Harley Quinn’s back – and this time, she’s writing her own story. For those who are unfamiliar with the titular character, Harley Quinn is a character from the DC Universe, most commonly associated with being the Joker’s (aka “Mistuh J” or “Puddin’”) accomplice and girlfriend. She first appeared in the 90’s TV show Batman: The Animated Series, rather than the comics (see below):
Ever since her introduction, Harley has made appearances in comic books, films (played by Margot Robbie in Suicide Squad (2016) and the upcoming Birds of Prey (2020)), and other media. However, the common thread has always been Harley Quinn’s relationship to the Joker. For example, Harley Quinn was formerly a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum, assigned to treat the Joker. Instead, she falls in love with him, and eventually becomes his sidekick. But that’s about it – Harley rarely receives a storyline separate from the Joker. Even though the Joker frequently insults, punishes, and hurts her, Harley always comes back to him, convinced that he truly loves her.
The new animated show, as indicated by the title, is all about Harley. The series begins with Harley’s split from the Joker. “Joker never loved me – he only loves Batman”, she says in latest trailer. The entire show revolves around Harley becoming her own supervillain, with the help of Poison Ivy and a motley crew of the “worst” villains. As perfectly stated by a pre-air review by the A.V. Club, “by slightly modifying [Harley’s] drive—namely, making the Legion Of Doom the center of her universe instead of her trash-ass boyfriend—the show gives fans a front row seat to all of Harley’s obsessive, high-risk tendencies in a story that is unequivocally about her, not who she’s dating.” Here’s the trailer below (warning for strong language and violence):
The show features an amazing voice cast as well – Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) as Harley Quinn, Alan Tudyk (Firefly, Doom Patrol) as Joker, Lake Bell (Boston Legal) as Poison Ivy, and many more (Diedrich Bader, Tony Hale, Giancarlo Esposito, Wanda Sykes). Harley and Ivy clearly have amazing chemistry, and the risqué, humorous writing only adds to it. Other characters featured in the show include Clayface, King Shark, Doctor Psycho, Riddler, and Batman.
The first season consists of 13 episodes, and will be streamed exclusively on the DC Universe starting November 29th. Now, who’s ready to watch Harley Quinn become the new queen-pin of crime?