Brooklyn roommates, a forged Justice League ID, and a plan to steal the Mona Lisa. Harley Quinn is apparently taking “new year, new me” as an invitation to create an international incident. Joanne Starer and Lukas Ketner take over Harley Quinn with issue #71 on February 24, 2027, and DC is sending its troublemaker from homegrown chaos to a very questionable trip to France.
Starer, whose credits include Dinner Date, joins Ketner, artist of Batman – Santa Claus: Silent Knight Returns, for a run that gives Harley plenty of room to make her own mess. The announced creative lineup for issue #71 includes art by Ketner and Dave McCaig, with David Nakayama handling the main cover.
Before she gets anywhere near the Louvre, Harley has business closer to home. Issue #71 brings haunting childhood memories and an adult bat mitzvah into the picture, along with a question that absolutely belongs in a Harley comic: if you invite Batman to a bat mitzvah, does he have to show up? There is room for a gag there, but Starer’s description also points toward the need for approval underneath Harley’s antics.
“At her core, Harley is basically a little kid who desperately wants love, attention, and approval,” said Joanne Starer. “Sometimes she acts out, because even negative attention is attention. But deep down, she just wants someone to be proud of her.”
Once France enters the equation, the complications multiply. Harley is living with two terrible roommates, traveling on a forged Justice League ID, and pulling together an unlikely crew of super-powered individuals for an attempt to steal the Mona Lisa from the Louvre. An international cadre of assassins wants her head, which is a pretty substantial problem to add to the itinerary.
She also stole something from the Eraser, and he intends to erase her. Returning ally Sy Borgman will be part of the new story as Harley tries to make a name for herself on her own terms. The announcement is setting her up to chase recognition while generating enough trouble to make sure people notice.
“In Paris, she’s not a sidekick. She’s not a girlfriend. She’s out to make a name for herself as an individual so the world will take her seriously,” continued Starer. “It’s a new city, a new adventure, and a new storyline.”
DC has shared Ketner’s interior artwork alongside the announcement, giving readers an early look at the new run before February. Starer’s description of their collaboration makes the appetite for absurdity pretty clear, with the artist bringing additional jokes and surprises to the page.
“Lukas isn’t just a phenomenal artist. Every page he turns in has extra jokes and surprises,” said Starer. “And wait till you see his action scenes! Nothing I write is ever too absurd for him. He matches my level of weird, and then takes it up a notch.”
Issue #71 will feature variant covers by Yona, Nimit Malavia, and Khary Randolph, joining Nakayama’s main cover. DC identifies the shared variant artwork as not final. The three announced variants appear below in that order.
The changes continue beyond the creative team’s first issue. Harley Quinn #72 introduces a new look designed by David Nakayama, who joins the series as its new main cover artist. DC has also released the character design, adding another piece of the upcoming era to the preview.
Harley Quinn #71 goes on sale February 24, 2027. Visit DC’s announcement for the new run and follow DC for more updates. Readers looking to explore earlier Harley stories can also check DC UNIVERSE INFINITE, which offers a free trial, is not available in every country, and is not intended for children. Harley’s next adventure has a party to attend and a painting to steal, and February is bringing both to the page.
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