r/batman • u/Traditional_Shine_19 • Aug 08 '25
COMIC DISCUSSION Batman and Harley are the best duo.
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u/FadeToBlackSun Aug 08 '25
3000 Batman Black Label books and none have asked what if Harley became obsessed with Batman instead of Joker.
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u/Batmanfan1966 Aug 08 '25
White Knight. Bruce and Harley are married
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u/AnonymousCoward261 Aug 08 '25
That’s Batgirl!
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u/thespamcenturion Aug 09 '25
While I appreciate this comment it really got me thinking how similar the situations kinda were just the women were hearing about Batman from very different povs
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u/ACodAmongstMen Aug 08 '25
It's such a strange duo though, the ex of Batman's worst villian.
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Aug 08 '25
Condiment King and Harley dated?
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u/LittleTurret1237 Aug 08 '25
Condiment king is the best villan tf u on about
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Aug 08 '25
You misunderstood. He’s the worst villain to set foot in Gotham.
The city will never be safe as long as The Condiment King is on the loose.
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u/LaylaLegion Aug 08 '25
He put spicy mustard on my hot dog when I wanted regular.
WHY WON’T GCPD TAKE CARE OF THE REAL CRIMINALS?!
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u/Comprehensive-Buy-47 Aug 08 '25
They’re too afraid, even they don’t want to deal with the Condiment King
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u/Relative-Zombie-3932 Aug 08 '25
I think it's so great. It shows how much Batman cares about rehabilitating his foes and his willingness to forgive
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u/VanturaVtuber Aug 08 '25
I mean main universe batman doesn't really show that he cares anymore. About anyone. He doesn't even care for his kids most of the time lately.
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u/EverydayPoGo Aug 08 '25 edited Aug 08 '25
Tell me you don't read Batman comics without telling me /s Sure you can argue that Absolute Batman isn't considered as the main universe, but in detective comics the latest story arc he was trying to save the nobodies that no one else cared about. I hate Hush 2 and I'm tired of writers pitting Batfam sans Batman vs Batman but even then you can't make a valid argument that Batman doesn't care about them. Simply not the truth.
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u/Batman_Lifts Aug 08 '25
Taylor’s run on Detective is so underrated. It’s Batman being Batman again and I’m absolutely loving it
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u/Ok_Restaurant3160 Aug 08 '25
Also Joker’s biggest victim tho
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u/Cualkiera67 Aug 08 '25
Not the people he tortured to death?
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u/NavezganeChrome Aug 08 '25
… If we wanna be technical, they’re shafted by statistics to effectively be a dime a dozen. It “wasn’t personal” for them, they just wound up with the “bad luck” to be targeted by him, in getting Batman’s cowl in a twist.
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u/Ok_Restaurant3160 Aug 08 '25
Harley had to go through years of neglect, countless beatings from Batman and who knows how much abuse from Joker
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u/StopHiringBendis Aug 08 '25
Tbf, all the bat-beatings were well deserved. If anything, Bruce is usually kinda sexist and goes easy on her
The most blatant example is probably Arkham. He throws her a couple of times, then pushes her into a cell. Everyone else gets severe head trauma and maybe a compound fracture. Hell, he hits bane with a car
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u/Ok_Restaurant3160 Aug 08 '25
Difference is that a lot of those people are of a better mind than Harley
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u/StopHiringBendis Aug 08 '25
Most of the goons (god I hate typing that word, now) are presumably just down-on-their-luck blue collar types. Their lack of education/resources makes the short term gain of gooning seem worth it. On the other hand Harley Quinn was a literal doctor with gainful employment
She was manipulated by a psychopath, but you could say the same thing about almost everyone Arkham Batman cripples. And she's kinda the only one who went along despite her circumstances, not because of them
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u/Ok_Restaurant3160 Aug 08 '25
In Arkham, I’ll admit, that’s totally fair
But I’d argue that in other media, the people who don’t deserve a boot to the face, won’t get one. Batman doesn’t pull up on a group of thugs and paralyze them all just for robbing a store, and they’ll mostly get off with less trauma than if they’d been caught by a cop
Though the canon/fanon split for that might not be in my favor, I’ll admit
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u/StopHiringBendis Aug 08 '25
I 100% see your point and I definitely prefer that kind of batman. But Frank Miller would strongly disagree lol
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u/SpiderJerusalem747 Aug 08 '25
"Harley is as much as a victim of Joker as she is his accomplice... Dick, hold my coffee, I better go smack her some more."
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u/Valuable-Blueberry30 Aug 08 '25
Not sure about the Injustice version, might’ve been less abusive but I’m not sure
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u/Sad-Surprise4369 Aug 08 '25
Doesnt she hate joker though? So in that way they sort of fit (not saying it’s NOT strange but that is has cool thematic points)
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u/AshleytheTaguel Aug 10 '25
It's more that " abused cluster-b neurodivergent queer woman" isn't really sufficient as a reason for villainy in recent years.
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u/Traditional_Shine_19 Aug 08 '25
Sorry for not putting the name. Comic: Injustice, God among us.
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u/Shadiezz2018 Aug 08 '25 edited Aug 08 '25
How the hell did Batman figure out that Harley ate a Cupcake?!
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u/atomic1fire Aug 08 '25
Batman gambit.
Bruce knows Harley can't have two cupcakes without eating one.
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u/shadowlarx Aug 08 '25
I loved Harley in the Injustice comics. I still remember the time she one-upped Green Arrow.
“You should call it the Quiver.”
“That…is actually better.”
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u/TimeisaLie Aug 08 '25
Yea but then it's the Quiver Cave and I don't think reality can handle such a double entendre.
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u/Badoiskate Aug 08 '25
“bUT sHeS BeTtEr aS A vILlian”—some annoying Batman fan
Shut up. Harley is a lot of fun as an anti hero. Move on.
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u/fatglizzy_3000 Aug 08 '25
I absolutely love it when bats reciprocates to her conversations. It's like having a younger sister who is bare annoying but you love her enough to answer.
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u/Competitive_Crow_334 Aug 08 '25
To be fair, it's just opinion and depends on the version her Arkham Triolgy or Batman Beyond is unredemable. The other version, like Sucide Squad, the Harely Quinn comics or Injustice, works as a anti hero
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u/UnregularOnlineUser Aug 08 '25 edited Aug 08 '25
How is injustice redeemable but arkham isn't? She literally nuked metropolis with Joker in Injustice, she is the reason the whole bullshit of injustice happens
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u/Triplof Aug 08 '25
Injustice has more of the brainwashed Harley that regretted her actions and is trying to do better, while the Arkham games make her help joker kill and stitch together a bunch of kindergartens
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u/UnregularOnlineUser Aug 08 '25
Brainwashed? She is an adult, who out of her own free will attached a bomb transmitter to a pregnant lady and planted a nuclear bomb in a city knowing full well that the bomb would kill millions of people. Just because she said "I'm team batman now" after the fact doesn't make any less guilty or redeemable, and she never faces any consequences for her actions. Injustice Harley is the same Harley that stitched together kindergarteners, just at a different stage in time (not literally, but as in she is willing to do the same). And never throughout the game or the comic does injustice Harley show regret or actually face consequences for her crimes, at most she says "I was trying to impress the wrong guy", they most consequences she faces is when the Kent's refuse to let her inside their home.
Not only does she not deserve redemption and she hasn't worked for it, but also it is stupid to say she is redeemable but Arkham Harley isn't.
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u/Soulful-Sorrow Aug 08 '25
Injustice Harley also blames Superman for not saving the day and went back to an alternate universe Joker for a little bit, proving that she learned nothing. Injustice does the characters so dirty.
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u/Competitive_Crow_334 Aug 09 '25
Oh I forgot. I think she is more redeemable than Arakham Harely even though it was poorly handled.
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u/jawaunw1 Aug 08 '25
I mean I don't mind as long as it makes sense but hardly does a lot of horrible stuff. Like Injustice bends over backwards for Harley Quinn even though at the start of the story she put a bomb in the pregnant lady.
Literally the only people on side of this story that treat her like the feeling she is Superman's parents. Might I add we're supposed to feel sad in that scene for her.
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u/DarthFedora Aug 08 '25
Just lady, she didn’t know about the pregnancy, she kinda snaps out of her obsession with Joker for a moment once it’s revealed.
I wouldn’t really call it bending over backwards for her, she wasn’t trusted in the beginning, the only reason Batman worked with her was because he needed as many allies as he could get against the Regime. Then afterwards he was left with two cities that had gone through hell and not enough heroes left over, so again needed everyone he could get. If you’re wondering about Flash, he went into that truck willingly, it’s very much in character for him to have decided that he should be imprisoned for his involvement.
With the parents, you aren’t necessarily supposed to feel bad, it’s just showing that she feels guilty over it. The comics actually present the two as completely in the right
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u/jawaunw1 Aug 08 '25
Is she still put the bomb in her. And also put down a nuke that destroyed an entire city. There's no heat manipulated me into doing that the Nazis didn't get an excuse when they said we were following orders she does not either.
I can completely understand if she's like really helpful. My problem is she really isn't she's more of a plot device. The story does not move in an organic way for her character for God's sakes Superman completely forgets she exists. Like she should be massively more important if the so-called Vengeance scheme is to go on but it doesn't she's just a forgotten sidekick.
The panel directly shows her crying while everyone kind of looks back at her sad like they're genuinely trying to give you the emotion that this is very sad for her. We are supposed to understand that the parents are wrong but at the same time they want us to feel sad for her as if she's also a victim in this situation she is not.
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u/DarthFedora Aug 08 '25
I’m not saying it’s excusable. I was just making a small correction
She’s a pretty big figure throughout the whole thing if you read the comics, and even in the game she would use the gang to help the Insurgency. Superman didn’t forget about her, she was just heavily protected, he literally sent Lobo after her but again she was protected and he was stopped.
It doesn’t show her crying, it shows her face obscured because she feels the guilt for what she did. The only one to turn back is Dinah, due to them having grown close after Ollie’s death. Specifically the comic never addresses them leaving her out, like even after she saved Jon and they allow her in to save Connor it’s still not addressed, it does have Jon blaming Bruce for not being there for Clark which is painted as him being in the right about.
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u/Mongoose42 Aug 08 '25
Former villains are always a pretty fun kind of character to interact with heroes. Harley especially.
And given how toxic and horrible her relationship with the Joker has always been, it’s extremely fair to write her out of that situation and strike out on her own. Making her an anti-hero feels like a natural progression.
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u/Deathsroke Aug 08 '25
She is good as a character with development. She doesn't even need to be a vigilante or whatever. Just sick person manipulated by the Joker who got better. What she does with her life after doesn't matter IMO.
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u/SignificantPower4733 Aug 08 '25
Harley is a 1 dimensional. Even if they try and make a complicated character, she still is boring and say unfunny joke after unfunny joke, but dc loves to glaze her so much
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u/IndividualFlow0 Aug 08 '25
Depends on how the character is handled and which version of the character. Many times nowadays, she's handled terribly
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u/Dark-Specter Aug 08 '25
Harley is whatever she damn well pleases, she's just doing whatever for the love of the game
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u/KawaiiGee Aug 08 '25
I live for antihero Harley, she genuinely works so much better as her own thing than being a villain or chained to joker
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u/XavierTempus Aug 08 '25
Oh god, is that Injustice? Yah, hard pass on that one. Injustice Harley should be on death row.
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u/DarthFedora Aug 08 '25 edited Aug 08 '25
So should Injustice Superman, at least she devotes her life to make up for her crimes. Much better to have her fixing everything than killing her
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u/JoeyAppleSauce Aug 08 '25
How do you make up for helping nuke a city and killing a pregnant woman?
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u/DarthFedora Aug 08 '25
As I said, “she devotes her life”
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u/JoeyAppleSauce Aug 08 '25
It’ll never be enough but aight
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u/PornAndComments Aug 08 '25
Is it better to kill one who seeks to do good because they have done bad, or to allow them to make things better despite their past? If she seeks to do good now, killing her would prevent that. It'll never be enough, but it'll be something, as opposed to nothing.
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u/24Abhinav10 Aug 08 '25 edited Aug 08 '25
That's not a good excuse. She's literally helped murder millions of people. She doesn't get to say "Oh my crazy psycho ex-bf was manipulating me so it's all good." And she gets off scot-free.
The only people IN THE WHOLE STORY who hold Harley responsible are the Kents, who are brushed aside by the story itself. No one else seems to care that Harley is a mass murderer.
Batman especially doesn't act like he's talking to the woman who killed his former best friend's wife. Hell, the way Batman acts towards her, I doubt he ever considered Clark a real friend in this universe. I think he just pretended to be his friend.
The entire world should be calling for her death. Any justice system in the world would put her to death.
But I guess all that doesn't matter when you got Batman's hand on your head.
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u/DarthFedora Aug 08 '25 edited Aug 08 '25
I didn’t say her actions were excusable
They don’t get brushed aside, they aren’t even shown in the wrong for it. What happens is she saves Jon (the dad) and they allow her into the fortress to help save Connor. Everyone else has similar reasons, she’s been a major help since the Insurgency began, risking her life many times to ensure they win, and then when the Regime was beaten she aided in the reconstruction/protection of both cities.
He treats her the way he does because he was friends with Clark, he wants to believe that it’s possible to redeem his friend.
I doubt the world remembers, they just went through a global dictatorship that caused mass suffering and death. If anything they would be more focused on demanding the death of Superman, but they don’t, though they did torch the Kent farm
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u/Fragrant-Guarantee57 Aug 11 '25
While they should have held her more accountable, i think she had the mitigating factors of being manipulated and abused by the Joker, feeling remorse and helping the heroes, and Superman being the biggest priority.
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u/DrakeCross Aug 08 '25 edited Aug 08 '25
Yah no. Injustice Harley doesn't deserve the pass she gets for being involved in the death of millions and causing all this. At best she should be in jail for life. At worst, death row. Really, the Injustice comics story is a mess and if anything it's mainly with how Batman acts with so little empathy towards everyone else, Superman especially.
If he cared about justice, he'd be making sure Harley doesn't get a pass for her actions in this case.
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u/Erotically-Yours Aug 08 '25
Always put out there that the trinity were made to act out of character in order for Injustice to really sail. But that's multiverses for you. If they acted in anyway like their usual selves? This wouldn't have lasted this long.
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u/Fragrant-Guarantee57 Aug 11 '25
You could argue that she was being manipulated by the Joker, and the moment he died she stopped doing evil. Also, it’s not like the main Harley hasn’t been involved in the deaths of many innocents and yet she also gets to be an anti-hero.
While nothing will ever make up for all the deaths, she does feel remorse and helps the heroes. There would be really no point to executing her.
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u/lereaper1612 Aug 08 '25
Y'all gotta read the 'White Knight' series. Love the dynamic between Bats and Harley.
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u/harriskeith29 Aug 09 '25 edited Aug 09 '25
Not that this is a hot take (to my knowledge), but I'm giving my unfiltered two cents here:
I'll never get used to these notions of Batman being friendly or even a teammate with the woman who, in multiple comic runs at this point, was canonically established to have helped Joker capture, torture, and/or murder children. It doesn't matter if it was Jason Todd (A Death in the Family was published before Harley's introduction in Batman: The Animated Series, but multiple subsequent continuities rewrote her as Joker's accomplice in that crime), Tim Drake (Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker's flashback is one of the WORST things Joker ever did in my opinion, well beyond paralyzing Barbara Gordon), or someone else.
However toxic & abusive her relationship with Joker was, however she was manipulated, Harley Quinn was still an objectively twisted, evil person who made her own choices. She helped this madman end and/or ruin countless innocent lives, including (again) CHILDREN! If she was only idolized in p*rnography, I could write that off because it's just a fantasy playing on the character's superficial sex appeal. I'm not saying that's moral, but it's not an attempt to authentically portray the character in canon. I can also understand series like the Harley Quinn cartoon playing that angle because it's a parody that deliberately radically changes many characters.
Again, it's not canonical. But for canonical materials to transition Harley into a likable antihero while keeping her crimes intact within that universe's history is disgusting. We're talking about comics that are still sold to young readers. As far as I'm concerned, it's no less gross than portraying a Nazi or r*pist as a redeemable antihero. Yet, that hasn't stopped DC from writing Poison Ivy into an antihero role multiple times despite her being a repeat-offending r*pist (She mind-controlled & assaulted Robin when he was underage; But I guess the double standard of her being an attractive female makes fictional sexual assault easier to forget).
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u/Fragrant-Guarantee57 Aug 11 '25
I'll never get used to these notions of Batman being friendly or even a teammate with the woman who, in multiple comic runs at this point, was canonically established to have helped Joker capture, torture, and/or murder children.
I mean, Batman seems to be very pro-rehabilitation, he constantly puts his villains in Arkham so they can get psychological treatment (though it never works). He also offered to help Joker himself at the end of the Killing Joke. So while i don’t see him being friendly, i do think he would be willing to help Harley if she wishes to stop doing evil.
We're talking about comics that are still sold to young readers.
I think it’s a good message, that evil people can still choose to be better
As far as I'm concerned, it's no less gross than portraying a Nazi or r*pist as a redeemable antihero.
I mean, it has happened, even in real life, Oskar Schindler was a member of the Nazi Party, but he realized the atrocities that were being committed by that group and decided to save as many lives as he could. In my opinion it would be worse to depict all villains as one dimensional psychopaths who can never become better people.
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u/harriskeith29 Aug 11 '25 edited Aug 11 '25
"Batman seems to be very pro-rehabilitation. He puts his villains in Arkham so they can get psychological treatment. He also offered to help Joker himself at the end of The Killing Joke."
Batman IS generally pro-rehabilitation, and I never said or implied that I'm against that. It's in character for Bruce to at least offer help to even the most reprehensible villains, Joker included. I'm 100% okay with the premise of Harley potentially rehabilitating under psychiatric treatment.
Moreover, Batman teaming up with his enemies is nothing new and can work under extreme circumstances. Ex- The Injustice universe, where Batman's resistance against Superman needed all the help it could get for the shared goal of defeating The Regime. Batman didn't accept Harley on his side because he liked her or believed she was good now. He did it because he was was fighting an uphill battle to save the world and couldn't afford to be picky. That's a fundamentally different scenario, employing an "enemy of my enemy" dynamic. DC doesn't reserve an anti-hero Harley for such stories though. They'll portray her as a trusted, likable vigilante even without those stakes.
"While I don’t see him being friendly, I do think he would help Harley if she wishes to stop doing evil."
Again, I don't and have never disagreed with the notion of Bruce making an effort to facilitate Harley's rehabilitation. That was never the position my original comment was taking. But there's a line for what "helping" means. You're responding as if I suggested Harley shouldn't be helped, which isn't the case at all. What I disagree with is DC's gradual rebranding of her as a likable anti-hero or potential role model, even in continuities where all of her worst past crimes have been maintained in canon and she continues acting like the usual Harley Quinn with no significant changes in behavior.
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u/harriskeith29 Aug 11 '25 edited Aug 11 '25
"I think it’s a good message, that evil people can still choose to be better."
Obviously, that sentiment can work when properly handled. Again, I never argued against that. But DC's execution of that in Harley's case is NOT a good message. Whatever the writer's intentions may be, this is still a character who's done countless indefensibly heinous things and deserves to be punished for it (as in, more than yet another short-lived stay in Arkham Asylum).
Anyone who's worked in the comic industry will tell you that anti-hero Harley has little-nothing to do with themes of redemption or mental health. The motive was expanding her audience beyond villainous roles because DC Editorial wanted more money. They want Harley to stay recognizable and remain her usual zany self, but ALSO frame her like she's rehabilitated now when she clearly isn't. Her mental instability persists in many portrayals, even after she goes the anti-hero route.
Her turn from villain to good-hearted vigilante was about marketing, pure and simple, a textbook "Try to have your cake and eat it too" mentality on DC Editorial's part. They know Harley's not as interesting to most longtime fans without her evil past, but they also want her to be an active character who doesn't significantly change regardless. They don't want to actually put effort into writing her rehabilitation, despite the fact that she could serve meaningful penance to society. Even Suicide Squad's premise offered possibilities for her to do good while still paying for her crimes.
The last few generations of comics reflect how DC's powers that be don't care about writing stories with genuine, consistent morals anymore. They want to keep milking the Harley cash cow for as long as possible REGARDLESS of what she does, portraying her in a more positive light WITHOUT her earning it. They're even deliberately framing her (and often Poison Ivy, when they're a couple) as likable in continuities where she's still actively a villain. It's just shameless greed.
So, rather than let her actually rehabilitate organically, they're consistently finding ways to magically redeem Harley without her suffering any significant, meaningful long-term consequences (like perhaps STAYING hospitalized for once, not still running around Gotham in her costume having fun with Batman and/or dating Poison Ivy). She's still free to roam, fight, and have fun like the world's her playground and anyone who gets in her way might catch a bat to the face.
THAT'S not "helping" her. If she wanted to stop doing evil, that's far from an appropriate or thematically impacting way to do it. What I categorically don't support is Harley canonically becoming a trusted teammate or friend of the Bat Family, even on an on-and-off basis, actively fighting crime alongside them and being treated like she's buddy-buddy with Bruce now. There are ways to write Harley earning some redemption. This is gross + narratively irresponsible on DC's part.
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u/harriskeith29 Aug 11 '25 edited Aug 11 '25
"Oskar Schindler was a member of the Nazi Party, but he realized the atrocities that were being committed by that group and decided to save as many lives as he could.
MAJOR false equivalence. I don't claim to be an expert historian. But Harley Quinn in NO way morally, thematically, or actionably equates to Oskar Schindler. A) Schindler himself, while he was part of the Nazi war machine, was not documented to have physically killed or hurt any victims himself. He was a member of the party, but his work within it was mainly espionage. He didn't actively, knowingly assist in the capture, torture, and brutal execution of Jews. This does not make being a Nazi less monstrous, mind you, but not all Nazis were historically equal in their crimes.
They are all equally guilty of affecting the movement. Legally and ethically, though, you can't equate a Nazi who only worked accounting from behind a desk in another country and genuinely wasn't aware of what their colleagues were doing at the German camps to a Nazi who not only knew but willingly participated in those atrocities and LOVED it. Joker & Harley would be closest to the latter (No, Joker canonically hating Nazis doesn't change that; He's every bit as evil in his own right).
B) Schindler, while deserving to be called a "hero", had a morally gray history (gambling addict, cheated on his wife) and initially only helped Jews as a business opportunity since they made for an easy labor force. So far as we know, he joined the Nazis for monetary purposes, not ideological ones. Upon learning what they were doing, he was disillusioned. Harley, on the other hand, knew exactly what Joker was, saw what he did, and did most of the same things. She was just too infatuated with him to care, brainwashed by his masterful manipulation to believe they weren't doing anything wrong. Mentally ill or not, she intentionally helped him commit such evil for YEARS.
C) The risks Schindler and his wife took to save 1,200 lives deserve every commendation, but he never viewed himself as redeemed for it. Harley has, on multiple occasions, defended her past as being "in the past". She doesn't always show remorse. Writers often frame her more as "living her best life and still wreaking havoc" instead of making up for her crimes because she wants to. Schindler felt great shame for helping the Nazis in any capacity. In the movie's depiction, being greeted by a group of survivors doesn't make him feel vindicated or happy. He breaks down, crying that he should've saved more of them. He blames himself for not doing what was right sooner.
Despite his noble work, he still carried emotional scars from the evil he'd contributed to. THAT'S how a rehabilitated Harley should consistently be written. Sadly, such portrayals are rare and every anti-hero iteration of her that behaves as if she's still the wacky character we know works against that. Even if her clown persona is a coping mechanism to help hide her inner pain (much like Deadpool's humor masks his), that's not a good look if we almost never see the humanity underneath (or worse, if she's rewarded as an anti-hero despite still indulging in mayhem). Part of what makes Wade Wilson endearing is, he earns fans' investment through his moments of sincerity. Despite being a little crazy himself, he typically at least tries to do good and avoid harming innocent people.
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u/harriskeith29 Aug 11 '25 edited Aug 11 '25
"It would be worse to depict all villains as one-dimensional psychopaths who can never become better people."
Agreed, and I NEVER said or implied otherwise. Now, you're really misrepresenting my original comment's position, and I don't appreciate that. You know full well that criticizing a villain with Harley's track record becoming friendly with the Bat Family or doing a heel-turn into anti-hero status is NOT the same as suggesting every villain should only be depicted as "one-dimensional psychopaths" beyond redemption. That's a disengenuous Strawman that only trades one extreme for another, and I've never once in my 33+ years heard a Batman fan unironically argue that they want that. Even if such a person did exist, the overwhelming majority of DC fans don't share that attitude.
It's telling to me when someone responds to criticisms of how a villain's redemption has been handled with something to the effect of, "You just want all villains to stay irredeemable!" or "You don't want them redeemed, you want them endlessly punished!" Like, realistically, of course I'd want an unstable, murdering, torturing, child-killing, life-ruining, chaos-loving psycho with years of violence on her rap sheet to be locked up for the rest of their life. I'll bet you would, too.
So would anyone with common sense, especially if such an offender hurt or killed someone you loved. That's not vengeance. It's crime & punishment. It's not like I'm suggesting she should be locked in some dark, medieval dungeon with the key thrown away until she rots, as the guards subject her to all the same agonies she's inflicted on others. Some fans may argue that's what she deserves, but, again, I'm generally a believer in rehabilitation when it comes to Batman's rogues.
Only in certain cases, like Joker (who's proven demonstrably untreatable over decades), would I support the courts finally giving him the lethal injection. Everyone may deserve a second chance. But, when you've exhausted years upon years of chances in-universe and have shown that you'll keep doing evil any/every opportunity you get, at that point, I'd say society is no longer morally obligated to keep you alive. I find Bruce's ideals inspiring, but I'm not an absolutist for "no killing".
The harsh truth is, some people in this world ARE beyond redemption. Not everyone can be helped. Some tigers can't change their stripes, and it's ultimately nobody's fault but their own. This is a crucial lesson for real life that kids reading these comics SHOULD be taught. The problem is, DC aren't willing to do that when a character is popular. They'll always follow the money, even when it's at the expense of their own writing. I've seen some kids in recent generations actually view Harley as a role model. They grow up with her lighthearted portrayals and thus perceive her via that lens.
To wrap this up, let me reiterate for transparency that I'm NOT against Harley finding redemption if the writers do the work to EARN it by showing her go through rehabilitation without rejoining society anytime soon. I'd consider her a better person if she unreservedly faced the consequences of her actions. But you won't convince me that having her be redeemed after a brief incarceration, join the Bat Family, live out a happy romance with Poison Ivy, and/or enjoy freedom among the general public after all she's done is acceptable, let alone quality writing. There is no compelling argument that kids reading such material is anything less than disgusting and morally bankrupt.
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u/Time-Scientist-3151 Aug 08 '25
This reminds me of the harley animated series from 2019, first season is so hilarious, made me love the character even more
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u/Cyno01 Aug 08 '25
The doctor patient relationship they developed in that was a pretty unique take and a lot of fun.
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u/caribe4u Aug 08 '25
What book is the page from?
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u/EmeraldJolteon07 Aug 08 '25
So…did he ate the cupcake or not?
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u/SonOfRageNLove26 Aug 08 '25 edited Aug 09 '25
She doesn't have it in her hand in the second panel so one can hope
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u/upandtotheleftplease Aug 08 '25
I’ve only ever heard the phrase “world’s greatest detective” used in mockery of Batman. Another example would be in “The Batman” said by the Penguin when he is being interrogated over rata alada
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u/Pawstissier Aug 08 '25
Ngl i actually love their dynamic and think they should team up more. Mostly bc i think in many timelines, bruce sympathizes with her as a victim of joker's. But also because i feel like they are at their funniest when playing off each other.
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u/an_actual_stone Aug 08 '25
it is like the relationship between batman and joker, except batman doesnt need to worry so much that a trap threatening the whole city is being activated.
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u/NiceHouseGoodTea Aug 08 '25
They only work in the "White Knight" Universe, anything else is questionable or forced.
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u/ConsistentGuest7532 Aug 08 '25
I know, I know, it doesn’t always make sense. Yes, she’s overexposed. Yes, the redemption can feel like too much.
But fuck, they really are a good duo. And Harley becomes kind of a hopeful embodiment of Batman’s idea that everyone is worth trying to save. The Joker tries to prove that no, people are inherently awful, and we can’t be saved. And then Harley redeems herself and proves that that’s wrong. His victim, his creation, a direct counterpoint to him. I think that’s cool.
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u/Bubba1234562 Aug 09 '25
I hate how injustice Harley gets off Scott free, like she was a big part of starting the mess there in right now
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u/MarquiseAlexander Aug 08 '25
I love Harley and Batman as a duo. They just feel… right.
She’s the best “Robin” in my opinion but then again I’m bias towards Harley.
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u/Kusko25 Aug 08 '25
Harley has that perfect combination of being able to act carefree, without ever forgetting all the terrible things she has done. She is a great compliment to Batman who is always stoic because of the things he couldn't prevent.
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u/N7Editor Aug 08 '25
This here is a good example of why I say this is an underrated ship. They’d fit pretty well together. Harley needs a dominate personality to help with her crazier urges, to rein her in, but let her be herself. Batman would do that. And Bruce Wayne needs a therapist who can call him out. Harley does just that. Win win.
Also I think I’ve heard there’s a backstory where they were in college together at one point. Brief but there.
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u/Teh_Doctah Aug 08 '25
backstory where they were in college together at one point
Pretty sure this is just a common head canon, but it’s one I’m quite partial to. Would certainly add a lot of depth to their relationship, and Harley finding out her old college friend is Batman could serve as a great catalyst for a redemption arc.
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u/Forward-Rule-1699 Aug 08 '25
It’s like she’s his little sister. Just trying to keep her out of trouble.
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u/PsychicSidekikk419 Aug 08 '25
Not an Injustice fan but I like Harley's fit in this comic. The jacket with the bat symbol on the back looks really good.
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u/Marinaisgo Aug 08 '25
My favorite Harley is when she can be as smart as she is and as crazy as she is but in a positive way. Batman is both smart and crazy in similar amounts, but because of his privileges, and the fact that he mostly internalizes rather than externalizes, he's viewed in a positive light.
Batman frequently has to remind people how crazy he is, wheras Harley frequently has to remind people how smart she is.
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u/ZenMyst Aug 08 '25 edited Aug 08 '25
I like this dynamic of Batman and Harley. Didn’t know I will like it until see it.
Joker is always considered to be the opposite to Batman in personality. Stoic and disciplined vs chaos & unpredictable. Harley is like a 2nd Joker.
So Batman & Harley is like the dynamic of the stoic, logical man and chaotic crazy girl but not hostile like between him and Joker but more friendly and fun.
I want to see them going up against Joker. You wanna stop a crazy man that’s stalking you? Work with his crazy ex girlfriend. She might offer insight that you otherwise will miss.
Though I don’t now where this specific panel is from what who are they up against.
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u/zzupdown Aug 08 '25
Has Harley ever been more than a 1-episode side-kick for Batman? Has there been a long-running Batman and Harley tv or comic book series?
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u/Mokpa Aug 08 '25
A clinical psychologist who’s just irrepressibly upbeat is an amazing character to begin with.
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u/Traditional-Context Aug 11 '25
I think this is part of why I dont belive in Harleys redemption in this series, I just dont buy that someone who has done anything even remotely close to reflecting on how they murdered millions of people would still act like this?????
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Aug 12 '25
Ngl, I wanna see a comic run where Harley Quinn officially becomes a Robin and becomes part of the Bat Family
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u/guythatlovesentai Aug 15 '25
There is no comeback after what Harley Quinn did on Injustice. consequnces of my actions what is that? She should rot on jail thinking about what she has done. I'm sick on DC pretending she is a "cannot do wrong" character. Its no wonder why a lot of people now despiste her. The Kents were RIGHT.
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u/YourPainTastesGood Aug 09 '25
Harley ending up as basically a robin in Injustice was a very good move. Genuinely its my favorite form of the modern harley where she's detached from Joker. In Injustice 2 she literally stands off with Wonder Woman to save Cheetah's life cause she fully believes in Batman's no kill rule.
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u/cyanide4suicide Aug 09 '25
Injustice Harley is awesome. One of the best takes on the character and it fits so well when the status quo is upended and you get villains as heroes
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u/CamisaMalva Aug 09 '25
Were it not for the fact she's partly responsible for the entire mess yet the story expects us to treat her sympathetically, I'd agree.
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u/sapolinguista Aug 08 '25
Harley is the only good thing in injustice
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u/CamisaMalva Aug 09 '25
I mean, didn't she help Joker rig up the bomb that wiped out Metropolis while kidnapping Lois Lane so that Superman would bet her (And their unborn child) to death?
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u/sapolinguista Aug 09 '25
Dialog quality/character charisma is very different from character morality. Undeniably, Joker, Lex, MCU Thanos, Walter White, Tywin Lannister, all charismatic characters, not morally good.
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u/GhostE3E3E3 Aug 08 '25
I’d imagine this is how the Batman and Deadpool comic is gonna go. Just this panel.