Writer, Artist & Colorist: Erica Henderson
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Cover Artists: Erica Henderson, Leirix & Mirka Andolfo
Editors: Arianna Turturro, Jessica Berbey & Rob Levin
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock
Release Date: March 11, 2026
Poison Ivy wanted to prevent Ace Chemicals from destroying
the planet. But when she got between the Joker and Harley Quinn, her carefully
cultivated seeds destroyed more than the chemical plant. The Joker fed the
media fake news claiming that Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn were waging a war on
men. When the ladies tried to reclaim their lives by cutting off the
disinformation at the source, the Joker put the cops on their trail.
So Ivy and Harley returned to where their troubles started.
The Joker did his best to win Harley back. But Harley has been down that road
too many times not to know where it will end. Can life begin anew for Harley
Quinn and Poison Ivy? And can they find the Happily Ever After that Harley
Quinn thought she would have with the Joker? Let’s grab our gardening gear,
leap into Harley & Ivy: Life & Crimes #4, and see!
Story
It’s been a rough road. Still, Harley and Ivy have traveled
it together. So, after their second confrontation with the Joker, the ladies
celebrate how much the other's trust has meant to them. Harley and Ivy get so
caught up in forging a closer bond that they forget they're fugitives. But even
if the Joker didn't inform on them this time, a second explosion at Ace
Chemicals attracts attention. When the police surround them, and a helicopter
fixes them in its spotlight, Harley and Ivy realize their passion has left them
at a disadvantage.
Despite all she’s done for her, Ivy feels like Harley is
pulling away from her. She’s stressed and exhausted by their recent battles
with the Joker and the police. So as they fight to escape the cops, Ivy starts erecting
walls in Harley & Ivy: Life & Crimes #4. While fending off danger on
all sides, Harley and Ivy must come to grips with the issues threatening to
tear them apart.
As they share this story about how they met, Harley and Ivy
contribute their thoughts on all they went through. Erica Henderson imbues her
fast-paced story with drama, as the ladies work out their relationship amid a
storm of bullets and a high-speed chase. Harley and Ivy have much to overcome
before they can solidify their relationship in Harley & Ivy: Life &
Crimes #4.
Art
Erica Henderson opens with a high-energy splash page, dotted
with panels featuring close-ups of the characters and the action unfolding
around them. Then the art returns to the previous issue’s cliffhanger as
bullets rain down from the helicopter, separating the women from their clothes.
Ivy uses vines to affect a quick getaway. But when her strength and
concentration flag, Harley and Ivy scamper to escape the cone of light. Ivy
summons clothes that recall her counterpart’s childhood wish in another universe,
while those she gifts Harley with illuminate her emotional quandary.
The fun, cartoony art casts Ivy as the dominant partner while
Harley looks up to her more experienced friend. But as the ladies struggle to
survive this “Nightfight,” bullets carve green paths through the air. Green
adorns Ivy’s “clothes” and vines, and tinges both intense and dim lighting. Yet
red highlights join the green when Harley takes charge in Harley & Ivy:
Life & Crimes #4, refusing to allow the Joker, Ivy, or anyone else to rule
her life.
Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou fills white and green dialogue
balloons with black uppercase letters that grow bold for intonation and swell
for raised voices. Balloons change shape to capture the character's emotions,
while smaller lowercase letters portray lowered voices. As Harley and Ivy look
back at the events that changed their lives forever, their self-deprecating
comments fill white and green narrative boxes. Dialogue also appears as white
letters in black backgrounds and black against white backgrounds. Sound effects
enhance the fighting, roaring engines, vehicular accidents, and whirring
sirens, while sniffs reveal that Ivy is sensitive to more than toxic chemicals
and relationships. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.
Final Thoughts
While infatuation may precede a relationship, growing beyond
that takes work. Harley and Ivy have lost everything they formerly relied on.
Amid the crucible of imminent capture and death, two women who care about each
other struggle to forge a relationship together in Harley & Ivy: Life &
Crimes #4.
Rating 9.4/10
To look inside, see my preview of Harley & Ivy: Life &
Crimes #4.
To see how this series began, see my preview of Harley & Ivy: Life &
Crimes #1.
