Warning: SPOILERS for Harley Quinn: The Legion of Bats! #2As a newly minted vigilante hero, Harley Quinn is seeking redemption in the canon of her animated show. However, this is posing a problem for a lot of the villains she’s made friends with over the years. One of the main themes of the Harley Quinn animated show is Harley’s journey from being Joker’s sidekick to becoming a hero, but fans are now seeing that journey will mean putting her other relationships at risk too – something which could have implications for her relationship with Poison Ivy.
This struggle between her hero aspirations and villainous past reached a tipping point during last season’s penultimate episode. Harley’s girlfriend, Poison Ivy, had finally gained the power to turn Gotham into a plant paradise. However, she had to turn people into plant zombies to accomplish this. Feeling torn, Harley Quinn turned herself into a zombie, which forced Ivy to stop her takeover to save Harley.
The comic spin-off Harley Quinn: The Legion of Bats! #2 by Tee Franklin and Shae Beagle continues this story of Harley and Ivy’s ever-shifting relationship. Harley is now going out at night and patrolling the streets of Gotham alongside the Bat-Family while Bruce Wayne is locked up – something she hasn’t actually told Ivy about. While out at the mall, Harley runs into Riddler and the Clock King, who are dating. Learning about Harley’s newfound heroism – and jealous over her and Ivy being seen as the better couple – they make fun of Harley for no longer being a villain, much to Harley and Ivy’s dismay.
Harley Quinn’s Villain Friends Aren’t Happy She’s A Hero
This brief interaction highlights a problem Harley Quinn is sure to run into during her next season. Although she’s been on the border and bounced back and forth between hero and villain throughout the show’s run, the end of the last season was pivotal in turning Harley into a full-fledged hero. Harley made the choice to save innocent people rather than let her girlfriend achieve her dream. This step went even further now that she’s actively working alongside superheroes. Many of Harley’s former contacts are now going to be her outright enemies – not because of random conflicts in their goals, but because Harley has chosen to hunt them down. The fact other villains already know this means there’s no going back for Harley now – she made a lot of enemies with one decision.
Harley certainly already made enemies among the world’s villains, but they’ve always had a weird mutual respect for each other on the show. Some she may even consider friends. This is going to be a problematic situation for Harley as she still sees them quite regularly, and even knows them socially with Ivy. So while Harley Quinn may feel better morally for doing acts of good, her upcoming fourth season will see her entire life turned upside down as everyone she knows suddenly becomes a genuine enemy, with word already spreading that she’s now working for the opposite side.
Harley Quinn: The Legion of Bats! #2 is now available from DC Comics.
