Harley Quinn
“California or Death, Chapter 2: World's Greatest Detective”
Volume 3, Issue 71, May 2020
Released March 4, 2020
Cover Price: $3.99
Estimated Issue Sales: 23,956
Writer: Sam Humphries
Artist: Sami Basri
Colorist: Hi-Fi Designs
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Editors: Ben Abernathy, Dave Wielgosz
Cover Artists: Ivan Plascencia, Riley Rossmo
Heroes: Booster Gold, Harley Quinn
Setting: Los Angeles, CA, USA, 21st-century
Cover Description: Harley Quinn stands with a gun and an oversize lollypop in the middle of a street. Booster Gold and Skeets can be seen behind her.
Brief Synopsis: Harley Quinn begins an investigation into the mysterious death of her fellow wrestler.
Issue Summary: Reveal Potential Spoilers
Booster Gold's role in this story:
Supporting (Booster Gold plays a lesser role)
Costume Worn: Los Angeles Casual
Issue Notes: Booster must have a great agent to get a "Guest Starring" credit on the cover despite appearing in only six panels over three pages. Oh, well. Some Booster is better than no Booster.
This story has been reprinted in:
Harley Quinn: Hollywood or Die (2021)
Page 13, panel 1
Booster Gold is meeting with Harley Quinn inside a super-hero themed restaurant in Los Angeles, California. The restaurant building is shaped like the distinctive winged helmet of the original Flash (Jay Garrick). This is an allusion to the former iconic L.A. restaurant, The Brown Derby, which was shaped like its namesake.
Page 13, panel 3
Just like The Brown Derby, the interior of this restaurant is also decorated with pictures of celebrities. In this case, the celebrities are heroes of the DC Universe.
Page 15, panel 6
Harley asks Booster for help in her investigation into the death of her friend, Alicia. This is Booster's last appearance in this issue.
Boosterrific Review: Despite appearing on the cover, Booster Gold plays a smaller part in this issue than the last, presumably setting up a larger appearance in the future. Most of the rest of the issue is devoted to Harley playing (poorly) at being a hard-boiled detective. The script and plotting aren't bad, but the issue's strength is Sam Basri's art, especially his expressive talking heads.
Boosterrific Rating: Gold Standard.
Average Fan Rating: (1 vote)
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