Cybernetic bison, half-naked cowboys, and questionable energy drinks, this sounds like a job for everyone’s favorite trio. Your Major Spoilers review of Gotham City Sirens #1, awaits!

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #1

Writer: Lean Williams
Artist: Matteo Lolli
Colorist: Triona Farrell
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 7th, 2024

Previously in Gotham City Sirens: Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy are some of the most recognizable villains, sometimes heroes, sometimes both, in Gotham City. A popular energy has hit the streets coincidentally at the same time that cyborg bisons have begun stampeding through the streets.

YEE-HAW

Gotham City Sirens #1 kicks off with Jaina Hudson, AKA The White Rabbit, on the run from a group of cowboy-themed thugs. Catwoman appears, demanding answers from Jaina. Elsewhere in a park, Harley Quinn is taking her pet hyenas out for a walk when she encounters a massive stampede of bison. A pair of cowboys chase them down on 4-wheelers, but Harley is able to knock them off their rides. The two then “disconnect” and their bodies fry. At a facility, Poison Ivy listens to a news report about riots stemming from demand for a popular energy drink. Harley arrives, followed by a bison, who keeps reviving itself and attacking her. Catwoman then appears with Jaina. Outside the city, the apparent source of all the strange events happening in Gotham City is in the middle of their live stream, urging their viewers to keep dropping cash.

ENTERTAINING, BUT POORLY TIED TOGETHER

Gotham City Sirens #1 can basically be viewed as a trio of vignettes that, of course, come together and are then capped off with a cliffhanger ending revealing the apparent big bad. When they’re examined individually, each vignette is decent. The opener was a little light, but it didn’t do anything poorly. Catwoman doesn’t get a lot of time in this issue, so it’s hard to judge her characterization here, but Harley and Ivy come off wonderfully. It’s nice to see them both leaning a bit more villain-y in this issue as opposed to the anti-hero roles they’ve been given in the last ten years or so. As for the reveal that all of the problems facing this team are tied to Punchline, who’s running a live stream from a wading pool, surrounded by a team of shirtless cowboy henchmen is an inspired choice for this series, and for anyone who spends a lot of time watching streamers, might hit a bit close to home. This issue’s struggles are all tied to how well these vignettes are woven together. There’s very little connective tissue here, and the three main characters seemingly decide to meet up with each other to help with their assumed individual problems. This isn’t a big detriment to the issue, it’s just a lack of attention that makes this story feel impatient, like it’s too eager to get the team back together and then get to the last few pages.

A COMFORTABLE MIDDLE GROUND

The art in Gotham City Sirens #1 finds a cozy space between stylish and effective. Little flourishes are scattered throughout this issue. A good example of this is a purple electric effect put on a “klip klop” onomatopoeia, which is such a small touch but manages to convey quite a bit about how the horses the sound is coming from aren’t typical. In other areas, the visuals are pretty inoffensive and straightforward.

BOTTOM LINE: ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES, BUT HINTS AT A GOOD TIME COMING

Gotham City Sirens #1 may dip its toes into some absurdity as to be expected with any title featuring Harley Quinn as a lead, but it also plays things fairly straight. The situation is strange, but nothing that shatters the universe’s rules or breaks any walls, 4th or otherwise. There is a sense that things were rushed in this issue just to get it out of the way, which leaves the events here feeling disconnected in a way that’s hard to ignore. 4 out of 5 stars.

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