needs in any given panel. Elvira gets sidelined throughout most of the issue, reduced to crude observations rather than being an active participant in decision-making. Power Girl shows more personality and agency than both leads combined, which is a massive problem for a book titled “Harley Quinn X Elvira.” The Bad Samaritan arrives fully formed with exposition about his powers but zero compelling reason to care about him as a character. The sudden introduction of Frankensid at issue’s end feels disconnected from everything preceding it, suggesting the writers are already abandoning this storyline.

Originality & Concept Execution

The core concept of Harley and Elvira as a chaotic team should be inherently entertaining, yet the execution repeatedly fails to justify the pairing. The jokes aren’t designed specifically for these characters; they’re generic “attractive woman makes crude observation” material that could work with any female duo. The issue’s subplots feel like they belong in separate comics entirely. A mobster seeking revenge, a hired superhero assassin, and a mad scientist creating a body-horror creature should never all occupy the same issue. The lack of thematic cohesion suggests the writers are throwing everything at the wall rather than crafting a story with purpose. The rushed resolution of the main threat and abrupt pivot to Transylvania indicates a fundamental uncertainty about what this series actually wants to be.

Positives

Power Girl’s appearance injects genuine charisma and competence into the proceedings. Her interaction with the Bad Samaritan, culminating in her launching him into space, is the closest the issue comes to a moment that actually works both comedically and narratively. Amanda Conner’s art on the opening pages shows technical skill and energy, even if the overall execution falters. The running joke about naming the superhero team repeatedly offers slight comedic relief, and there are isolated lines of dialogue that demonstrate the writers understand how Harley’s voice should operate. The inclusion of real consequences for previous actions (Fungoo hiring assassins) at least suggests continuity matters, even if it’s not handled effectively.

Negatives

The excessive time spent recapping previous events instead of advancing the plot makes this feel like filler masquerading as content. The objectification of Power Girl becomes distracting and undercuts any attempt at character interaction. The Bad Samaritan, despite being announced as a major threat, is defeated so quickly and easily that his entire existence feels pointless. The dialogue leans so heavily on crude humor and forced pop culture references that it becomes exhausting rather than entertaining. The visual clarity during action sequences makes it difficult to understand what’s actually happening, which is a critical failure for a comedy-action comic. The Frankensid subplot appears completely tacked on and raises questions about whether the writers even know what story they’re telling. The pacing gives no weight to emotional moments or character interaction, instead rushing through beats to reach the next joke, most of which don’t land.

Art Samples:

The Scorecard:

Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): [1/4]
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): [2/4]
Value (Originality & Entertainment): [0/2]

Final Thoughts:

(Click this link 👇 to order this comic)

HARLEY QUINN X ELVIRA #3  is a roadmap of wasted potential wrapped in shallow humor and scattered narrative direction. If you’re tempted by the title alone, resist. The pairing of Harley and Elvira could work in capable hands, but this isn’t the execution that proves that. You’re better off spending your money on comics that understand their own premise, develop their characters with purpose, and deliver jokes that land with precision instead of desperate volume. At this price point, there’s no reason to invest time or money in an issue that can’t decide what story it’s telling.

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