Warning: Contains Spoilers for Harley Quinn #42!
Summary
From sidekick to villain to anti-hero to full hero,Harley Quinnhas finally found her perfect role in DC Comics. Once a silly, stereotypical henchman lovesick for the Joker, Harley Quinn has experienced quite the evolution. She’s pulling from her own background in psychology and using that knowledge to help the villains of Gotham, and now that she’s out from the Joker’s toxic shadow, she not only discovered her own sexuality, butshe’s encouraging other young heroes to explore their own identities, too.
Harley Quinn’s first appearancewas a direct challenge to Batman, but since then, she’s taken an unexpected mentor role in the Bat-Family. InHarley Quinn#42by Tini Howard and Sweeney Boo, Harley Quinn is teaming up with none other than Robin, and Tim Drake isn’t used to such a talkative partner.
As they infiltrate Mister Freeze’s lair, Harley starts to probe like a nosy therapist, uncovering that Robin doesn’t talk to Batman about his recently-discovered bisexuality.In a surprising turn of events,Harley Quinn becomes one of the few people Tim Drake can trust,solidifying herself as a beacon of gay solidarity for the DC Universe.
Harley Quinn Officially Rejects the Hero Life with 1 Perfect Choice
The villain-turned-hero Harley Quinn officially refuses to be a hero - yet, somehow, refusing to be one proves to make her an even bigger hero.
Harley Quinn Has Become a Mentor for Young LGBTQ+ Heroes
Harley Meets Crush in “And Baby Makes Three” by Leah Williams, Paulina Ganucheau, and Frank Cvetkovic fromDC Pride 2023#1
Harley Quinn is a staple of DC’s roster of queer heroes.Her iconic love with Poison Ivyhas been years in the making, and comics has finally reached an era in which that love can not only be seen as normal but can be celebrated. Yet not every character in DC is ready for such a change. Tim Drake, another queer DC icon, is still halfway in the shadows, since he lives under the cape of his morose father, Batman. Robin reveals thatwhile Batman is supportive of his sexuality, he doesn’t necessarily seem proud of it, which can sometimes be just as damaging.
Tim Drake discovers his own bisexuality — and then asks out his current love interest, Bernard — in 2021’s “Sum of Our Parts, Chapter 3” by Meghan Fitzmartin, Belén Ortega, Alejandro Sánchez, and Pat Brosseau fromBatman: Urban Legends#6.
Harley Quinn is in full therapist mode in her team-up with Robin. Even though she loves talking someone’s ear off, she also makes for the best listener - certainly a better listener than Batman. In this same issue, Harley Quinn calls outBatman for having the problem common to every superhero- not going to therapy. While Bruce Wayne loves all of his children, he isn’t exactly forthcoming with his emotions, leaving Harley Quinn to be the “elder” queer role model a young man like Tim Drake needs.
Harley Quinn and Robin: Bisexual King & Queen
Harley’s freedom allows others to be free.
Tim Drake deserves to be proud of who he is.While it would be nice for him to learn this lesson from his adoptive father, the world doesn’t always work that way. So Robin finds Harley Quinn, anunexpected Bat-Family member, and Harley gets to evolve into a substantive new role. After being in the shadow of the Joker for so long, there is no one who understands better what it’s like to not be able to be free in one’s own skin. Harley’s freedom allows others to be free. That’s the beauty of her own version of pride.
While Batman continues to inspire fear in the criminals of Gotham City, at least there is one person who is inspiring the heroes of the Bat-Family and the larger DC Universe — inlcluding Lobo’s daughter, Crush, inDC Pride 2023#1. Harley Quinn has taken her rightful place as the mentor of Robin after fully accepting who she is. With this, the Joker has finally lost any hold he had on her, and she’s free — free to allow other people to be just as free asHarley Quinn.
HARLEY QUINN #42 (2024)
