Writer Tini Howard and artist Babs Tarr are legends in the comic book industry. Knowing that they were joining forces to create the limited series Sirens: Love Hurts immediately raised ears and got eyes on the project.
It was good to know that, from the first page of issue No. 1, this was going to be a banger. However, there’s always the concern that the story won’t stick the landing. Thankfully, not only does Sirens: Love Hurts stick the landing, but this writer will go as far as to say this was, as Catwoman would say, purrrfect (I don’t regret the pun).
What is the series about?
Sirens: Love Hurts follows Dinah Lance (Black Canary), Catwoman (Selina Kyle), Harley Quinn, and Pamela Isley (Poison Ivy) as they search for a serial killer in Gotham City. But this isn’t just a murderer. They’re targeting the women of Gotham, and the Gotham City Police Department doesn’t care enough to investigate their deaths. Luckily, the Sirens care and are doing the hard work to protect the ones that the GCPD refuses to.
While all of this is happening, Dinah is in the middle of preparing for her wedding to Oliver Queen (Green Arrow). Of course, there are problems with the planning because she's actively trying to prevent deaths and solve a mystery with wanted criminals. This causes stressful moments for the Sirens and Ollie, but that drama adds to an important and wonderful part of the story. Readers see that obstacles between loved ones can be overcome if things remain positive and conversations are allowed to happen.
Praising the amazing
I can’t say enough about this series, but I'll start with the art being a 10/10. For example, the goofy and sometimes exaggerated facial expressions of Harley Quinn added a smile whenever she’s seen. However, there were moments when readers saw Harleen's serious side, which was drawn perfectly. It showed that the artist (Babs Tarr) knew how to convey the message that Quinn is more than the silly character some people think she is. There are layers to her. This is also displayed in Tini Howard’s writing.
Each of the main characters has levels to them. They aren’t flawless, but they don’t pretend to be because it’s part of what makes them human and interesting. So, when misunderstandings happen, Tini Howard shows the healing process in a realistic way. Friends and couples are going to argue and become annoyed with each other. But, in the end, if it’s worth it (and not toxic), you make it work.
Lastly, I loved how the story followed a mystery, but the villain wasn’t the focus. This was all about the Sirens, their mission to defend and avenge, and it showed. At the end of the series, I found myself wanting more. Hopefully, this isn’t the end of Tini Howard and Babs Tarr’s venture into this universe. Maybe this is just the beginning. If I had my way, this would become another adult animated feature like HBO's Harley Quinn.
An important message
There aren’t a lot of hills I’ll die on when it comes to comic books, because some tropes and opinions aren't worth debating. With that being said, I firmly believe that Sirens: Love Hurts is one of the best mini-series you’ll read. Before I close this article, I wanted to mention a problem that this series highlights: The abuse of women in the world and the lack of caring from the men in uniform who are supposed to protect them.
It’s not a secret that women around the world are abused and that their cases are either not solved or the victims themselves are blamed for being assaulted. Disgusting things like “What were you wearing at the time?” and “Maybe you shouldn’t have led him on” are said to victims looking for help.
For example, during a case with the real-life Wade Wilson in Florida, Detective Louis Potter did a pitiful job helping the victim, Kelly Matthews. Potter could even have prevented future deaths if he had listened to Matthews or even done the bare minimum. It’s a symptom of a disease that needs to be highlighted, and it was in this series.
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