Batman: Harley and Ivy #1

Today I thought we'd take a trip down memory lane and look back at the classic three part Harley and Ivy mini series.

1/3 June 2004 'Bosum Buddies'

Script: Paul Dini
Pencils: Bruce Timm
Inks: Shane Glines
Colours: Lee Loughridge

Now the cover art is classic Bruce Timm - cartoony, kind of caricature like figures that are over exaggerated but work well in their animated like setting. Sometimes it gets a bit much like here, where the gals look like they're squeezed into tube like corsets and Harley Quinn looks a lot bigger than Poison Ivy. Naturally, in the main stream comics Ivy was always depicted as more of a voluptuous seductress but in the animated series, they went with making her more garden-pixie like for the most part. Especially when it came to the new animated series.

But, the cover is definitely eye catching, humorous, the colours are beautiful and basically, it sums up the character's relationship pretty well.

Opening on Harley and Ivy scaling a wall in anticipation of stealing a rare zombie root prior to it's exhibition the next day, their plan falls apart when it's discovered that they were a day early. Nevertheless they manage to pilfer the item in front of a  startled mass of hoity toity types.

Unfortunately, and somewhat predictably... a Mr. Wayne happens to be amongst this crowd.

Now I'm re-reading this issue, I'm questioning why Ivy just took Harley's word for it that the Botanical Society was showing this item on a certain date. I mean, is it likely that Ivy hadn't heard of some plant related exhibition and hadn't thoroughly researched and plotted their plan?






Not in my eyes, no but I suppose there wouldn't be much of comics if logic lead the way.


Batman of course, isn't keen on letting Poison Ivy waltz off with a plant that can make everyone obey her every command. Sure, she could do it herself but that means kissing a lot of men because at this stage, she can't mind-control women via her kisses. Not sure when she develops this but it was probably at least around Hush's timeline.

Anyway, Batman himself looks a little stiff and angular (and sort of looks like he's stepping into some treacle) but apart from that I can't really fault this page for it's action and humour.

Ah, Harley.

The only super-villian to carry around a practical and visible bag... unfortunately falls prey to a common female scenario.

THE INABILITY TO FIND ANYTHING YOU WANT IN THE BAG - BECAUSE NO MATTER HOW TINY IT IS IT, THE BAG SOMEHOW MORPHS ITSELF INTO FRICKIN' MARY POPPIN'S CARPET BAG WHEN YOU ACTUALLY NEED SOMETHING FROM IT!







Stirred on from Ivy's cries for assistance and being unable to find anything in her own handbag (apart from candy) Harley has a stroke of inspiration and throws the nearest heaviest object at Batman's brain holder. Unluckily.. this happens to be the pot plant they just stole.

Now this scene is just perfect in portraying how differently Ivy and Harley each see the situation.

Obviously Ivy is plant obsessed so you understand why she's ticked. Harley - maybe just being her practical self or working on a Joker-inspired method of escaping Batman by using anything as a distraction or weapon... and then scarpering - doesn't see what the big deal is as long as they get away.

Instead of rappelling down the building on a vine to catch it, Ivy instead turns on Harley and in a classic case of 'You caught me monologue-ing!' Batman gets the drop on the two villainesses.

Even two weeks later, Ivy is still a bit.. tender about the loss of her funky powered plant, and spends her recreational hours in the slammer thinking about ways to off Harley Quinn. 

They start off a bit humorous but get progressively dark as it goes on. Harley is a little bit oblivious to the root (ha!) cause of Ivy's funk and decides one way to cheer her up is a nice hot shower. 

The clever positioning of bubbles, steam, limbs and towels protects our delicate eyes from seeing anything past PG-13 but nothing can protect Harley from Ivy's last straw being broken. 

The guards intervene... somehow handling a naked Poison Ivy *without* any protective gear or adverse effects.. which is either extremely out of canon or people just really, really, really wanted a risque prison shower scene featuring two Batman villains.

Harley promises to be better next time but Ivy yells dramatically as she's dragged away on her butt that there won't BE a next time.

Despite being distraught, Harley still tries to make up with Ivy, who isn't having it. I mean really, if a woman who considers pulling up daisies murder decides to cut off the bulb of a rose bush to tell you she's cheesed off... she probably means it.

As out of canon as that is, even moreso she's allowed plants in her cell and decides to utilise it to make her escape. 

I know I'm applying logic too vigorously here but damn, the guards here are relaxed as hell. 

Ivy straight up strangles this one. 

Seeing as how her cell is directly opposite Ivy's - Harley witnesses all this. This is not something I would do if I was running the asylum, but whatevs. I really can't flaunt the action sequence here and the characterisation. Harley - much like her interactions with the Joker - only believes what she really wants to believe. Ivy isn't mad at her, she was just acting to lure the guards into letting her escape! Joker isn't trying to kill her, her Puddin' loves her, really!!

Conveniently, Ivy only runs into male guards now so she can give them all her smooch of seduction.
Harley mooches off one dazed sucker, getting him to let her out as well.
What I really like about this comic, and of most DCAU based comics is the sheer level of thought put into how exactly these criminals escape arkham. Sometimes you don't even get that in the adult comics. It's just like 'Welp, Joker's out again. Someone call Batman.'

Ivy mutates some sewer moss because she's a psycho who doesn't like condescending guards calling her sweetheart and escapes into the sewers. Fortunately, there's no grate on the exit pipe so she's out into Gotham Harbour... which is probably more deadly than the sewer itself.

She has several baths - this time all to herself and without censorship I assume - and then smooches her way onto a cruise ship headed to Costa Verde. She's just thinking to herself how lucky she is to be free of a certain ditzy...

Well, you speak of the devil and she's gotta materialise. 

Ivy can't stay mad at Harley and her simplistic yet persuasive argument. Harley shed a lone tear but is thrown a life preserver and silently given permission to come aboard the Majestic. Ivy's still pissed so she may not actually pull her up on the deck, but you know. Take what you can get. 

Harley's luggage apparently got left behind so surely someone will take that. 

Maybe this is the start of Marian Drews, eh? 

Gotham has really got to start paying attention to the times cruise ships/flights leave and their proximity to Arkham Asylum escapes because this is a real problem by the looks of it.

The Short End of the Jester Schtick

In my mind, this will always be the epitome of the relationship that Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy share. At their core, Ivy hates people and humanity in general. She also hates goofballs and stupidity yet she likes and gets along with Harley, even though she thinks she's better than her. Harley meanwhile, appreciates Ivy for who she is because Harley sees the good in people and even though she stuffs things up she does try her best to help them out.

Just like in love, sometimes opposites attract. Just like on TV, sometimes the odd couple make for better entertainment than same-same.