Sorry Poison Ivy: Harley Quinn Catches Feelings for a Shocking Gotham Rogue

WARNING: Potential Spoilers for Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum #3!Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn shared their first in-continuity kiss in 2017’s Harley Quinn #25 by Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Chad Hardin, marking the official beginning of DC’s most iconic queer relationship. However, the beloved Harlivy romance has faced challenges in recent years, and to add to the complications, Harley is developing feelings for another surprising Gotham Rogue.

Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum #3 by writer John Layman, artist Jesús Hervás, and colorist David Baron picks up the chaos from the previous issue, where Amanda Waller deliberately set the Arkham inmates loose to identify potential recruits for her Suicide Squad.

As the story unfolds, Harley navigates through the asylum alongside fellow Gotham Rogues the Ventriloquist and Scarecrow. Their journey leads them to reclaim their confiscated gear and clothes, including the Ventriloquist’s gangster puppet, Scarface, whom Harley immediately becomes infatuated with.

Harley Quinn Catches Feeling for the Ventriloquist’s Gangster Puppet–SCARFACE

Despite being a puppet controlled by the Ventriloquist, Scarface assumes the dominant role in their partnership, serving as the embodiment of the Ventriloquist’s darker impulses and desires. The Ventriloquist, typically depicted as a meek and timid individual, only exhibits confidence and authority when channeling Scarface. In contrast, Scarface embodies the ruthless and cunning traits of a mob boss, dictating criminal activities and commanding the Ventriloquist to carry out his bidding. In spite of Scarface’s intimidating persona, the Ventriloquist remains a relatively obscure Gotham rogue, often considered a D-Lister among Batman’s adversaries.

Scarface and the Ventriloquist perceive themselves as separate individuals, and this is a notion evidently shared by Harley in Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum #3 as she regards the Ventriloquist with mild annoyance at best, yet shows unequivocal admiration for Scarface. Upon laying eyes on Scarface, Harley exclaims, “He is… Magnificent!” and promptly begins differing to his orders, while also being depicted with floating cartoon hearts symbolizing her affection for the puppet. Unfortunately for fans of HarleyFace, this pairing is short-lived as both Scarface and the Ventriloquist meet their demise at the hands of a guard shortly after their reunion.

DC Pride 2024 Promises to Feature Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy (But Will They Be Together?)

While Poison Ivy may not face competition from Scarface for Harley’s affection, their relationship is not without its challenges. In recent years, the Harlivy romance has encountered rough patches, particularly with Ivy’s newfound love interest, Janet from HR, a choice that has sparked criticism among fans. Despite the spotlight on Harley and Ivy in various variant covers for DC’s upcoming 2024 Pride celebration in June, solicitations suggest that DC will focus on Ivy’s relationship with Janet from HR. Consequently, DC Pride may leave fans disappointed who were anticipating a celebration of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy’s love.

Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum #3 is now available from DC Comics!