Harley Quinn: fake news and rant about Screenrant

 So - spoiler alert - ScreenRant isn't exactly the headquarters of factual information but they do a lot of clickbait and are allllways at the top of any search for general pop culturey stuff, which I know because I make an effort to avoid clicking on their articles. Today though, they got me. 

I was curious about the tattoo on Harley's back so I read this article by a Thomas Bacon (1/9/2020) in which he states it says property of no-one, which is a throwback to her 'property of Joker' jacket from the first Suicide Squad movie. While I wish we could see this relationship actually play out on the silver screen, Mr. Bacon portrays these tattoos like they're a full relationship run-down and all we need to know. 

But attentive viewers will have noticed a subtle change in Harley Quinn; specifically, her tattoos. Most of these were supposed to have been made by Harley herself, while she was languishing in prison, bored out of her mind. But there are a couple of exceptions, ones in places even the uber-flexible Harley couldn't reach. And all of these conveyed a sense of ownership, suggesting the Joker had branded Harley. One on Harley Quinn's back literally identifies her as "property of Joker." It's easy to miss, but this has actually changed in the behind-the-scenes footage from The Suicide Squad, suggesting Harley has had someone paid to alter the tat. It now reads, "property of no one.
It's a subtle detail, but a great visual way of reminding viewers of Harley's character arc. It suggests Harley Quinn is following the same journey she did in the comics, where she learns to define herself as an individual rather than by her relationships. While she no doubt won't stay single - Birds of Prey subtly set up the romance between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy - she will never again allow herself to be drawn into the kind of unhealthy, obsessive and abusive relationship she had with the Joker.
All this means Harley Quinn is more than a Joker abuse victim. Rather, she is recovering from her time with the Clown Prince of Crime, getting on with her life, and in so doing presenting a brilliant example to viewers. Superhero franchises rarely explore this theme, tending to show healthy relationships and present idealised views of love and romance. But Harley Quinn is far more real, meaning she has one of the best arcs in the DCEU to date. This tattoo confirms that arc will continue in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad.

I was curious about the 'subtly set up romance' thing because if there's one thing DC doesn't do well in it's films it's.... ok, well, one thing among many is that they ain't subtle. 

The link is in the paragraph if you wish to read it yourself but be warned, it's nothing to do with the movie Birds of Prey.

Harley Quinn: Black White Red #1 - Red

2020
Story/Art: Sejic
Lettering: Gabriela Downie

“Harleen: Red” Resolutely defiant in the face of all of Arkham’s attempts to psychoanalyse her, Harley Quinn is suddenly compelled to reveal some of her most vulnerable thoughts - and hints of her future -- when confronted with the simplest of prompts: “What does the colour red mean to you?” Another stunningly beautiful story from the world of Stjepan Šejić’s bestselling HARLEEN!

Not gonna lie - hairline trigger activated when I saw the title! I was like.. are they making a comic series about the gosh darned collectables of Harley Quinn, which are in turn based OFF of comics and such already established? And whose name is based on the fact that she should be black, white and red but normally isn't anymore? Sorry, the mind games involved in that is just... psychotic. 

Turns out it's an extension of the Harleen story that Sejic did, and I'm guessing it's just going to be three issues? Well, it should be or else they should probably rename the series Harley's reading rainbow or something. 

Random Harley related news

Sam Humphries Says DC Won't Let Him Use Poison Ivy in Harley Quinn

Posted on May 13, 2020 | by Rich Johnston | Bleeding Cool

So in this post, BC stated that rival comic book website CBR made a point of not asking writer Sam Humphries about the lack of Poison Ivy in the current Harley Quinn series and that fans are keen to see it even though apparently Harley's all over Booster Gold now. 

Humphries defended his writing saying he wanted to use Ivy but he doesn't have a choice as the characters aren't always available. 

Some of the questions fans were asking Humphries in a recent live chat were things like;

Question: Considering Poison Ivy is the Morticia to Harley Quinn's Gomez, can we expect them to get back together any time soon?

Humphries liked the question - personally I think that it's a bit weird to compare probably the best straight relationship ever with a bi relationship that's rarely written in an interesting way. What really got me laughing was this bit from BC;

It has been noted that there seems to have been an editorial stance to a) make Poison Ivy a bad guy again and b) remove her as ever having been part of a couple with Harley Quinn, as previously established in the Harley Quinn series and in Heroes In Crisis. Plenty of her fans aren't entirely down with that, after seeing a more nuanced Ivy in the comics in recent years, though that portrayal has been spotty of late. They also see the removal of her from Harley's life as another example of straightwashing Harley Quinn now that the character has a higher media profile.

Can you get annoyed about a character being straight washed when she was originally a straight character that got retconned into a bisexual to fan pander and garner interest? And... if Harley is canonically Bi... how is it a problem if she dates a man? Have you ever read the Conner/Palmiotti run where 'girlfriends without the jealousy of monogamy' meant Harley was almost literally in EVERYONE'S pants at any given time? Where was the outrage there? 

I know lots of fans have always shipped these two, but I stand by my prior statements that these two are a shitty couple. Yeah, not exactly a step above the Joker and Harley. 

If - to make these two characters work in a relationship - you have to first entirely change their sexual preferences, then their entire character - it's not worth it. 

Top 10 Weirdest Harley Quinn Ships Pt 2

Hey - remember that video I just covered on Harley Quinn ships?
Remember how I mentioned some big names that I thought would have been in there for sure?
Remember how I mentioned these videos would be scraping the barrel?

Yeaaaaah.... about that. There's a part 2.

Soo.... this one is the same channel but has a different presenter and she objects to the term weird ships. But see.. these are weird ships. Half of them are people just saying "Well, person A and person B BOTH exist in this video game universe/unrelated movie franchises/comic books as a whole - LET'S SHIP THEM!!"

I understand her aversion to people crapping on fanships.. but the whole idea of fanships, surely.. is that there is SOMETHING there, some kind of sign, a look, a compatibility that then sparks the flames of a romance.. or at least something similar in the hearts and hopes of fans.

For example - Taiora from Digimon Adventure.

This one is my own weakness, I'll admit. While I appreciated the friendship these two had, my little heart thought they could be so much more. They understood each other, they trusted each other, they genuinely cared for each other, they were cute together and they both knew what needed to be done even though they had different ways of going about it.

So when Digimon Adventure 2 snuck in a romance between Sora and Matt (Sorato) I was horrified. These two barely had much to do with each other in the first season apart from being physically attacked by depression then getting over it fast. Matt was constantly too cool for school, had the crest of friendship but was always either snarking at or physically attacking his 'friends' and hey, remember that time the abandoned his really young brother in the Digiworld? I sure as heck do! He did it again later as well. Sora never seemed the type to moon over a "rockstar/astronaut" wannabe (that was so stupid) and I especially don't see her (who is generally the 'mom' of the group) putting up with someone who doesn't care about his own family. It was just weird, especially when they pumped out some clone children with the exact same Digimon as their parents. Umm.

Then we got Digimon Tri where they're always putting Sora in the middle of a Tai/Matt situation and forgetting she's a person too, who may or may not have her own life/hobbies. Maybe.

After all - Sora's relationship woes were just getting in the way of the biggest ship in Tri.

credit

I may have gotten off topic there but what I was trying to say was people either saw points for both Taiora and Sorato, or both. However, there was reasoning behind it and there were definite, deliberate parallels between Tai and Matt. People weren't just shipping Sora with say, Ken or Gennai just because they "happen" to inhabit the same universe.

Although there probably is a ship for that now. Thanks, internet!

Top 10 Weirdest Harley Quinn Ships

So this one shipping ship I saw at the biggest quay in Austral--- oh wait, wrong ship.

*record scratch*

Talking about this video  from Top 10 Nerd. Didn't look as clickbait-y as the other videos I've seen on the topic (a few just went in depth with Nightwing, others focused on how many Harley had shagged... y'know...) so I thought I'd give it a go and see if I agreed.

Now they mention at the start that they've left out Joker and Poison Ivy as the two most popular and canon ships. OP states that the Joker is toxic, but does not mention the literally toxic Poison Ivy.
I've explained my feelings about these two being similarly toxic suitors for Harley before, as well as my opinion that Harley and Joker were in a mutually abusive relationship and it was not one sided.

Still, I agree with leaving the main two candidates out as much as I am concerned that we will be scraping the barrel for possible love interests without them.

Top 10 Worst Things that Happened to Harley Quinn

Today I gave in to the click bait and watched this WatchMojo.com video titled "Top 10 Worst Things that Happened to Harley Quinn" so I thought I'd go through it here to see what it was all about, what I agree with, what I don't and what I thought overall.

After all, there are so many different versions of Harley Quinn and they've each had different experiences.. Is it going to be fair? Is it going to be mostly classic Harley, or newer Harley? Are video game versions excluded? What about TV and movies?

Let's dig in.

Gotham City Sirens #8

March 2010
Plot/art: Guillem March
Dialogue: Marc Andreyko
Colours: Tomeu Morey

What better time to get back into Gotham City Sirens - and an Ivy-centric issue to boot - after reading about the lobotomised, bland, green place holder in the last review and the recent dramas I had in the comic store.
Givin' me the heebie jeebies just thinkin' about it. Even more so than opening up to the severely emaciated and shrivelled up form of Poison Ivy.

Jump cut to two weeks prior, showing Pam as beautiful as she is vengeful and deadly. Scorning the humans for doing things in her park. No, not THOSE things.. (that we know of, anyway) but rather children pulling up daisies, dudes thinking about their chances with her, people daring to exercise or sit on a bench.

Just imagine this face looking at you... it'll shave seconds off your run time!

Now as much as this is about Ivy's time in the spotlight, the issue shows us what's really happening within the team as a whole.

This scene for example. One look and you might think, oh that Harley, buying random shit in her name and having it delivered to their hideout?? What a card!

What we're really seeing is Selina not only ticked off at the breach of security.. but Harley's lounging on the couch watching TV, Ivy is nowhere to be seen until the last panel and Selina is picking up the slack in the kitchen. This hideout is a tinder box and it's about to explode.

The spark comes from Ivy strolling in from her saunter about Robinson Park at the same time a plant related murder that happened there is being reported on the news. 

Injustice 2 - issues 60-71

Alright, I'll level with you. As exhausting and confusing as recapping Countdown was in a massive long shite-post... it was fairly effective. I've been wanting to get back into reviewing Injustice 2 for a while now, but I've been grappling with time issues, mental problems and the fact that I have no idea what I was up to issue wise that I literally didn't know where to start again.
So, I figured, I'll do something similar - run through the last eleven issues of Injustice 2, so I can start reviewing them in single posts closer to when they come out because I'll be fairly caught up by then.

Attack on Oa
Writer: Tom Taylor
Artist: Xermanico
Colours: J. Nanjan

Wow, all those starfish. All that rage. All that red and skintight clothes... reminds me of my last beach holiday. Siiiiigh.


Now here's the Titans and Booster Gold, stealing the Justice League's state of the art spaceship in their skintight clothes. Reminds me of my last space holiday. Siiiiigh.

Anyway, here's Starfire, Wonder Girl, Kon-El (as Superboy) with Booster Gold and his Skeets robot stealing the ride that Batman had. They haven't been able turn off the alarm, but Superboy notices another alarm. Booster said it's the proximity alert, but I think they should change the name to "Th' Main Man" alert.

For obvious reasons. 

Remember back in this review? Harley Quinn convinced Lobo that he was wasting his time with her, enough so that Lobo then went to find someone worth his time - in this case, using Darkseid to put out his cigar - but before that, he had some beef with Superman. So that little throwback was cool.
Basically the Titans are chasing Blue Beetle who was kidnapped by Lobo, and Lobo's been hired by some dude in a crazy big chair to get Blue Beetle to save the world.

Lobo shoots a Kryptonite bullet at Superboy but Wonder Girl epically deflects it.

I mean, look at this!

I don't normally like the silver for the Wonder Women costumes but I don't mind it here.

Turns out chair guy is Metron - a New God that spends his existence messing with Skeets' logic programming. Starfire yells out the window 'Hey if you're so powerful, can you turn the spaceship alarm off??' and it works in both turning off the alarm and being a great icebreaker.

In the end they hitch a lift with Chair and Bike, off to stop the angry, angry space starfish from making all the green and blue weirdos angry as well

Digging Cassie's Artemis vibe here

They all wear space masks and I was like... guys... 99% sure you can all breathe in space.. then I was like, wait, face hugging anger stars! But then why does Superboy only have a half mask?
Why would they even have half face space masks? I mean... what?

Oh, hang on, I just read some comments. Apparently it's so they can all communicate through the whole no sound in space thing. THAT makes more sense.

Suicide Squad New 52 # 18 - Harley Quinn branches out and Red Orchid pays the price!

"Death Blooms"
May 2013

Yeah, it's going to be one of THOSE issues, doing plant jokes to death. You would have thought that Harley had heard them all before... but then again they haven't even explained if her friendship with Poison Ivy survived the reboot. Probably not, like her on again off again immunity and her being so independent now in her new origins. Well, independent if you look past the fact that she literally has no agency in her own conception anymore or any female friends but hey!

Instead we have this... wait, what is she doing? Is she casually sitting on Red Orchid? Okay and her gentle cupping of Orchy's face is enough to render her powerless? Maybe Orchy's eyes are bugging out in fear of Harley's distinct lack of eyeballs. Wait, why are her feet so elongated? Why does she always lose her belt for these covers? Why is there such wasted potential in Orchy's plant hands?

WHY DO THESE COVERS TORMENT ME SO???


Anyway, where we last left these punks Harley was poisoned (although she's turned back to her ordinary dead clown whites now) and appears to be convulsing. Or showing off her boobs better, one of those. Yo-Yo was like any dude in this situation - thinking "oh no, my sister's killing my friends again!" Deadshot was also poisoned, but he's totally fine. King Shark and Voltaic are also there.

 Now, I can't decide which one I like more... Deadshot's choking face which makes it look like he's actually laughing and trying to get off panel so he can hide it, or Regulus and his ultra jerk smirk. Still not a huge fan of Red Orchid's bug eyes and insect arm eyebrows.


Shit, Digimon did better plant people than this. Although, for once DC didn't make a female character's boobs hang out 24/7. Hmm.... we have a conundrum.

(EDIT: I asked my husband what he thought Deadshot's expression meant and he said that he thought King Shark was giving him a bit of the backside rumpy pumpy. Now that's all I can see, making me wonder if Deadshot's 'joke' about kissing King Shark was actually a joke, and all those times he said he didn't care about King Shark... was it all a ruse for a secret romance?!)

Joker's Asylum II: Harley Quinn

"The most important day of the year"
August 2010
Writer: James Patrick
Art: Joe Quinones
Colours: Alex Sinclair

Here's one of my favourite comics to wash the taste of the last review out of my mouth.

Now, I love Quinones art when it comes to Harley Quinn. Maybe it's the similar surname, but he just seems to GET her. A lot more than any squad working on any Harley solo's since her original run.
The interior artwork and all the expressions are just ace. The cover's nice too. A very powerful, somewhat provocative stance (without being exploitative) but damn, look at how much detail there is on the scene. The messed up door and the smoking gun with blood on it, the light hitting Harley from below and casting Batman's shadow... just great.

Being Joker's Asylum, we open with Joker introducing the tale, a la Tales of the Crypt while in a plush chair, a dressing gown and holding a puppy. Our first shot of Harley is her bare feet showing out of her Arkham oranges while she's running down the hall and deftly evading guards and fail-safes. We don't get a good look at her face until she stops at a cliff.

Props to Arkham staff - they really tried. They pulled out every move in a rare attempt at being efficient. I wish they tried this shit whenever Joker feels the need to escape because there's no way he'd make this at all.

Now we see her face, Dr. Arkham desperately tries to understand what has motivated Harley to do this right now of all times but we all know what would make Harley do anything criminal, don't we?

Yep, the siren song of her obsession, her Puddin' and her devotion to him means that even though she could have been out, free and clear if she'd just waited a few weeks but now she's going to be on the lam with Batman and the cops and everyone hunting for her. She can't though, because she wants to be with her beloved cohort on Valentine's Day.






This is the classic Harley we know - the one that would jump off a damn cliff after baking cookies to be with someone that doesn't actually love her.
She arrives at an abandoned YMCA which was their hideout... apparently? I'm not sure what's sadder, the fact that there are several young men who will not be able to use the YMCA services anymore or that the hideout doesn't even have a proper pool.
She meets the one surviving but severely wounded hench man Spider who tells us why Joker's not there himself.

Harley is ticked off that Falcone has taken Joker on today of all days but she's already got a plan and is preparing for when she gets back with her beau.

Splat! Promotional Comic: Suicide Blonde - The Suicide Squad prequel

2016
Writer: Tony Bedard
Pencils: Tom Derenick
Inks: Juan Albarran

So here's a review of a promotional comic that DC did alongside Splat!. Splat! is a hair dye brand. Seems like a match made in heaven given Harley's recent.. infatuation with.. changing her hair colour every five minutes. I recall Splat! advertisements in some of my older comics so they've probably been close to the superhero and pop culture scene for a while.

Let's have a look.

Urrrrggggghhh. First page is a full spread of Harley Quinn in her cell at Belle Reve. Do you remember the trailers for Suicide Squad, and the scenes in the movie where she does her little acrobatic act half naked before she gets all Miley Cyrus with licking things, then she head butts her cell because she's frustrated about her sleeping conditions? Well here's more of that! And still no-one questioning why she's essentially making a noose in her cell and giving herself dodgy prison tatts.

Waller comes past and she forces Harley to reminisce on being outside, in the fresh air and sunlight... so, money on the table, I'm shocked didn't include Harley receiving sunburn harder than any given ginger. Oh, my apologies she said nightlife.

I first looked at this and I was like.. what the hell is this? Then I remembered, Suicide Squad Harley Quinn and Joker are #relationshipgoals! Yeah! The one thing I wish my relationships had more of are stereotypical conversations about the girl not being ready fast enough while the girl imagines how a red drape would work on her as a dress. Then the boy can stand around and front about being so gangsta while constantly checking his watch. Yes... relationship goals. Sure..

See, that's the thing about the whole 'gangsta' Joker - he has to have a moll and be seen on the social scene instead of being the classic villain we know that just goes out and does crime that he's planned out meticulously or perhaps made up on the fly because he thought of something funny...
he wouldn't really care if Harley was there or not.

DC You - Batman: Prelude to the Wedding.. Harley Quinn vs Joker

Well naturally, Marvel just had the last few weddings of the century so here's DC's attempt at competing again.

June 2018
Till Death Do Us Part
Writer: Tim Seeley
Artist: Sami Basri
Colours: Jessica Kholinne
Cover: Rafael Albuqueque

Synopsis:

Harley Quinn knows a thing or two about dysfunctional relationships. When she hears that her old flame is trying to get in the way of a happy new life for one of her best friends, the Maid of Mischief tracks The Joker down to give him a piece of her mind-and maybe a few blows from her hammer, too.

Does anyone remember the first time Catwoman got all dolled up in a wedding dress? I remember the first times I saw her in one and it was well before the Cat and the Bat romance got off the ground. 

True, this one wasn't real but it was awesome seeing a mix of villains and heroes at the ceremony and then fighting over the bouquet.. then Catwoman realising that Batman wasn't ever going to truly run away with her while crime exists in Gotham and woke up pissed.

This one was an attempted wedding, where someone tried to domesticate Catwoman and she put a damn stop to it you betcha bucko. 

Oh, I miss how she used to call people bucko. 

As a young girl I would look at these and have no doubt that this was how my wedding would be. Now I AM married I'm glad it didn't. It's a shame I couldn't rock a catsuit under my shredded dress but I feel that a rogue bunch of commandos scaling the cathedral and shooting it up would have put the whole night out of my budget for sure. 

Anyway, now we're milking the Catwoman and Batman semi-romance for all it's worth and that means finding some way to tie in Harley Quinn and Joker.

Suicide Squad New 52 #16 Death is for Suckers!

Here we are again with the Suicide Squad. Now last time we saw them they were either doing some jungle thing with Basilisk or they were fighting Joker. Not even sure we can count either as proper continuity but whatever. Here they are in hospital at Belle Reve/Reeve. this can only mean one thing... oh no, FLASHBACKS!

Yep, now they're back in Mexico. Harley is all mushy that Deadshot shot himself instead of her and now she's demanding to carry his corpse back to base because reasons. King Shark talks a lot more in this issue but I'm guessing that's only because Iceberg and the others are a little out of it. He's also a bit nonsensical.

Captain Boomerang says one line and King Shark gets all uppity telling him to shut up before he (racial slur about Australians and BBQ's) him. Captain Boomerang's not worried - he lives in the Great Southern Land of the Great White Shark and he's used to sharks. To this King Shark replies that he's a Hammerhead and he eats Great Whites like Tic Tacs. Umm...

I'm not sure if King Shark is pointing out his species change from Great White to a Hammerhead - that we're still not sure why this happened - or if the writers actually don't know the difference between these two sharks.

Cute head, eats like rays and shit

Holy giant teeth Batman!

Yeah, um.. no. I don't think your species is gonna dominate Great Whites any time soon, King Shark. Try throwing your bravado around when it makes sense.
We just get past this nonsense and then Captain Boomerang and Harley have to blurt out some stupid line about spankings which just seems so out of place in the panel, like it was just crammed in there to be like "Oh, they're totally a team just hazing each other! Also, our token female Harley is kinky!" Blegh.

Grey Lora teleports in from somewhere and starts fronting like "I should'a killed youse when I had the chance!" Don't remember Grey Lora? Hey, I wish I was in that boat. She's not even wearing grey... like what the hell? Anyway, that editor I like sooooo much has put in a kind note about what issue we can find her originally in. Not that that explained anything about her apart from she exists and is like.. there.

Detective Comics #837 - Honour Among Thieves

Countdown tie-in
Dec 2007
Writer: Paul Dini
Pencils: Don Kramer
Inker: Wayne Faucher

Hot off the heels of Harley's previous release from Arkham incarceration is Detective Comics #837!

We open on the Riddler lamenting being a bit on the poor side since going legitimate but still loving the thrill of the investigation/lifestyle. The thing I like about Dini's writing is that - as well as being witty and entertaining - he genuinely seems to care for the characters he writes.

Riddler going legitimate could have been the corniest shit from the cob in anyone else's hands but here you are invested. You *want* him to do well as you see him struggling yet resisting the obvious pull back into the criminal lifestyle.

You can say the same for Harley. Dini is the best writer for her, apart from perhaps the Injustice guy. In this one book, she deals with going legitimate as well, finding her own way solo, running a team and taking down the bad guys.. and she does it with humour and without losing any of the charm that made us all Harley Quinn fans. Best of all, you get her accent without being drowned in a vat of marble mouthed exaggerations of English.

Bruce Wayne offers Riddler a gig which he readily accepts. It's to find a missing employee who seems to have absconded with a new drug that affects stamina and cellular regeneration. This gig leads him out of Gotham and into Metropolis and into the Athenian Women's Help shelter... from which he readily gets kicked out of courtesy of everyone's favourite reformed jester.

Told you. 

Yep, like the last Detective Comics issue I reviewed (here) it's another villain cross-over/team up, only this time they're both reformed.

Harley still has her trademark pigtails but has traded in her jumpsuit and prison trackies for an Amazonian stola/robe. She hasn't quite got a hang on the peaceful Amazon way though.

Batman: Harley and Ivy #3

Aug 2004
"Hooray for Harleywood"

This is by far my favourite cover of the series. The pure joy in Harley's face as she peers into a film strip of Ivy punching Batman is just so in character and it's a great way to set up the comic's premise.

This comic gets around a bit. First issue was mostly set in Arkham/Gotham City, while the second one was in a Costa Rican jungle mainly. This one has come back to a US based location.

Hollywood! Geddit? It's gonna be Harleywood.

So the comic opens with Harley kicking her "Puddin'"'s face with the reveal being it's actually an actor. And a pun on Mark Hamill being the Joker's voice actor, and also being an actor in Star Wars. Not subtle, but passable.

Obviously these two have snuck onto a set and there are no security guards to worry about. Now, the comic is not long enough to go into great background about this but I wanted to mention it because the most recent Harely and Ivy series.. as in "Harley and Ivy meet Betty and Veronica"...
the girls were struggling to get past a butler with a spring of some random plant Ivy was carrying.

This was to go to a high schooler's costume party, no where near on the level of sneaking into a normally security focused work place. Just a bit of perspective.

Okay - here we get a bit of flashback alright and it's mostly focused on the character differences between Harley and Ivy.

This one page expresses what I will always consider the base relationship between these two. It also gives the artist another excuse to cram in some more underwear based scenes.. Look, I'm not gonna lie. I think it's unfortunate. I have no issue if this was a genuine lounging around in comfort-wear situation but when we have Ivy doing her scientist thing who just happens to be playing around with lab equipment and possibly corrosive chemicals in her lacy bra and an unbuttoned shirt, I kinda call bullshit.

True, Ivy probably can't be hurt by the chemicals but like the other two issues where we had a nude shower scene and then a prison shower fight scene where our very first shot is of Ivy's crotch with her legs spread... it just seems like half naked scenes just *because* there are female leads and they saw the chance.
Harley isn't sexualised as much, hell, that looks like me every friggin' morning with my bowl of cereal over my unfortunately stained carpet (wow, that sounded wrong!) watching cartoons.


The exasperation Ivy shows at Harley in regards to her lack of help in this masterplan to me will always be their relationship. Ivy is the straight person, the brains, while Harley is the comic and while smart, is not known for masterminding schemes. This also ties into why I think these two would make a shitty couple, but are good as a duo or friends.

Harley Quinn's motivation in Suicide Squad

I just re-read my last post and realised I had more questions  about what I initially thought was the problem with the comic.

Particularly when I read the dialogue in this screen cap.

Harley states that she never "felt right"doing the things they did. Note there are no specific examples of what it was they did. Now, considering the New52 reboot essentially scrapped their previous history.. this was a bit of stupid because we can only really look to the past to see what things they did.

Are they talking about the chaos they spread in No Man's Land? Was it the Joker Fish from the Animated Series? Joker's Last Laugh? That time they took a holiday to Metropolis and doused everyone in gas? Brainwashing Robin in Batman Beyond?

I guess so, but at the same time.. by DC's own logic, it can't be.

I've bought this up a few times but one more time.. DC failed to show us what this new relationship actually entailed and how long it was for. You would assume from Harley's speech that they were together for a while but later on in Detective Comics 23.2 we find out that Joker basically dumped her the second he got out of Arkham. Suicide Squad itself only really shows a few psychiatric sessions, a vat dumping and then a sad flashback of a clown themed bedroom.

I... I'm not corrupt enough (surprisingly!) to picture New52 Harley and Joker banging!
I barely survived the weird... fully clothed Deadshot clown car romp.

In my opinion, this whole dramatic break up would have been a lot better if they had at least flash-backed to or explained what things they were doing.

Now another important bit here is that while Harley states she wasn't comfortable doing what Joker wanted her to do, she did it because she loved him. This, I don't have a problem with because that was very similar in pre-New 52 but with one exception. Harley was never an outright baddie, she was basically lead astray by Joker, only seeing what they were doing as fun and games. So while she would never take it upon herself to carry out large scale crime operations or murder, she wasn't exactly torn up over the 'fun things' Joker and her did either. If someone else complained, they just didn't "get the joke."

The next thing Harley says is that someone else (Waller, presumably) offered her a chance to be something different than what she had been. This part nagged me because when you think about it... it didn't.

Suicide Squad New52: #14

Where we last left off, Deadshot shot himself dead.. oh hey look at that.
**laughs for ten minutes complete with knee slapping and near choking**
H'oh boy. That was good. Aaaahh... I needed that before I get into....

"Running with the devil" Jan 2013

Yeah anyway, that happened so now we have another tie in comic! This time it's for Death of the Family - a Joker-centric cross over instead of just Resurrection Man (which I still haven't read, I really hope it keeps the editors awake at night!!)

By the power of greyscale!

Yikes. That's so not right. 

The cover is standard for this event, obviously with different faces depending on which comic you read. It really bothers me how Harley seems to have a more greeny-teal colour to her eyes and a friggin' Glasgow and or Chelsea smile. Also no neck. Good luck eating anything, you clown.

Anyway, somehow the Squad is allowed out of their cells to attend a funeral for Deadshot. I see his family isn't present though. It couldn't have been too short notice though because Harley's had time to go shopping for a funeral corset. Between that and the fact that the angel looks an awful lot like Adam of He-Man fame.. I sure don't know what to make of this funeral.

I mean, damn! I love to dabble in buckles and fishnets but that outfit is the kind of thing super Goths would look at and say whoa man, don't you think you should tone it down a little?
Where would she even FIND that? Did she make it? If so, good gravy why? Where's her belly button? Was her make-up shithouse and runny before she started crying? Why does Harley Quinn wear inappropriate attire to every funeral she attends since the whole New52 thing started?

Predictably - every graveside visit must be followed by rain. This time, it's green rain. Ooh, I wonder what THAT means? A low rent rip off of The Last Laugh? A 'surprise' cameo that no one will be surprised about? Terrible characterisation between Joker and Harley? All of the above?

Yep.

Clown thugs get fatter, Joker gets skinnier. 

Gotham City Sirens #7

Gotham City Sirens turn Holiday Story on us when we see Catwoman wailing on some jerks in Santa costumes. She laughs it off to the new Batman (Dick Grayson) but her bravado hides that little bit of fear we saw in the fight scene - she's still concerned about her heart.

Dick asks if the other sirens are staying out of trouble and Selena mentions that because the shelter was damaged recently, Ivy has gone to Central America and Harley is visiting family. Dick's pretty surprised as he can't picture her sitting around being jolly with family. What a weird thing to say, come to think of it. I mean, yeah, the new Hardly Quinn murder-go-round sex doll would be a weird, uncomfortable person to have around a Christmas tree, but sweet ol' pre-Flashpoint/New fifty-poo Harley Quinn?

Robin (Damian) busts in the room angry as hell, calls Selena a tramp, calls Dick a lazy douche and storms off, warning he;s going to take the Batmobile if Dick holds him up more than two minutes.
At least no one's surprised about THAT characterisation.

The other weird thing is when they do that obligatory holiday special thing where they cheers to friends who can't be there with them. 

So, Brucie is a given, but Alfred? Alfred just served you a drink two seconds ago, Dick! He's probably outside in the hall crying his butlery eyes out, man! Also not sure if that's meant to be Catwoman's semi-side kick Holly Robinson in the middle or if it's Jenna the Carpenter. Is the baby Catwoman's from that random side story she had once? Ivy looks pissed about being in the fire. That's fair enough. 

Moving over to Central America - Ivy is relaxed, footloose and fancy free in a jungle. Also clothes free, but that's fine because she can manipulate plant censors like a Disney Princess entrances small animals to do her bidding. 

She's wondering why they hell she doesn't just live here instead of the stagnant filth hole Gotham. 

It's a fair question.

Suicide Squad New 52 #13

These busy covers aren't working for me. Boy, I remember when Harley Quinn used to have eyeballs. Those were the days.

Dead End

Where we last left off, the squad had been infiltrated (off screen, of course.) so Deadshot shoots Black Spider so Harley and he can make a run for it.

They're really pushing the romance thing. I read this and I get the impression Black Spider is being condescending to Harley, but Deadshot sees it as him trying to get all ninja on his pasty vaguely clown-like boner-trigger.

Well, that's a sentence I've only ever used twice before. Interesting.

Harley has gotten a bit better at running (well, she couldn't get worse - surely!) and Deadshot justifies his murdering of Black Spider by telling Harley that it wasn't actually Black Spider. He wasn't sure until he shot him though. I wonder how that'd hold up in court?

Judge: Deadshot, you're accused of shooting Bob Smith. How do you plead?
Deadshot: Not guilty, your honour. You see, I couldn't have killed Bob because the real Bob would have dodged the bullet. Yeah. Totally a Basilisk plant. 
Judge: .....What?

Back to the Amanda Waller Show - Black Spider has been posing for who knows how long with a knife to Gramma Waller's throat, then has the audacity to ask Waller if they're going to bother with niceties or if he's going to actually do his job. What a good question... but not very well thought out given the scenario.