Warning: Spoilers for Harley Quinn #44Harley Quinnhas officially returned to her villainous ways, and it’s a shift that’s been a long time coming for the Clown Queen of Crime. As DC Comics kicks off its All In initiative, Harley Quinn is starting her next adventure with a bang as this fan-favorite Gotham criminal takes a deliciously dark turn, complete with a stunning redesign to commemorate her comeback as a villain.
Harley Quinn#44 by Elliott Kalan, Mindy Lee, Tríona Farrell, and Lucas Gattoni begins with Harley Quinn questioning everything about herself. She fluctuates between heroism and villainy so much that she doesn’t have a firm sense of identity anymore, so she moves back to the crime-ridden streets of Throatcutter Hill to find answers - only to discover that they’re not so crime-ridden anymore. To bring crime back to her old haunt, Harley Quinnopens up her Harley Quinn Destructive Agency.
In honor of this destructive era, Harley Quinn designs a brand-new costume for herself that reflects how she’s reverting to criminality. Harley Quinn is becoming a villain again in DC lore, and it’s about time she did.
Harley Quinn Returns to Her Criminal Roots With a Bold New Costume
Harley Quinn#44 Variant Cover by David Nakayama
Harley Quinn’s new costumemarks her return to villainy, and it’s one of her most stunning looks to date. This eye-catching outfit combines the harlequin vibes of herclassic jester suitfromBatman: The Animated Series with her modern design sensibilities, such as her pigtails and the touches of pink. To tie it all together, Harley wears a cool trench coat and slick latex gloves that are perfectly suited for the criminal deeds she’ll be pulling off. What stands out most about this look, beyond the clothing itself, is how its color scheme reflects Harley Quinn’s development.
Harley Quinn Just Achieved a Huge Milestone DC Can’t Take Back
Harley Quinn has had a long road, and though many heroes think of her as a laughing stock, at least one hero is starting to take her seriously.
Upon her introduction inBatman: The Animated Series, in an episode calledJoker’s Favor, Harley Quinn made her debut wearing the iconic red and black full-body suit that would become her most popular look. Then, the comics drew inspiration from her design in2016’sSuicide Squadmovie, where she sported pink and blue pigtails. Since then, Harley’s pink and blue aesthetic has become a staple of her increasingly heroic portrayals as she’s strayed from her original colors. Now, she’s brought back that color scheme, signaling thatthis is a proper return to form for Harley Quinn after failing to make it as a good guy.
Harley Quinn’s Villainous Turn Resolves Her Identity Crisis
Harley Quinn Reinvents Herself After Failed Attempts at Redemption
Theinconsistent characterization of Harley Quinnhas led to many fans wondering what exactly her role in the DC Universe is.She got her start as a clear-cut villain, but over the years she’s drifted more towards being an anti-hero - with mixed results.Her membership in drastically different teams furthers the confusion, as she’s a regular in the Suicide Squad’s ever-changing roster while also aligning with the Justice League. In fact, she can even be considered a tentativemember of the Bat-familynowadays. Harley Quinn’s position in DC lore is so all-over-the-place that she herself is having an identity crisis over it.
Harley Quinn recently starred in a new version of the Suicide Squad inSuicide Squad: Dream Team- written by Nicole Maines with art by Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, Adriano Lucas, and Becca Carey - available now from DC Comics!
The first page of this issue sums up the crux of Harley Quinn’s problem:“I ain’t bad enough for the baddies, or good enough for the goody two-shoes.“That back-and-forth contradiction persists even now. Harley is more aimless than ever, left to her own dysfunctional devices whilePoison Ivy deals with eco-terrorists. She returns to Throatcutter Hill in an effort to reconnect with the violence she remembers, and her desire to help the people of that street wreak havoc again gives her the direction she’s needed. If Harley Quinn can’t change for the better, then she’ll just change for the worse.
Harley Quinn’s Destructive Agency Kicks Off Her Explosive New Era
Harley Quinn Is Officially Back and Badder Than Ever
With the establishment of her Destructive Agency, Harley Quinn sets out to makeGotham City’s Throatcutter Hilla cesspool of crime again. Essentially, as per her business model, the people residing on that street can contact her if they need her to commit any act of destruction on their behalf. Whether it’s beating up a superhero or setting up a few explosives, Harley is ready to help and harm however she can. Harley Quinn’s eccentric redesign promises big, bombastic stories in her future, now that she’s found a calling that’s wrong in the right ways.
Harley Quinn’s eccentric redesign promises big, bombastic stories.
Regardless of whether this villainous stint is permanent or temporary, it’s a breath of fresh air to see Harley Quinn reclaim her status asDC’s resident agent of chaos. The heroics she partakes in from time to time show growth on her part, but ultimately, Harley Quinn thrives when she gets to do as she pleases without caring about what heroes might think. Her new path with her Destructive Agency offers an ideal opportunity for exactly that, in a brilliant move to lay her inconsistency to rest. At long last, fans can rejoice now thatHarley Quinnis in her villain era again.
