Harleen: A Great Psychological Horror Comic of Harley Quinn’s Origin (2024)

Comic books rarely freak me out or impress me from beginning to end. DC has a vast array of endless stories, and only few have accomplished this task. When it comes to the origin stories of DC characters, some can stay very faithful to the source material, while revealing very dark moments that make sense for the characters development in the DC universe. I think we are all very aware of Bruce’s origin story of witnessing the murder of his parents at a young age, the main source of how he became The Batman, but what about the villain's backstories? I feel that the villains have the worst backgrounds before they become a part of the criminal life in Gotham, where they take on The Batman, hoping that this time, they will win and bring pain to the city that took everything away, from a life they could have led. Harley Quinn, or Harleen Quinzel, used to belong to the normality of Gotham, where she was an everyday citizen who had no clue of how scary Gotham could actually be.

Harleen was published in 2019 and was written and illustrated by Stjepan Sejic. It follows Harley, depicting her backstory as she begins her journey into the world of the Joker. Harley’s character is seen as a quirky young woman, who just wants a new start in life. Sure, she made stupid mistakes that made her a laughingstock in her college life, (like sleeping with an older man who happened to be a professor), but she always kept her head up, seeking the perfect job that she knows she is capable of handling. After a bad night of drinking and complaining about her current situation to a friend, she wanders Gotham at night, heading back home. Unfortunately, she is caught in the midst of a crime taking place, by none other than her future love interest, the Joker.

In this version of the Joker, he is drawn as a super attractive man, something that has never been done before with the character. Just when you think it might be a little corny and cliche, the Joker proves the reader wrong, by drawing a gun on Harley upon first meeting on the street. Instead of shooting her, he lets her go. Little does Harley know that she is going to reunite with him, when she receives the opportunity to work in Arkham Asylum, to eventually become her patient that she desperately wants to cure. The comic then takes a very dark turn, showing how Harley is slowly falling down the rabbit hole; falling head over heels in love with the Joker, the man that will corrupt her mind, forever changing her into the female image of himself.

It is a story of how a good person was led down a dark path, being trapped in the spiderweb of a monster who manipulates her to become his accomplice. The illustrations of Harleen’s nightmares and a peek into her deteriorating mindset is a depressing end to a woman that wanted more in life. Harleen gives herself to Joker’s psyche, embracing his hatred of how criminals are treated unfairly by the justice system, especially Batman, the main reason behind everything. Reading the last pages of Harleen erasing herself to become Harley Quinn is a bittersweet end to this fantastic comic. Watching the illustrations of Harleen banging against mirrors surrounding Harley Quinn walking away with a smile on her face from Arkham Asylum; representing a metaphor that’s it’s not too late to turn back to undo her mistakes is one of the most miserable endings for a comic book.

So, I would now like to discuss one thing that has been on my mind for quite a long time. Was Joker actually a hot guy? Or was it all in Harleen’s mind? The reason why I think so, is because Joker has never exactly been super attractive in any other media forms I have seen or read of the crazed clown prince of crime. My theory to this version of the Joker, it’s really all in Harleen’s mind. It’s obvious since the beginning of the comic that she craves to have a partner, even if she won’t admit it to herself; I think she didn’t want to be alone. It’s insane how she didn’t hesitate to fall in love with a man who literally pointed a gun at her the first time they met. I think Harleen was desperate for companionship, so she turned to the first man who gave her any sort of attention, the Joker.

Here comes along a mysterious man who can charm his way into her heart, claiming that he can free her true self. I strongly believe that for Harleen, this proclamation brought out his attractive side, and she gave in to his fake love for her, even if she lost herself in his madness to do so. My theory could be wrong, so if I am, I’ll excuse the Joker being hot, since he is still his old evil self in the comic. Poor Harleen. She just happened to fall for the wrong man.

See you soon!