Harley Quinn is Unofficially Part of The Batman Family

Harley Quinn is now an unofficial member of the Bat-Family! Despite first appearing in Batman: The Animated Series, Harley has never been considered a member of the Bat-Family in the same way some longtime members such as Robin or Batgirl are, but all of that is about to change in the coming months.

Debuting in ‘90s cartoon as the Joker’s girlfriend, Harley made the jump to the comics and became one of DC’s most popular characters. She made the leap back onto the screen with 2016’s Suicide Squad where she was portrayed by Margot Robie and later Birds of Prey; as well as a self-titled adult-animated series, where Harley is voiced by Haley Cuoco. Yet for some reason she has never been considered a member of the Bat-Family. In recent months, however, the Bat-Fam has undergone significant changes as a result of the Joker War: Bruce Wayne has lost his fortune and is adopting a more down-to-earth approach to fighting crime. This time of change has allowed Batman to reexamine his relationship with Harley.

In a recent interview with Newsarama, Batman writer James Tynion IV clarified his thoughts on Harley and her relationship with the rest of the Bat-Family, saying that she sees herself as a sidekick, like Robin. While Batman does not agree with this, he still understands Harley is trying to make amends for her past, and that she will do the right thing. However, she is what Tynion refers to as a “chaos agent.” Harley has a tendency to escalate situations at crime scenes, which Tynion refers to as a “disastrous proposition.” He concludes by saying that Harley sees herself as more of a Bat-Family member than Batman does.

While many members of the Bat-Family came from rough and tumble circumstances, none of them – save Jason Todd – have such a long criminal background as Harley. Her becoming a full-fledged, official member of the Bat-Family would make for some interesting dynamics with other members, particularly Red Hood and Batgirl, who suffered horrendous trauma at the Joker’s hands. How might they react to the Joker’s former lover joining forces with Batman? And can Harley even work through her chaotic nature enough to satisfy Batman?

The times are a-changing for the Bat-Family; the new, ground-level approach to crime-fighting is forcing Batman to consider new methods and ways of thinking, and allowing Harley Quinn into the Bat-Family is certainly fresh – but Tynion is correct in pointing out that the logical Batman and the chaotic Harley Quinn may not work in the long run.

Source: Newsarama

About The Author

Shaun Corley
(1384 Articles Published)

Shaun Corley is a pop culture enthusiast living in the Pacific Northwest. After stints in both customer service and academia, he’s turned his attention to writing about comic books–his lifelong passion. He is a graduate of Radford University, with a degree in English. When not reading comics, he enjoys spending time with his fiance and their dog.

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