But in tone and form, they’re wildly different from one another. They’re both darn good books, and both are new interpretations of her origin story. With Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) hitting theaters this week, I’d like to shine a light on two recent Harley Quinn comics – Stjepan Šejic’s DC Black Label (aimed at grown readers and with the rough equivalent of an R-rating) miniseries Harleen and Steve Pugh and Mariko Tamaki’s DC Ink (aimed at young adults, with the rough equivalent of a fairly hard PG-13-rating) graphic novel Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass.

And there is a genuine smorgasbord of ways her character can develop working from those key aspects. At her core, Harley is defined by a deep empathy that has warped into callousness and cruelty, a romantic obsession with the Joker, a pronounced zaniness and a decent streak she has never completely extinguished. First created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for Batman: The Animated Series, the wicked queen of jesters is one of Western cape comics’ most beloved villainesses/anti-heroines. Those same key qualities – a clearly-defined core coupled with significant space for creative interpretation, are also found in a few of the Caped Crusader’s greatest foes.Ĭase in point, Harley Quinn. And he’s been just about everyone and everywhere in between. He’s been a deeply kind and compassionate man who does not want anyone else to have to face what he faced as a child. He’s been a world-weary anti-hero who gets back into the game as much in search of a good death as any desire to do good. But there are so many forms that reaction can take. Batman will always be the result of a child surviving immense trauma and tragedy and subsequently reacting to it in adulthood. Specifically, a balance between maintaining a strong core concept and being flexible enough to incorporate new ideas and interpretations. One of the marks of a great superhero character that they strike a balance. magazine yet?ĬONTENT NOTE: This article, and the comics it features, discusses violence and the effects of mental and emotional abuse and trauma.įAIR WARNING: There will be spoilers ahead for Harleen and Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass. Get your tickets now! And while we're at it, have you ordered your copy of the Spring 2020 issue of.

Harley quinn broken glass