Harley Quinn

I’ve always thought that DC’s cinematic universe should pull from it's rich cartoon history as they have always performed better in that medium then they have in their comics. Both in animated television and movies they’ve already provided themselves with rich source material to adapt into live action, yet that seems to not have crossed any DC executives mind. However Harley Quinn doesn’t have much in the ways of independence in the cartoon universe, nearly all of her appearances are tied to another major character in the Batman universe, that said she does have plenty of her own story lines in the comics. Today we will be discussing the origins of Harley Quinn and what solo story lines would have been a better jumping off point for the character then Birds of Prey, a team she was never apart of and had very few interactions with...

Created as a sidekick for the Joker, Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, the brilliant woman that fell in love with Joker and became his accomplice was given her origins in 1994. Harley and Joker had an on again, off again, extremely abusive relationship. The Joker repeatedly ignore, insults and tries to kill Quinn but she always finds her way back to him. This toxic relationship does not need exploring on the big screen, we all know the story and I think starting post break-up with Harley trying to focus on herself is about the only good idea DC has had and executed in regards to this movie.

Quinn got the chance to step out on her own in 2000, Preludes and Knock Knock Jokes, her first independent collection. In 2016 when my girl FINALLY got her own comic book series she is branded as an antihero, more concerned with bettering her neighborhood. This would play in the current cinematic version of Quinn following Suicide Squad and her breakup with Joker. New and improved Harley Quinn is also on a Coney Island roller derby team, which is also a very in character move for cinematic Harley Quinn, and something I would personally love to see on screen, as Margot Robbie would ROCK it. In my last article I mentioned Gotham City Sirens as an obvious jumping off point for Harley Quinn’s journey and with that being an even more well known group then Birds of Prey I honestly can not fathom why that’s not the group they went with. That said they even had another more recent, MORE obvious option with the Gang of Harleys, the crime fighting team Quinn assembled in her attempts to do good. This set-up lends itself to endless possibilities, that said the lack of execution implies a lack of creativity and originality on the part of DC’s executives and writers.

While I want Birds of Prey to do well because of what it would do for Harley’s character and female led superhero films in general, I have little hope as the situation, and premise makes absolutely no sense at all. And if I've said it once I’ve said it 100 times, having a solo Harley Quinn movie without Poison Ivy is next level stupidity and all decision makers at DC need to be whacked upside the head with a comic book. Suicide Squad was halfway decent, it wasn’t amazing but it wasn’t awful either. One thing is for sure, no matter how the movie is written Margot Robbie is going to be INCREDIBLE. She makes the character of Harley Quinn absolutely sing. Her portrayal is flawless, adorable, vexing, complex and decidedly perfect. If nothing else I can’t wait to see that beautiful, brilliant woman bring Harleen Quinzel to life once more.