Harley Quinn in Gotham

It's time. Yes. Due to the laws of thermoquinatics, Harley Quinn or a version of her, must appear on the live action Gotham TV show.

You kniow, when this show first came out, I was intrigued but not really a fan? I would still watch it, but I'd be making snarky comments and then something would happen that was so stupid or way out of left field that I'd just be like, fine!

Now, Harley has been in live action a few times. First of all was in Bird of Prey, a suuuuper nineties show that wasn't quite done well enough to be popular but if you can look past the cringey heroes, the main antagonist (who, like her comic counterpart, tends to work in the shadows and pull strings) Harley Quinn is actually not bad. 

Played by Mia Sara

I plan to do an actual post on this version of Harley Quinn later but I'll just say that I much prefer the 'smart' villain approach instead of the 'wheee I'm crazy and have a baseball bat!' trend.

It was nice seeing her get into the hero's mind as their psychiatrist - they literally walk into her den - and while she only shows her crazy crazy side towards the last episode, it's a nice reminder of how scary someone who appears nice but is actually manipulative and scheming can be.

Batman and Harley Quinn trailer

Today I'm going to have a chat about the final trailer that's been released for the Batman and Harley Quinn movie (2017).

Now prior to the actual trailer being released we had been shown a 9 minute feature from the critically panned Teen Titans: The Judas Contract movie and it did create some controversy.
Namely the scene where Harley appears to have Nightwing tied to a bed while she disrobes to either seduce or assault him and also that everyone seemed to hate Harley's voice actress Melissa Rauch.

On these two topics - I personally don't think it's going to be an assault on Nightwing but when we keep seeing this:

And the writers keep saying it's definitely more adult, Harley and Nightwing definitely have a thing and oh yeah don't show your kids this thinking it's the original BTAS!



It kinds makes you wonder. Nightwing's been assaulted several times and Harley's been shipped with just about everyone under the sun. They even had her boink Deadshot. Let's face it, no one was impressed with Batman and Batgirl getting it on in The Killing Joke either.

I'm surprised Harley isn't even on this list, given her abusive relationship with the Joker and being       drugged prior to relations at least once. Just because she was into Joker at that time doesn't mean         it's okay for him to drug her. 

Second point: when I first heard Melissa Rauch's (best known for her role on The Big Bang Theory) take on Harley Quinn I wasn't taken with it. It sounded too bored and too 'deep' or throaty for Harley. 

Since seeing the trailer I find that I actually don't mind it. Melissa is actually damn good with voice acting - even in TBBT alone she never actually uses her own voice. 

Even more ugly Harley Quinn merchandise!

Stupid Harley Quinn merchandise Pt 3!

 First up in this trilogy we have the iconic tango image made popular by Harley Quinn's first main stream introduction to DC comics.

Nothing really new here.. except it's lifted right out of Suicide Squad.

So we have the classy 'damaged' tattoo, some grills, Harley's gloves missing as well as her face paint (was she not dumped in a vat of goo by this stage?) and Harley herself looking like she really needs to use the ladies.














You know the image.

Wait, don't we already have a statue of this?

Yeah... actually there are several.

There are action figures or actual collectables like the one on the right here.

And this was such a major scene in the movie too! /sarcasm

Tangent Comics: The Joker

Laugh 'till it hurts!

Released: 1997

Writer: Karl Kesel

Pencils: Matt Haley

Inks: Tom Simmons

Colours: Moose Bauman

This is an entry from the Tangent Universe - while not all of their issue hit the mark this Joker is one that I've always been a fan of.

It takes place in New Atlantis - 35 years after a nuclear exchange destroyed the original Atlanta and we're introduced to a police officer named Keel who is fairly new to town but recognises the colourful Joker when she appears.

The first part is mostly his monologue but the scene stealing is all courtesy of the Joker - who is very reminiscent of Harley Quinn but with a more political focus.

Joker is funny enough, but Keel's deadpan internal voice is hilarious too, noting that they didn't cover this sort of thing in the academy, and when Doll Man (AKA Scarface) is apprehended after being captured by Joker, he thinks that getting a statement won't be an issue but getting a word in edgewise could be.

This Joker is more vigilante than outright villain and there are constant references to the Cuban Missile Crisis and protest rallies.

Retro Review: Harley Quinn #7!

HARLEY QUINN #7: GODS AND MOBSTERS

This issue opens with a re-cap, as told by a cute little fourth wall breaking (before it became the De Rigour thing) Harley Quinn bouncing around the scene of real Harley Quinn and The Riddler fleeing for their lives as Big Barda comes crashing down around them during their accidental double heist of Wayne Manor.

The one page spread split into several panels along with Li'l Harley narrating gives the impression that time has actually scratched it's own record and stopped briefly. Very cinematic.

Oracle - AKA former Batgirl Barbara Gordon realises what a bad, long, terrible, no good night it's going to be after she realises that a) she's working blind since Margo's security hi-jinks show empty hallways, b) Big Barda cares little for vanquished baby grand pianos and c) not only is the Riddler causing havoc but Harley Quinn is there too.

Riddler overhears Barda's acknowledgement of a secret passage and jumps for nerdy joy. He starts monologue-ing out of nerdy joy too and doesn't realise that Harley is atop the chandelier - also spying on the scene.

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death

C. Mann and Laura Martin cover

Dodsons variant

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death

Released: Mar 2016

Writer: Amy Chu

Pencils: Clay Mann

Inks: Seth Mann

Colours: Ulises Arreola

A comic I should have gotten into much earlier but I wasn't really aware of it until now. Where was the hype train on this one, DC? Anyway. 

Lovely covers. The variant classic HQ and PI by the Dodsons is it's usual work of art and I like the original cover too with it's traditional 'sexy' pose somewhat twisted by the look on Ivy's face and outfit. The new 52 outfit they gave Ivy was always a mixed bag depending on who was drawing it, this mix of classic Ivy face and new outfit works for me.  I like that the vines's she's lying on are in the shape of DNA and her flowers are growing lifeforms inside of them. 

 The art is amazing in this series. There are a lot of panels that could have been so cheesecakey, like the front cover or these two massive spreads of the main character and her cameo buddy - but they just aren't shown that way.

It's so refreshing!

As well as that, they're still drawn very attractively, but very realistically as opposed to the normal ridiculously posed stuff you get elsewhere.

Gotham City Sirens #1

UNION

 

Released: August 2009

Writer: Paul Dini

Artist: Guillem March

With all the hype surrounding a Gotham City Sirens movie, I just wanted to go back and re-read all the issues before Hotpant Powered Hollywood types bastardise the ever-loving funk out of it, and therefore maintain my sanity. 

Maybe they won't screw it up? Yeah, well, we all thought that about Suicide Squad too. 

This super-villain team up was one of my first ever single issue collections. I prefer trades but I enjoyed this series and decided not to wait until they were all released as trades. 

The cover got some flack for Harley's perky butt (how times have changed!) but I think Catwoman's more hilarious. Look at her, suitably cat like but clearly forced into a pose to fit in around Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, who appear to be standing on... maybe the Bat signal?

Opening on Catwoman, who monologues internally about how she's still struggling from the consecutive attacks of Jason Todd and Hush, even after getting treatment from the best surgeons and also magical aid. 

"Then a scream reminds me... in Gotham, weakness is relative."

Too true, Cat Lady. She leaps in to rescue a couple from a wannabe-thug named Boneblaster. Don't worry about remembering the name. Anyway, Poison Ivy shows up to stop a meatbag getting away with animal cruelty.

Turns out Ivy is crashing at Riddler's place after they patched up their differences... or something loosely based on that line.

Catwoman Vol 2 review #84

VENGEANCE! 

The lesser of two evils

Released: September 2000

Writer: Bronwyn Carlton

Pencils: Staz Johnson

Inks: Wayne Faucher and Rodney Ramos

The cat is out of the bag, so to speak - Commissioner Gordon has been lead down a trail of unwanted memories and has woken up tied to his wife's headstone by none other than Harley Quinn and Catwoman. 

Harley Quinn is a macabre joy to read - a flamboyant clown to Gordon's straight man act.  

He has the initial "aww, hell!" reaction but otherwise is in cop mode, which is pretty interesting. I mean, let me re-iterate - he's standing over his wife's partially dug up grave. What I think is going on though, is that his cop brain has taken over. 

He fell to pieces briefly in the last issue when he was by himself and plagued with doubts and what ifs.... but now he's confronted with a criminal face to face, that's something he can deal with, even if he isn't in the best place to go about it - so he stays calm and collected. 

Gordon tries to make sense of Harley and Catwoman's plan but has an uphill battle. I like Harley's "too hard for girls" quip. 

Catwoman Vol 1 #83 Review

SCAVENGER HUNT

Released: Aug 2000

Writer: Bronwyn Carlton

Penciller: Staz Johnson

Inker: Wayne Faucher

Colourist: Albert T De Guzman

Coming back to our Catwoman saga involving Harley Quinn and her manipulation/rescue of Selina..

and opening on the aftermath of the ambulance ambush.  

Commissioner Gordon laughs off no news about the Cinque centre situation because it's out of his jurisdiction, dammit! That'll teach them to privatise prisons! Then some one makes him do work because they just found the ambulance paramedic/driver in a critical condition - no mention of his co-paramedic? I love how Gordon's not his usual super-cop 'I'll stop all the crimes' self in this comic.

His co-worker comes in and tells him about the report regarding the abandoned ambulance and he's just like "Is it full of orphaned kittens Allen? Well, is it? Why should I care!?"

Geez Allen, get your shit together. 

He also sasses the Cinque centre director off screen but to be fair, the cinque centre hostage situation is still on-going so they have had other things to deal with over there and weren't aware that Catwoman and the 'guard' were missing. I assume they've also either repaired the phone lines or moved out of the centre because they can use their phones now. 

Man, that SWAT guy is mad keen on killing some punk ass rioters but his squad just seen keen on fraternising with the cinque staff. 

Gordon has no chill - DAMN those cinque centre staff for being 'soooo busy' with their stinkin' riot to follow up on the wounded inmate. Kinda like you laughing about it being their problem, man, you can't sit back and not help and then get angry when they get stuck solving their own problem. 

The Suicide Squad and the Banana Splits?

I'll level with you. I don't know who the effin' Banana Splits are. Is this another American thing? I recognise Hanna Barbera but everything else is a nada.
Pfft, Look at Deadshot in the alternate cover, creeping like a G-D Titan!

On both covers, Harley is front and centre like a good little cash cow and clearly taking inspiration from the terrible movie adaption. 

Anyway, the Bananas seem nice, cops attack them because cops, we then see the Suicide Squad in action. AGAIN - Harley is in the snow, in her stupid ass T-shirt and shorts. At least she's got a jacket this time. Well, maybe if she did it up or if it had sleeves it would be worth having. Can't have her going on a mission without being ridiculously dressed and or under sexualised! 

Things aren't going well for the B-Splits in prison. Why are they in prison? ...because... reason?

Harley's Little Black Book #6

Sometimes you can read a book by it's cover. Unfortunately for this title, it's either "ugh, fan pandering" or "ugh, 90's overload!"

Frag 'em Lobo! Don't just stand there!

Bite me, Fanboy? 

I've never been a fan of this spin of series. To me, it's just shame less overkill. Hardly Quinn teams up with enough characters and parodies to basically be an unfunny, less awesome Deadpool. By having her have her own spin off dedicated to just that - pairing her up with other characters and basically destroy their lives and souls with her patented red and black and pinky and bluey trademarks and pathetic fourth wall breaking 'humour.'

They also feature a number of artists. So, for example on this issue we have the usual schlock from Connor/Palmiotti (yaaaay..... ARE THESE GUYS THE ONLY FULL TIME STAFF DC HIRES?!) 

but then some absolute primary school artwork by some random who, like David Ayer, took "Harley wears hotpants now" as a light suggestion. 

This thing reads about the same as a shitty tie in for a kids cartoon show too.

REBIRTH HARLEY QUINN #17 - Red Meat or overdone hash?

It may fit, but the diamonds and your reflection are both wrong

Same name, different characters

 Why is there Rebirth Hardly Quinn on my blog?
Is there going to be a rant? Probably.

Truth is, it's on here because I wanted to discuss the 'new back-up feature' of "Harley Loves Joker" featuring Paul Dini.

First of all... featuring? does that mean he's in the comic himself? Is he writing it?
Second of all.... ugh.. the comparison of Harley and Hardly makes my heart hurt. Hardly appears to have Friggin' Lucille from The Walking Dead in her hands, and ooh it's a grenade but it looks like a mobile phone the way she's holding it. Shit, they even gave Harley some of Hardly's tacky blue eye make-up.

BTAS: The Joker's Favour

The Joker's Favor (or Favour, if you spell things correct SORRY AMERICA!!) is the 22nd episode of season one of Batman: The Animated Series. It debuted in 1992 and is famous for bringing the fan favourite character Harley Quinn to life. 

It's also a very well written episode - like well, the entire series - and features an interesting premise.  

What happens if, on one of the worst days of your life, when you think that nothing else could possibly go wrong... you happen to cuss out the Joker?

Injustice: Gods Amongst Us Annual #1

Injustice: Gods Among Us Annual #1
'Contract on Harley Quinn'
2014
Writer: Tom Taylor
Artists: .... a lot

Seeing as how I look to Injustice Harley Quinn as my ever green source of joy in a world consumed with showing me ever-ridiculous Hardly Quinns... I thought it prudent that I review one of my favourite Injustice issues ever. 

No, not this fan pandering piece of shit, an actual good comic!

So it's called the Hunt for Harley Quinn and it opens with-

NO. NO! GOSH PLEASE NO. NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!