Hyena hijinks! A canine caped crusader! A…very large kanga! You’ll find this and so much more in the new middle grade graphic novel Harley Quinn's Bud and Lou: Trouble Times Two. Writer and artist Ben Hed takes the titular Bud and Lou, two spotted hyenas who belong to Harley Quinn, on their own adventure alongside unlikely allies Ace the Bat-Hound and Jumpa. It’s a fun time for readers of all ages with panels and characters so expressive that it feels like an animated adventure leaping off the page.

So let’s jump in and join them!

Bud and Lou have been on their own since Harley Quinn was captured by Batman a year ago. They spend their days in the arcade of an abandoned carnival, stealing food while they wait not-so-patiently for their beloved Harley to come back home. They might not be dogs, but they are both good boys who know to wait for her right there so she can find them when she breaks out.

When a trail of evidence brings Ace the Bat-Hound and his colleague Jumpa to the hyenas’ lair, the two troublemakers quickly get wrapped up in their investigation. Bud and Lou have been framed for stealing the legendary Lasso of Truth from Wonder Woman, but they know where to find the real culprits. So, they make a deal with Ace to help him out, and in return they’ll get to visit Harley at Blackgate Penitentiary. What could go wrong?

Well, a lot. But that’s the fun, isn’t it?

Hed is a veteran at drawing dynamic animals in action thanks to his popular webcomic, Pixie and Brutus. The playful Bud and Lou are a perfect match to Hed’s style, and each energetic expression they make looks like their faces are about to start moving. (Shoutout to Kendall Goode’s vivid colors for completing the illusion of animation!) Bud and Lou are cheeky without being mean, even when facing their Bat-nemesis, as well as surprisingly sentimental. Hed has turned them into the perfect protagonists for kids who tend to get into a little mischief themselves.

As for Ace, his steely gaze, stoic face and dog-tective skills definitely make his human proud. Ace is basically Batman—with gadgets of his own!—but maybe a tad more talkative. Ace also has a soft spot to him that he shares with the Dark Knight, not that either of them would ever admit it. Jumpa is a kanga from Themyscira, and she’s every bit as courageous and fierce as the Amazons from the island. Ace, Jumpa, Bud and Lou all feel like living, breathing characters, and this adventure brings out their personalities in big ways.

The antagonists of this pet tale deserve their turns in the spotlight as well, from Penguin’s pesky penguins to Mr. Freeze’s twelve-foot-tall polar bears. One of the polar bears is possibly the friendliest villain in comics, a thoughtful host who bakes snacks for their captives and apologizes before fighting by saying, “Sorry, dears.” (Fingers crossed sweet Shaka gets her own story one day.) It’s easy to see why the super-villains of Gotham like to keep their pets around, and their action-packed fight scenes are just as delightful as they are.

The two stars of Harley Quinn's Bud and Lou: Trouble Times Two hold their own against all these incredible characters, not just in over-the-top fight scenes but also as likable protagonists that kids will love to read about. Bud and Lou are surprisingly sweet and silly, and this graphic novel is sure to be a pick-me-up for any reader in need of a lighthearted adventure.
 

Harley Quinn's Bud and Lou: Trouble Times Two by Ben Hed is now available in bookstores, comic shops, libraries and as a digital graphic novel.

Kelly Knox writes about all-ages comics and animation for DC.com and is the author of several nonfiction books about some of your favorite film franchises. Follow her on X at @kelly_knox and Bluesky at @kelly-knox.com to talk superheroes, comics and pop culture.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Kelly Knox and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.