Harley Quinn, the Clown Princess of Crime, has never been one for subtlety, but a new batch of variant covers for the upcoming Heroes in Crisis limited series show the beloved antihero at her most frenzied. Two of the three variants feature Harley, who is a central player in the upcoming Heroes in Crisis event, while the third showcases DC Comics’ holy trinity of Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman posed in front of a masked figure who has been visually prominent leading up to the event’s kickoff.
The first variant is illustrated by J.G. Jones and shows Harley Quinn riding upon the back of Booster Gold, who is midflight. Harley is brandishing a freshly blooded knife and has a wild look on her face, while Booster Gold looks none too pleased about the situation he has found himself in. Perhaps the most surprising thing about the variant is the setting — a rural landscape that stretches into the horizon and is a stark change from the usual urban comic book setting.
The second variant comes from Francesco Mattina and is even more Harley Quinn-focused. This cover shows a bloodied Harley Quinn seemingly imprisoned in a padded cell after having got into a serious scuffle. The recipient of Harley’s rage would appear to, again, be Booster Gold, as she wears his cracked, golden visor like a trophy. Whatever happened, it wasn’t pleasant. Blood is pooled on the floor and more is falling from Harley’s lips. There’s even a loose tooth lying on the ground. True to form, Harley wears a big grin on her face, though.
The final variant comes from Mark Brooks and takes a break from Harley Quinn’s violent escapades. This variant is centered around Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman, as well as a gold-masked figure in a flowing white robe. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen such a figure. The original cover reveal for Heroes in Crisis #1 saw a mass of DC Comics characters seemingly in mourning outside of a dilapidated shed in the middle of nowhere. Superman held just such a golden mask and a bloodied white robe in his hands.
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The identity of the mask-wearer has yet to be revealed, but DC Comics has been teasing a big death in the coming weeks. This is fitting, as Tom King and Clay Mann’s Heroes in Crisis series will revolve around a death at Sanctuary, an organization erected by Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman to help superheroes and supervillains overcome their traumas. A synopsis for the series revealed that Booster Gold and Harley Quinn will be the series’ prime suspects.