Harley Quinn Review (TV, 2019-20)
I haven’t covered a lot of DC animation on this site. What I’ve seen is consistently good. The comics translate really well to animation without the typically crippling baggage of “DC live action needs to be dark” that plagues the theatrical films.
Harley Quinn is the exception that proves the rule. It is a good series. It’s just incredibly dark for what I expected from DC animation. I’m used to Wonder Woman buying a little girl an ice cream cone or Green Lantern going down like Wile E. Coyote for overestimating his abilities. I’m not used to shocking closeups of shattered shins and melting faces in every fight scene.
Harley Quinn is a clear adaptation of the new direction of Harley Quinn in DC comics. The simplest comparison is to say Harley Quinn is DC’s response to Deadpool. There are differences in character ability, but the tone is pretty comparable. Harley Quinn does whatever she wants, including breaking the fourth wall at will, to have fun and sell a gag. She is the greatest of all time in her mind and no amount of expected losses will stop her from feeling that way.
Frankly, the least successful element of the new animated series is establishing Harley Quinn’s character based on what comic fans already know. She was the Joker’s girlfriend; now she’s not. She went from a promising psychologist studying criminals in Arkham Asylum to swan diving into a vat of chemicals to turn into a supervillain for her Puddin’. Their relationship is abusive and Joker takes advantage of Harley Quinn every chance he gets.
Harley Quinn, as a series, sets a clear goal that includes Joker but is removed from his direct influence. Harley Quinn, after finally leaving Joker for good (eventually, it’s complicated), decides she will earn her own place in the Legion of Doom to prove she is an independent supervillain. With the help of her new roommate Poison Ivy, Harley sets out to find henchmen, make a name for herself, and be voted into the Legion of Doom. Unfortunately, her codependent relationship with Joke precedes her, making it very difficult for anyone to take her seriously.
The cast of characters is what makes Harley Quinn special. Most of the players in her story do not get a lot of screen time in the expanded DC Universe. Quinn’s eventual henchmen are Dr. Psycho (repainted as a world-hated misogynist), Clayface (leaning heavily into the actor origin, only he’s terrible), and King Shark (who is a shark, 10/10, best villain ever). Kite Man (with the terrifying power of a kite) becomes a romantic interest for Poison Ivy, and Queen of Fables (a newer supervillain who can bring storybook characters to life) becomes Harley’s mentor. Even Harley’s landlord joins in on the fun. He’s an older retired scientist and war criminal who has many mechanical upgrades to his prosthetic limbs. We’re also in Legion of Doom territory, so the villains and heroes who make appearances come from throughout the DC Universe rather than the usual mix of Batman characters for a Harley Quinn story.
Probably my favorite aspect of Harley Quinn is the commitment to a long-term gag. Harley’s big supervillain plan for the first few episodes is stealing a nuclear bomb so the Mayor of Gotham has to name a highway after her; she succeeds with no fanfare, only for the Hot Wheels-styled highway to be the background for a major action sequence near the end of the first season. The stupidest ideas the show come up with wind up being major plot points later on with great payoff.
The looming influence of the Joker is felt throughout the series, though for once we’re meant to be frustrated that Harley would want to go back. Joker is known by everyone to be an abusive partner and everyone is invested in the two characters staying apart. Even Batman tries to convince Harley that she should just stay away at this point. Joker is actually the villain of the series because no one ever tells him no. The rejection from Harley Quinn pushes him to be more destructive and cruel than usual, making it clearer than ever for Harley that she should never, ever go back to him. Mercifully, the visuals of the abuse are largely limited to Joker abandoning Harley Quinn at crime sites or the two of them both going for sneak attacks against each other while fighting. I wish DC would get away from the abuse angle at all. At least this series doesn’t romanticize it like so much of Harley’s history in the comics and adaptations.
Harley Quinn has already been renewed for a second season, which is going to be quite a challenge based on the season finale. The show is not afraid of death, and the continuity has been consistent from episode to episode. I’m not willing to say the show wrote itself in a corner; I’m just curious where they can go from a very clear ending.
Harley Quinn is currently streaming on DC Universe.
