It’s magic vs insanity as fight month continues with two of DC’s favorites going toe to toe in a fight full of illusions and chaos. Zatanna takes on Harley Quinn in the round of sixteen as Darkseid continues his reign of terror aboard the Watchtower.
Creative Team: Leah Williams (WRITER), Mirka Andolfo (ART), Romulo Fajardo Jr. (COLORS), Steve Wands (LETTERS), and Jorge Corona and Sarah Sterns (COVER).
This comic is reviewed by both Megan from the Vigilante Vibes Podcast and Matt from the Hops “Geek” News podcast!
Don’t forget to vote for your favorite comic book of the year in The Cheersies 2025 here!
The Story:
Matt: Zatanna is a favorite of mine, and I was curious how they would match her power against Harley’s lack of. Leah Williams blows my expectations away with how she manages to make this fight not only even but emotionally charged as well. Harley kicks it off with tricks and takes advantage of Zatanna’s hesitations. She acknowledges the power disparity and does an incredible job at making this fight engaging and fun. Ultimately, Zatanna does win, but Harley swerves our expectations as she knew she would never win and everything was to get Zatanna to unleash her powers and do what must be done to win. It is all a wonderful and clever way to bring this fight to a more even level and make it exciting.
Megan: When you see it’s Harley Quinn versus the most powerful magic user in the universe, Zatanna, you automatically assume who’s going to win. Well, I’m here to tell you to not assume anything. If DC K.O. has taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected. DC K.O. Harley Quinn VS. Zatanna does a fantastic job at showcasing who these two characters really are at their core. Harley uses her street smarts to have the upper hand initially while Zatanna doesn’t want to participate in killing her friend for the competition. Knowing how high the stakes are in the tournament, Harley knows who has to win and knows exactly how to get her there. By the end, both characters know what has to happen in order to have a chance to win the competition, and it was dripping in emotion all the way to the end.
The Art and Letters:
Matt: Mirka does an excellent job bringing the various emotions of Zatanna and Harley to every panel in great detail. You can feel the anger or the hesitations that Zatanna feels from her expressions alone. The final panels are heartbreaking as the bond these two have is on full display, and Harley’s sacrifice is done incredibly well. Romulo brings the heat with colors and makes the magic and powers stand out in beautiful splash pages. The splash page where Zatanna wins is colored and drawn in such a heartbreaking and beautiful way that Steve’s letters in the background stating that Zatanna wins add melancholy to the scene.
Megan: The artwork of DC K.O. Harley Quinn VS. Zatanna does a wonderful job at capturing the excitement of the storyline. With Mirka Andolfo, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Steve Wands on the creative team, there’s no chance at having lackluster artwork to further hammer in the hype of the story. Andolfo brings so much heat with the perfectly detailed panels that are complimented perfectly by Fajardo Jr.’s expert coloring talents. Steve Wands is the letterer of the comic who makes you feel every bit of emotion in Zatanna’s words, that keeps you locked into the story. All in all, the creative team absolutely knocked it out of the park.
Final Thoughts:
Matt: 10/10. DC K.O. Harley Quinn vs. Zatanna #1 hits hard as two friends are forced to fight and put their personal feelings aside. It delivers on hard-hitting action and hits hard in our emotions. This fight stands out in every way and is the best so far!
Megan: 10/10. DC K.O. Harley Quinn VS. Zatanna captures the excitement of the battle and the emotions that goes with battling a good friend.
Overall Grade: 10/10
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