Leaning into the jester angle may be a little more emblematic of her position. Court jesters were one of the only people who were able to mock and deride royals/nobles thanks to their position and the assumption that it was just part of the job. So given her position, she may take up the role as she's the only one who knows the dirty laundry Gotham's elites are carrying and thus seeks to clean things up.
Only time I can recall Harley being first before the Joker was in the Telltale Batman. She was an established criminal with a reputation before Joker became involved. In an interesting twist, she made Joker become who he is because of his infatuation with her.
Honestly given its the 40s, maybe she saw posters of minstrals or the like and got the idea from there. Plus here's the thing: the Harlequin, or Jesters, were the only ones who could make comments about the rich and powerful and NOT be persecuted by them because it was their job to basically give news to the kings and other nobles in ways that don't automatically get them sacked. So basically it could be a way for her to make a stance on things.
My personal hangup with what we've gotten so far is that the character doesn't sound much like Harley Quinn, but rather a new Bruce Timm original. Now this isn't a bad thing in any way Timm has proven himself as a master of making Batman characters. I just don't understand why he would want to recreate one of his best works over making something new. She could be called Miss Mime, or something, holding to the idea that she doesn't TELL anyone about her client's secrets. While dressing like a clown to show how much of a joke she thinks these people are. Still Timm is a master, and all things said I trust him to make an enjoyable Batman show.
I mean at this point harleys kinda stagnant theres only so much you can do with harley quinn other than make her stay with joker or turn to the good guys without treading on the same water for the seventh time
the lady is a bit past due for a proper shake up from her original formula, they've played with it bit before but not nearly as much as many of the other characters
Quin. Needs to go on hiatus. She is bloody overexposed. Also this is not exactly the first time Timm has made a Decision that fans disagreed with in the past (looks at Killing Joke adaptation).
it would be interesting to see the speaking roles reversed for batman. normally hes the one that remains silent most of the time in his interactions. trying to get Harley to talk, and her just remaining silent the entire time would do that nicely.
The one problem I see with her being Harley instead of Punchline or a new character is that her Harley persona feels very different from any version of Harley, she seems to be a lot more dark and brooding than every other version of her before So in the end it’s not actually Harley, but I do like the fact that they use her actual profession, since that’s one aspect of the character that is all but forgotten So this feels weird, because it’s a version of Harley that uses her psychology degree a lot more which I love, while also not really acting like Harley at all or having anything to do with her costume Still, I like it
@@ale-xsantos1078 Essentially yes, but I still think Punchline would fit more, she is already a much darker version of Harley It’s still an interesting take on her specifically for 1940s
@@NoRegs30Punchline is still relatively new and I believe a big part of her character is the use of social media and using it to her advantage. Could there be a way to use her here, maybe but I think Harley was a better choice because making her a villain before Joker is something that has only been done once before in The Telltale games
There's a character in the show Gotham who is a Psychiatrist. And she uses the information she gains from being a therapist to Gothams elite. To go after the corrupt members of society. She hypnotized patients to go after to other patients. I'm wondering if this is how Harley Quin will be in this new version. Seeing herself as an antihero vigilante. And if they do want to introduce the Joker. He could still be the one who turns her into a full on Psycho. Honoring her origin. Giving Harley her own agency. And explaining how she went seemingly normally psychiatrist into full blown crazy. She was always doing fucked up stuff
I love that we actually saw a different version of Harley Quinn. In all other media what determines the direction of her character is if she is or is not with the Joker. This is a completely independent and unique take that is very refreshing for a ‘newer’ Batman villain that hasn’t had much variations. Think of it this way, there’s a whole spider-verse of spider-men that are all different and based on different interpretations. If a Harley-verse existed they’d all be more or less the exact same character and also this one.
@@srstriker6420 I still haven't seen it But I personally feel like the joker should be laid to rest He's over used &: I feel like there are no new interesting stories to tell with him after BTAS . I've stopped reading Batman comics because he's in them way too much .
@A1ml33y Though then again, if he's VERY DIFFERENT. It could be sorta interesting? I mean, The Dark Knight's version.... In my opinion, MADE that movie work. He was easily the best part of that movie. And quite a departure from the others. But... knowing WB, they'll make him comic or BTAS Joker (sans Mark Hamill). Or worse. Something on par with Suicide Squad Joker....
4:50 That is…highly debatable and dependent on what exact continuity you’re referring to. Like, in all seriousness; there are some times when Ivy can be just as abusive as Joker, if not arguably MORE SO!
Something I think would be interesting for Serum Lake to cover would be the anime series "The Big O". Basically, imagine Kevin Conroy's Bruce Wayne piloting a giant robot instead of dressing as a bat, and you get the premise. The studio which produced it was a former subcontractor for BTAS, which if you look at the production and character design clearly influenced the anime. Some of the Big O characters are also based on BTAS characters, too (notably Schwarzwald = Scarecrow). Would be a good way to expand the channel's focus, I think.
The only part I'm tripping on is the 1940s Asian-American named Harleen Quinzel lol. I'm kinda hoping theirs some throwaway line or background image showing something like, I don't know, some immigration agents westernizing or just straight fucking up whatever her name was originally. Like, Huiliang Qian and they where just like".....Harleen Quinzel, next!....."
I mean, if they lean more into her being a professional psychiatrist, she could end up as a very serious threat for Batman because the more they encounter each other, the more she will (perhaps opt to) learn from him and vice versa. This could make for an interesting cat and mouse game between the two.
dont care about the stupid controversies, i love her new look, but i do hope they put joker in a gangster pinstripe suit or the classic tailcoat even if he only appears at the finale or in season 2
I always wished that Quinn's profession as a psychiatrist was more prominent.... I'm not a fan of the new design, but I'm curious how psychology will play a roll in her actions as a jester.... My ideal Harley is classic costume, classic voice, goofy personality, but she's more independent and uses her expertise when she's doing crime, or anti-hero activities....
5:05 I wonder this too. I’ve always loved clowns and clown-adjacent things, but I’ve also always been a bit of a stickler about them. A Harlequin character isn’t the same thing as a jester, but the theming was there for Harley from the start, so while I’m not surprised they’re not changing it, some explanation as to why the two are conflated would be very satisfying. But I know I’ve got niche desires as a viewer, and that aspect probably isn’t important to most. Ah well, I’ll always have my pet theories.
Curious to see what they do with her. I'm seeing a few people referencing the "jester privilege" thing so it wouldn't surprise me if the writers are thinking that too. Interesting design. I look forward to seeing how it works in cosplay.
While I do love and enjoy the various slight differences in the Harley Quinn that most know, I did really like this new and different take. One is not better than the other, and doesn't replace the other...much like the different versions of the characters within this series and other versions of them. This HQ though is her own woman, she made her own decisions and choices to be who she is and do what she does. Her personae is almost inverted of what the "traditional" HQ has been, and that makes for a unique approach and can lead to a wholly different set of outcomes and interactions. Great take on this character...oh and many reports say that this is more like how she was originally envisioned back when B:TAS was being developed but WB told them that she was "too dark."
I mean, she's Jewish in the HBO show. Literally nothing tethers her to her ethnicity other than her last name, which we know can be adopted, legally changed or be from an already distant relative.
I plan on warching it. The animation is a nice throw back. However, as someone who grew up with the 1990's animated series and followed Harley since her creation, I feel like cutting Joker out is just missing the point. She's a survivor. How many conics did it takw for her to get over Joker? To defeat him completely and move on? Be thr bigger person? It shows better things are possible and that no matter how bad the relationship is you can overcome it and find someone who will treat you right. You too are worthy of love. But it does seem like real thought went into the character, and it's nice to see her in a jester costume again(thiugh I too am curious of the color change), so I'll give it a chance. I just hope it is a refreshing change vs a complete butcher like they did with Bane in the live action.
I’m excited for this version of Harley Quinn it’ll definitely be interesting to see how she became a villain, the only thing I personally dislike about her so far is the color scheme (red and black just suits her more in my opinion) Also, why does everyone say that her romantic relationship with Ivy is healthy if anything it’s just as bad as her relationship with the Joker, Ivy constantly dismisses Harley’s ideas (especially once she started to contemplate becoming a hero), is extremely short with her regarding disagreements and small mistakes, and once she actually becomes a hero Ivy gives her the ultimatum of “it’s me or them”. As a friendship this is okay-ish considering their past and the fact that they’re villains, but as a romance Harley might as well have stayed with Joker, because it’s far from ok. In fact I doubt Harley could ever have a healthy relationship with any villain (current, former or otherwise). If the writers really want to make Harley strong and independent (outside of stories where she never meets Joker) then don’t pare her with someone not long after leaving Joker, let her be rescued by Ivy, struggle with the conditioning Joker placed on her, have her (with aid from the Gotham Sirens) find herself as a villain and later a hero, let her relapse back to Joker once in a while (because progress isn’t linear) and have her friend Ivy to fall back on after she frees herself from Joker, and let her become the best harlequin hero (emphasis on harlequin) she can be. She doesn’t need romance to do that all she needs is herself and her friends.
Personally, I don't get this obsession with trying to make Harley Quinn a heroine. She was always sympathetic, sure, but that never stopped her from being a terrible person.
Because sadly a lot of people have been in abusive relationships and relate to Harley in that way. She kinda becomes an aspirational figure because of it.
@@jordanloux3883 Maybe I'm cynical. Its seems more like people 'relate' to Harley because they fetishise abuse and victimhood itself, a trend that's become all too common these days. I can't see her as an 'aspirational figure' because that involves paradoxically robbing her of agency - she choose to follow Joker of her own accord. She is less 'abused' and more the other half of two mentally ill people that actively choose to do bad things.
This particular characterization of Harley sounds less with a hero than her usual self. Sounds more like she’ll be an anti-villain in the Caped Crusader.
To be completely honest I’m not sold on this new characterisation of Harley Quinn. It’s too much like dr Hugo strange and if they were going in the direction they are planning to then they were better off using that character than completely rewriting a previously popular one to one that’s completely unrecognisable.
I wasn't too into the jokerless harley idea because her breaking from a toxic and abusive relationship was always really poinient for me, but the idea that her personality has been reversed with a bubbly doctor and a focused killer is really interesting ngl so I'm definitely gonna check it
Yeah. I've seen Harley always paired up with The Joker in many Batman stories and she doesn't appeared to be an independent villain with her own motive outside of her being the "Number Two" to The Clown Prince and a partner-in-crime to Poison Ivy (at least the pairing is wholesome). The new Harley Quinn that lurks around to eliminate those who wronged her, while at the same time, still keeps her job as a psychiatrist sounds like a refreshing concept that deserves to be keep in future Batman adaptations. DC have done it with The Riddler in _Batman 2022,_ and now Harley.
@@mosshivenetwork117 _Batman: Caped Crusader_ is more of a new adaptation than a sequel since it took place in the '40s. The sequel to _Batman: The Animated Series_ is _Batman Beyond._
as someone who is not really a harley quinn fan, deadly assassin harley who breaks her morale code to punnish the people she deems as bad seems pretty cool
Oh, that actually makes her a compelling foil for Batman. While Batman abides by his moral code to maintain a sense of honor and integrity when dispensing justice, Harley Quinn breaks the ethical boundaries of her position as a psychologist to exact retribution on her own clients.
Some of Harley's best episodes in the animated series were her getting away from the Joker and exploring her personality and it never treated her like she needed him and more as needing to get away from him
I think there's more of an effort to not just uncouple Harley Quinn from the abusive relationship with the Joker, but also to start moving away from the 'Jokermania' we all had to live with. And I'm here for it, it was becoming oversaturated, and some decent performances suffered as a result, like in the Arkham games.
My issue is her getting away from Him isn't development, Harley Is a villain herself & she relished in her evil deeds against innocent People, she shouldn't be treated as some victim when she chose To be with a psychopath I kind Of find it hard to empathize with Someone who works with criminals & Then acts as if she's the victim When things get ugly.
@elongatedmanforever1252 It is more nuanced than you think. If yiu actually bloody bothered to watch her episodes more closely you would see that Quinn does have the potential to be a decent human being!
@@zemox2534 I agree she does, but I think She's needs to face the horrors She has done, instead of just being Free from the joker, her being from The joker means nothing if she Doesn't get called out by people Especially Batman seeing Her a problem & the evil Things she purposely done.
@@elongatedmanforever1252I mean she is portrayed as his victim in Btas, yes it was her decision to help the Joker but she was already pretty much brainwashed and manipulated by him. She’s not really evil just messed up and more of a sad, tragic character than a villain
As for why jester, I feel like it could be in reference to jester privilege. They were allowed to make fun of the king without punishment and were often those who delivered bad messages. This could be twisted for her idea that she must bring justice to (making fun of) the elite (the king), eventually killing them (delivering the bad messages [of their death]).
I mean, Arthur Fleck is wildly different from the mainline Joker in personality and appearance, I don't think big departures are a bad thing if they do it right. Separating Harley from the Joker entirely would be a little odd, but considering how much of Harley's character is in a push and pull with him (being an independent character who can lead her own story, but also being forever linked to him down to the costume) having a clean break honestly sounds a little refreshing.
Yeah I feel like having a Harley that’s separate from the joker, one who wasn’t manipulated into becoming Harley Quinn but did it by her own volition could be a good character, and based on what we’ve been told it sounds like she’ll be an interesting villain in the show
It's kind of funny how obscuring or eliminating the presence of the Joker, even though he's consistently been one of Batman's most dangerous rogues, seems to have resulted in the other villains taking on a colder, more oppressive tone and leaning more towards their various ideologies and grievances than their mental health.
I do think that's a unique take. Not 'Harley without Joker', but 'Harley if she was an original villain from the Golden Age'. No Joker involved in her story, he either doesn't exist or pulled a Golden Age and died after one caper. Because 'Harley after leaving Joker' hasn't been original in over a decade, and stock Harley and Joker got enough material in the Arkham Games to hold me over. You want a new angle, this is your best bet. Harley is a solid Early Modern age character if not being too recent for even that(she only got into the mainline comics in 1999 and her usage was very spotty and sporadic until after 2009 when Arkham Asylum gave her a noticable boost). So what WOULD a Golden Age take on the character look like?
I think what might be interesting is that she landed on the jester theme because of the joker who might just be a patient she interacted with at the time.
@@zemox2534 Nah, imo the Joker is the most overused and tiresome DC character. Retire that character for a couple of decades and give other villains a chance to shine. Harley Quinn is a fun character.
@@michaelandreipalon359 I like Anarky as a character and he has not been used a lot, mainly because a lot of writers tend to not understand what the character believes in as a political philosophy.
To be fair its perfectly possible that this Harley still has jewish parentage, an asian-american having one is far from unheard of With that said, great analysis! Im looking forward to seeing more of this version of the character
@@SerumLake I say for this they should ditch the Jewish heritage and really lean into the Japanese-American aspect. *ESPECIALLY* since it's in the 1940's and if during WW2, she can be what is essentially a clown ninja
Wait, all ten episodes at once? That's the release window they're doing? That's a terrible idea for audience engagement. When shows drop all their episodes at once the show won't be marketed as well and will most likely be popular only for a week or two, just look at the recent Fallout show for example. Week to week episode releases are always smarter.
X-Men 97 did the week-to-week thing and was wildly successful with it. Binge-watching isn't a good trend. Gotta give an episode time for the viewer to actually digest it and anticipate what's coming next.
You both do know that a viewer can just take a break and watch the rest of the season. At any time right? People are not as stupid as you thjnk ok so grow up@
I don't see a problem with that. Yes, xmen 97 did it fine with its weekly release but, do you honestly think that people would not recognice the masterful work done there, if the show is good people would.watch it regardless of how is released.
Harlequins are, traditionally, super-skilled servants who use their status of belonging to two worlds(Poor Background, Rich Resources. Alive/Dead. Fairy/Human) to navigate spaces that neither half could traditionally. So the dual identity thing really fits. Granted, the more otherworldly Harlequins are more of a British thing. And yeah, as others stated, Court Jesters were the ones who got to mock the powerful, so her dealing with other people's dirty laundry and using that power to clean up the streets according to her own moral code fits.
I think the reason why people are immediately sceptical about character's ethnicities changing is because we've been seeing many recent cases where that has happened and the characters ethnicity is their character and there's nothing else to them. (Which makes them boring.) I personally am interested myself in this version of Harley. (Kinda reminds me of the version from "Batman: The Telltale Series".) But I'm in the same boat where I hope there's more to her character than her ethnicity or sexuality.
Characters get changed and reimagined all the time. The DCAU reimagined a bunch of characters. They completely charged Mr. Freeze's origin, Brainiac's origin, Doomsday's origin, they combined the origins and personalities of three different Clayfaces into Matt Hagen, they combined origin and personality of Jason Todd with Tim Drake, etc.
Modern Harley is so far removed from the original that they are practically different characters. Modern stories also just completely fail to do anything significant with her backstory, so Joker is already kinda useless for her. A fresh take on the character is absolutely needed at this point. Seriously though, there's nothing wrong with having her be a victim of abuse as her origin, and if anything it just helps show that victims can become bigger than their abusers. But the only thing I've seen recently that even tries to use this is her cartoon and it does it in the worst possible way. "You didn't make me i made myself" No, he literally made you.
My issue is Harley is a gigantic Enabler with the joker, I would like to see Harley actually face The consequences of her actions because that's never shown in Media with Harley Of how she Ruined so many lives, she's not Just some innocent victim She happily joined joker & did unforgivable actions I'm not against her getting a redemption but it has to Be earned.
Think that line was her talking about her new self when she isn’t obsessed with the joker. And it is kinda wierd a lotta people don’t like how Harley has changed when almost every Batman character changed a lot too. Batman doesn’t kill anymore, joker isn’t just a bank robber anymore, and literally any villain was changed after BMTAS
@@Dookieman1975 here's the thing with that. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are all obviously different from their original interpretations, but they were never meant to be these highly developed characters with concrete traits and an endless history. They were originally nothing more than what Conan the Barbarian is, short adventure heroes that existed just for the sake of it. But that's not the case with Harley, she was specifically made to fit a role and play out a story. Although I do think the Btas comics kind of ruined her long before modern stuff. They had it revealed that instead of being a competent Dr she had instead slept her way through med school/college. Yeah....that was bad. But modern Harley is just....NOT the same character at all anymore, and her original version is what made people love her in the first place.
Well, time to burst that individual bubble: 0:34 - If this Harley were to smile under that makeup, she would look just like a certain playing card with a bullet hole in it. Fans of the 1989 Tim Burton classic BATMAN will know what I mean. There is NOOOOOO escaping the Clown Prince of Crime!😂❤
I don’t care that much about a race change for Harley, but if she is Asian, a doctor while she is also a villain and not a loud goof ball, why not make her a new character all together. Imagine how many story’s we would have lost if Miles Morales was just another Peter Parker.
If they used a new character they'd have to completely change what they already made. Like someone else said “It would feel like Harley but they don't have the rights”
Something absolutely deranged that this show could do is make it so that Harley is the one who ends up creating The Joker, as opposed to The Joker creating Harley. Though I don't particularly like ANY batman story dwelling on The Joker's origins or backstory (I believe that sort of explanation dampens the impact of joker's strangeness), I think it'd be a neat little switcharoo to make. Could absolutely work, too-- He could've just been one of her Patients that she decided needed some vigilante justice, and ironically creates something even worse.
I’m all for diversity, but changing her ethnicity for diversity seems cheap. Lazy. Especially getting rid of her iconic blonde hair. But I do think the twist on her character could be entertaining. I’ll give it a fair try.
I think it would make more sense if Harley was treating women thrown into Arkham Asylum either by their husbands or families that want them out of the way, for one reason or another. Or after they defend themselves from their abuser and were punished for it. After hearing the histories from women who either were committed falsely or developed severe problems from abuse, she becomes the Harlequin to take revenge for them. Runs into Batman investigating the murders, he finds out she’s helped position the women to inherit their abusers assets. Idk. I think it sounds better than just hearing guys tell her awful shit they did and then following them home and beating their ass. And Jesters speak truth to power. I think the costume is to draw inspiration for attacking those who are beyond justice. The Jester was the only member of the court who could chastise the King.
@@jordanloux3883 Honestly just glad it seems she won’t be stapled to the Joker in this. I threw out what I thought could be good historical reference to draw from. What would be really cool is if she ended up fighting the Joker cause he’s some insane quack giving out lobotomies and torturing patients. Like a hospital clown but somehow more evil, and also a doctor. Plenty of people to draw on from history for that. And it’s an incredibly real scare if you’ve read about them.
@@serenedoge9920 Yeah no, it was a nightmare. You can actually see what it was like in there. There's a documentary called Titicut Follies that horrified viewers so much it forced them to update the entire system.
As I've said plenty of times before, here's hoping she doesn't suck egg as she has in most of the previous DC shows and games. I seriously can't be the only one who thinks of Harley Quinn as the "Dan Hibiki" of Batman's rogues gallery.
Personally I am very, very interested in seeing where this goes. I find the direction this show is going sounds really interesting and I would love to see how her character ark goes.
I imagine Harley was designed with the mentality of she would've been portrayed if she debuted in the 1930s or 40s, in which most characters were very different from how we know them now, although I had no idea the Joker started as a psychotic serial killer before becoming a wacky clown-themed mob boss before becoming a psychotic serial killer again.
Would fucking love to see the Joker in a later season show up as a direct result of her Harley Quinn activities. In other versions he always makes her; how interesting would it be to have a mirrored flip of that situation, and have her create him?
I hate current Harley Quinn, so I welcome the new Asian Harley Quinn. The blond version is loud, annoying, stupid, and a pest. Any different, more serious take is welcome, IMO.
I feel like this version of Harley is going to be a new incarnation of Payback from Batman Beyond. I look forward the new spin on everyone… As long as Bruce Wayne isn’t replaced with Crazy Steve (AKA Frank Miller’s Batman).
Crazy idea, but maybe Harley Quinn's new colour scheme of "green and yellow" could be inspired by Jewelee, a similar character to Harley who also has a "red and green" colour scheme
@@drakespamer8193 The Kingpin was originally a Spider-Man villain before becoming Daredevil's arch-enemy. There's nothing stopping them from doing that with Jewelee if they wanted to...
Whilst I REALLY don't like the costume design - I am very happy to see a more villainous, malevolent Harley. It makes far more sense to me than the way modern writers have tried to give her a heroic bent, whilst at the same time glossing over everything she was happy to help Joker do. She's an awful, cruel person - and Joker being a complete monster in turn shouldn't absolve her.
“Nooo! (Insert random character from a non sexual piece of media) isn’t sexy anymore! This is the end of the world!” Do these people realize that they can find anything they want on the internet? Why do they need to get off on an animated tv show character?
Regarding the choice to make Harley Asian-American: She _can_ still be Jewish. That kind of thing does happen sometimes, _and_ it could even explain why her personal beliefs haven't come up or seemed like a big part of her life.
Plus if this is a post-40s Gotham, you have Harley, A Jewish mixed-Japanese woman, then you have someone who has faced persecution on both sides of her family (and that's not even getting into the Holocaust and Internment Camps).
Why does it matter her religion? Are you telling that if Batman was a mormon you would not watch it? Religion is rarely touched by superheros for that reason. This are AU stories!!! She can be a prophet of Chtulhu and that would be fine
@@jordanloux3883 You know? At first I was gonna be like "raceswapping filth. Keep her Jewish." But I say not make her Jewish and especially lean into that Japanese American side. Would be fucking perfect for a backstory where she had a childhood in a Japanese internment camp following the attack on Pearl Harbor. This seems genius.
I’ve seen enough versions of classic Harley that I find it more intriguing how they’re going in such a different direction. I think a lot of people just expected more BTAS from this show when it was announced, but I’m glad Bruce Timm and Co are trying something new
@@SerumLake any chance of a btas revival ended with Kevin Conroy passing and Mark Hamill’s officially retiring as Joker. But I’m excited to see what’s to come for the character
On a different note,I always thought what telltale did with harley and joker was interesting. Having John Doe being corrupted by bad girl harley,while also having bruce trying to befriend him depending on if you chose that route.
I love OG Harley Quinn because she can go toe-to-toe with the Joker in both comedy and criminal activity. Her being inspired by one of my favorite villains of all time makes me bias, I must admit. That being said, I’m here for the original writers reinventing their original character. I’ll always have OG Harley Quinn, after all.
I wonder if Bruce in therapy in the show will have him be opposed to it and he has to keep his true self hidden from Dr Harleen (like Tony Soprano (mostly) hiding his mob life from Melfi)
I would like to see a world where the joker is genuinely a guy with mental health issues and Harley quinn is a corrupt physiatrist useing him to commit crimes.
Her appearance changing to asian aint that big or interesting, she was never anything more than Jokers henchman. What is worth noting is how she is all evil to begin with, no Joker, nothing. That may be cool, i wish to know more
Much like how I like to picture Bette Davis being the inspiration for Madeline and Marilyn in the “Two of a Kind” Two Face comic, I picture this Harley Quinn being inspired by actress Anna May Wong.
I heard somewhere that they were originally going to use Punchline, who IS Asian American, in the show, but changed her into Harley because she is the more known character. Which if true is dumb, because this show could have made Punchline as a not well known character BECOME a better known character. The Smallville Season 11 comics did this same mistake when they had Batman work with a female Nightwing go from Stephanie Brown to Barbara Gordon because, again, the latter is a more known character than the former. Also, Harley has been overused so much that she should be put on a bus and sent away until enough people actually start missing her again.
I don't think Punchline is Asian-American. At least, Jorge Jimenez, her co-creator, said she wasn't on Twitter a while back. She just seems to be into the K-Pop aesthetic
Leaning into the jester angle may be a little more emblematic of her position. Court jesters were one of the only people who were able to mock and deride royals/nobles thanks to their position and the assumption that it was just part of the job. So given her position, she may take up the role as she's the only one who knows the dirty laundry Gotham's elites are carrying and thus seeks to clean things up.
After years of the dip dye pigtails, corsets, and booty shorts, it is just so nice to see Harley look like a clown again
REAL
YUP!!!
In a better direction but still missing the bar.
Can I get an amen!
Harley still isn't how she
Should be though this
Character is just Harley
in name only.
Only time I can recall Harley being first before the Joker was in the Telltale Batman. She was an established criminal with a reputation before Joker became involved. In an interesting twist, she made Joker become who he is because of his infatuation with her.
Honestly given its the 40s, maybe she saw posters of minstrals or the like and got the idea from there. Plus here's the thing: the Harlequin, or Jesters, were the only ones who could make comments about the rich and powerful and NOT be persecuted by them because it was their job to basically give news to the kings and other nobles in ways that don't automatically get them sacked. So basically it could be a way for her to make a stance on things.
Excellent observation. And if that is how this HQ sees herself I'm all for it.
My personal hangup with what we've gotten so far is that the character doesn't sound much like Harley Quinn, but rather a new Bruce Timm original. Now this isn't a bad thing in any way Timm has proven himself as a master of making Batman characters. I just don't understand why he would want to recreate one of his best works over making something new. She could be called Miss Mime, or something, holding to the idea that she doesn't TELL anyone about her client's secrets. While dressing like a clown to show how much of a joke she thinks these people are. Still Timm is a master, and all things said I trust him to make an enjoyable Batman show.
I mean at this point harleys kinda stagnant theres only so much you can do with harley quinn other than make her stay with joker or turn to the good guys without treading on the same water for the seventh time
the lady is a bit past due for a proper shake up from her original formula, they've played with it bit before but not nearly as much as many of the other characters
Quin. Needs to go on hiatus. She is bloody overexposed. Also this is not exactly the first time Timm has made a Decision that fans disagreed with in the past (looks at Killing Joke adaptation).
it would be interesting to see the speaking roles reversed for batman. normally hes the one that remains silent most of the time in his interactions. trying to get Harley to talk, and her just remaining silent the entire time would do that nicely.
Honestly I kinda feel this slot could have been given to another villainess, like lady shiva who is already a deadly assassin.
The one problem I see with her being Harley instead of Punchline or a new character is that her Harley persona feels very different from any version of Harley, she seems to be a lot more dark and brooding than every other version of her before
So in the end it’s not actually Harley, but I do like the fact that they use her actual profession, since that’s one aspect of the character that is all but forgotten
So this feels weird, because it’s a version of Harley that uses her psychology degree a lot more which I love, while also not really acting like Harley at all or having anything to do with her costume
Still, I like it
I like to think of it as less Harley and more of a new version of Doctor Quinzel
@@ale-xsantos1078
Essentially yes, but I still think Punchline would fit more, she is already a much darker version of Harley
It’s still an interesting take on her specifically for 1940s
@@NoRegs30Punchline is still relatively new and I believe a big part of her character is the use of social media and using it to her advantage. Could there be a way to use her here, maybe but I think Harley was a better choice because making her a villain before Joker is something that has only been done once before in The Telltale games
having harley be a villian seems like the big change up now.
I don’t think she will be a villain. More like an Anti Hero, similar to Cat woman.
There's a character in the show Gotham who is a Psychiatrist. And she uses the information she gains from being a therapist to Gothams elite. To go after the corrupt members of society. She hypnotized patients to go after to other patients. I'm wondering if this is how Harley Quin will be in this new version. Seeing herself as an antihero vigilante. And if they do want to introduce the Joker. He could still be the one who turns her into a full on Psycho. Honoring her origin. Giving Harley her own agency. And explaining how she went seemingly normally psychiatrist into full blown crazy. She was always doing fucked up stuff
I love that we actually saw a different version of Harley Quinn. In all other media what determines the direction of her character is if she is or is not with the Joker. This is a completely independent and unique take that is very refreshing for a ‘newer’ Batman villain that hasn’t had much variations.
Think of it this way, there’s a whole spider-verse of spider-men that are all different and based on different interpretations. If a Harley-verse existed they’d all be more or less the exact same character and also this one.
I seriously hope this show doesn't use the Joker at all I'm getting tired of seeing the joker in everything
Well there was that Batman cartoon that no talks about called Beware the Batman that had the Anarky
@@srstriker6420 I still haven't seen it
But I personally feel like the joker should be laid to rest
He's over used &: I feel like there are no new interesting stories to tell with him after BTAS . I've stopped reading Batman comics because he's in them way too much .
@@srstriker6420 Anarky I'm aware of him from the Alan Grant Comics of the early 90s I have read .
@A1ml33y Though then again, if he's VERY DIFFERENT. It could be sorta interesting?
I mean, The Dark Knight's version.... In my opinion, MADE that movie work. He was easily the best part of that movie. And quite a departure from the others.
But... knowing WB, they'll make him comic or BTAS Joker (sans Mark Hamill). Or worse. Something on par with Suicide Squad Joker....
The Jared Leto one or one of the better ones? @@DataDrain02
4:50 That is…highly debatable and dependent on what exact continuity you’re referring to.
Like, in all seriousness; there are some times when Ivy can be just as abusive as Joker, if not arguably MORE SO!
Something I think would be interesting for Serum Lake to cover would be the anime series "The Big O". Basically, imagine Kevin Conroy's Bruce Wayne piloting a giant robot instead of dressing as a bat, and you get the premise. The studio which produced it was a former subcontractor for BTAS, which if you look at the production and character design clearly influenced the anime. Some of the Big O characters are also based on BTAS characters, too (notably Schwarzwald = Scarecrow). Would be a good way to expand the channel's focus, I think.
The fact that people allow DC to completely change their female characters, but shame and antagonize Marvel for doing the same. 😑
The only part I'm tripping on is the 1940s Asian-American named Harleen Quinzel lol. I'm kinda hoping theirs some throwaway line or background image showing something like, I don't know, some immigration agents westernizing or just straight fucking up whatever her name was originally. Like, Huiliang Qian and they where just like".....Harleen Quinzel, next!....."
My family name got that treatment, so I can see that happening.
Maybe it's a fake name to cover up she's a Japanese spy
I mean, if they lean more into her being a professional psychiatrist, she could end up as a very serious threat for Batman because the more they encounter each other, the more she will (perhaps opt to) learn from him and vice versa. This could make for an interesting cat and mouse game between the two.
dont care about the stupid controversies, i love her new look, but i do hope they put joker in a gangster pinstripe suit or the classic tailcoat even if he only appears at the finale or in season 2
I always wished that Quinn's profession as a psychiatrist was more prominent....
I'm not a fan of the new design, but I'm curious how psychology will play a roll in her actions as a jester....
My ideal Harley is classic costume, classic voice, goofy personality, but she's more independent and uses her expertise when she's doing crime, or anti-hero activities....
5:05 I wonder this too. I’ve always loved clowns and clown-adjacent things, but I’ve also always been a bit of a stickler about them. A Harlequin character isn’t the same thing as a jester, but the theming was there for Harley from the start, so while I’m not surprised they’re not changing it, some explanation as to why the two are conflated would be very satisfying. But I know I’ve got niche desires as a viewer, and that aspect probably isn’t important to most. Ah well, I’ll always have my pet theories.
Curious to see what they do with her. I'm seeing a few people referencing the "jester privilege" thing so it wouldn't surprise me if the writers are thinking that too.
Interesting design. I look forward to seeing how it works in cosplay.
While I do love and enjoy the various slight differences in the Harley Quinn that most know, I did really like this new and different take. One is not better than the other, and doesn't replace the other...much like the different versions of the characters within this series and other versions of them. This HQ though is her own woman, she made her own decisions and choices to be who she is and do what she does. Her personae is almost inverted of what the "traditional" HQ has been, and that makes for a unique approach and can lead to a wholly different set of outcomes and interactions. Great take on this character...oh and many reports say that this is more like how she was originally envisioned back when B:TAS was being developed but WB told them that she was "too dark."
Imagine her treating the Red Hood, only to turn HIM into the Joker.
I mean, she's Jewish in the HBO show. Literally nothing tethers her to her ethnicity other than her last name, which we know can be adopted, legally changed or be from an already distant relative.
I plan on warching it. The animation is a nice throw back. However, as someone who grew up with the 1990's animated series and followed Harley since her creation, I feel like cutting Joker out is just missing the point. She's a survivor. How many conics did it takw for her to get over Joker? To defeat him completely and move on? Be thr bigger person? It shows better things are possible and that no matter how bad the relationship is you can overcome it and find someone who will treat you right. You too are worthy of love.
But it does seem like real thought went into the character, and it's nice to see her in a jester costume again(thiugh I too am curious of the color change), so I'll give it a chance.
I just hope it is a refreshing change vs a complete butcher like they did with Bane in the live action.
I’m excited for this version of Harley Quinn it’ll definitely be interesting to see how she became a villain, the only thing I personally dislike about her so far is the color scheme (red and black just suits her more in my opinion)
Also, why does everyone say that her romantic relationship with Ivy is healthy if anything it’s just as bad as her relationship with the Joker, Ivy constantly dismisses Harley’s ideas (especially once she started to contemplate becoming a hero), is extremely short with her regarding disagreements and small mistakes, and once she actually becomes a hero Ivy gives her the ultimatum of “it’s me or them”.
As a friendship this is okay-ish considering their past and the fact that they’re villains, but as a romance Harley might as well have stayed with Joker, because it’s far from ok. In fact I doubt Harley could ever have a healthy relationship with any villain (current, former or otherwise). If the writers really want to make Harley strong and independent (outside of stories where she never meets Joker) then don’t pare her with someone not long after leaving Joker, let her be rescued by Ivy, struggle with the conditioning Joker placed on her, have her (with aid from the Gotham Sirens) find herself as a villain and later a hero, let her relapse back to Joker once in a while (because progress isn’t linear) and have her friend Ivy to fall back on after she frees herself from Joker, and let her become the best harlequin hero (emphasis on harlequin) she can be. She doesn’t need romance to do that all she needs is herself and her friends.
At least in the Harley quinn show she shows more of her therapist personality especially to Brews
I don’t recall “reverse underboob cleavage” being a common look in the 1940s
I still want the Batman Beyond movie😢
1:07 Sorkin has been dead for 2 years and they changed Harley's ethnicity that quick? She's fictional sure but yeesh.
Personally, I don't get this obsession with trying to make Harley Quinn a heroine. She was always sympathetic, sure, but that never stopped her from being a terrible person.
Because sadly a lot of people have been in abusive relationships and relate to Harley in that way. She kinda becomes an aspirational figure because of it.
@@jordanloux3883 Maybe I'm cynical. Its seems more like people 'relate' to Harley because they fetishise abuse and victimhood itself, a trend that's become all too common these days. I can't see her as an 'aspirational figure' because that involves paradoxically robbing her of agency - she choose to follow Joker of her own accord. She is less 'abused' and more the other half of two mentally ill people that actively choose to do bad things.
@@Ergeniz I agree, you are cynical
This particular characterization of Harley sounds less with a hero than her usual self. Sounds more like she’ll be an anti-villain in the Caped Crusader.
Awesome! 🤩
Well said! Thank you for sharing.
she looks alot more like a combination of punch and judy than she does harley quin
Please do cape crusader Catwoman next please!!
I second that. I mean… Please.
I'm happy you're excited about the new show show, but I don't know how I feel of her borrowing aspects of Hugo Strange and Matt Reeve's Riddler.
To be completely honest I’m not sold on this new characterisation of Harley Quinn. It’s too much like dr Hugo strange and if they were going in the direction they are planning to then they were better off using that character than completely rewriting a previously popular one to one that’s completely unrecognisable.
don´t think the will go for the race idea
or better I hope not I´m interesst in her villain persona
Cool vid bro.😺
I wasn't too into the jokerless harley idea because her breaking from a toxic and abusive relationship was always really poinient for me, but the idea that her personality has been reversed with a bubbly doctor and a focused killer is really interesting ngl so I'm definitely gonna check it
Yeah. I've seen Harley always paired up with The Joker in many Batman stories and she doesn't appeared to be an independent villain with her own motive outside of her being the "Number Two" to The Clown Prince and a partner-in-crime to Poison Ivy (at least the pairing is wholesome).
The new Harley Quinn that lurks around to eliminate those who wronged her, while at the same time, still keeps her job as a psychiatrist sounds like a refreshing concept that deserves to be keep in future Batman adaptations. DC have done it with The Riddler in _Batman 2022,_ and now Harley.
Is this series a reboot or a sequel to Batman animated series?
@@mosshivenetwork117 _Batman: Caped Crusader_ is more of a new adaptation than a sequel since it took place in the '40s. The sequel to _Batman: The Animated Series_ is _Batman Beyond._
@@poweroffriendship2.0 thanks
I just want this show to give scarecrow the psychological horror and proper characterisation he deserves .
he will when they put him in
I think it would be really interesting if in Caped Crusader Harley Quinn creates the Joker rather than Joker creating Harley Quinn.
Oh that would be interesting!
Maybe even simplify Duela Dent or something.
as someone who is not really a harley quinn fan, deadly assassin harley who breaks her morale code to punnish the people she deems as bad seems pretty cool
Oh, that actually makes her a compelling foil for Batman. While Batman abides by his moral code to maintain a sense of honor and integrity when dispensing justice, Harley Quinn breaks the ethical boundaries of her position as a psychologist to exact retribution on her own clients.
or punishes the victimizers of her clients
Some of Harley's best episodes in the animated series were her getting away from the Joker and exploring her personality and it never treated her like she needed him and more as needing to get away from him
I think there's more of an effort to not just uncouple Harley Quinn from the abusive relationship with the Joker, but also to start moving away from the 'Jokermania' we all had to live with. And I'm here for it, it was becoming oversaturated, and some decent performances suffered as a result, like in the Arkham games.
My issue is her getting away from
Him isn't development, Harley
Is a villain herself & she relished
in her evil deeds against innocent
People, she shouldn't be treated
as some victim when she chose
To be with a psychopath I kind
Of find it hard to empathize with
Someone who works with criminals
& Then acts as if she's the victim
When things get ugly.
@elongatedmanforever1252 It is more nuanced than you think. If yiu actually bloody bothered to watch her episodes more closely you would see that Quinn does have the potential to be a decent human being!
@@zemox2534
I agree she does, but I think
She's needs to face the horrors
She has done, instead of just being
Free from the joker, her being from
The joker means nothing if she
Doesn't get called out by people
Especially Batman seeing
Her a problem & the evil
Things she purposely done.
@@elongatedmanforever1252I mean she is portrayed as his victim in Btas, yes it was her decision to help the Joker but she was already pretty much brainwashed and manipulated by him. She’s not really evil just messed up and more of a sad, tragic character than a villain
As for why jester, I feel like it could be in reference to jester privilege. They were allowed to make fun of the king without punishment and were often those who delivered bad messages. This could be twisted for her idea that she must bring justice to (making fun of) the elite (the king), eventually killing them (delivering the bad messages [of their death]).
I mean, Arthur Fleck is wildly different from the mainline Joker in personality and appearance, I don't think big departures are a bad thing if they do it right. Separating Harley from the Joker entirely would be a little odd, but considering how much of Harley's character is in a push and pull with him (being an independent character who can lead her own story, but also being forever linked to him down to the costume) having a clean break honestly sounds a little refreshing.
Yeah I feel like having a Harley that’s separate from the joker, one who wasn’t manipulated into becoming Harley Quinn but did it by her own volition could be a good character, and based on what we’ve been told it sounds like she’ll be an interesting villain in the show
It's kind of funny how obscuring or eliminating the presence of the Joker, even though he's consistently been one of Batman's most dangerous rogues, seems to have resulted in the other villains taking on a colder, more oppressive tone and leaning more towards their various ideologies and grievances than their mental health.
I do think that's a unique take. Not 'Harley without Joker', but 'Harley if she was an original villain from the Golden Age'. No Joker involved in her story, he either doesn't exist or pulled a Golden Age and died after one caper.
Because 'Harley after leaving Joker' hasn't been original in over a decade, and stock Harley and Joker got enough material in the Arkham Games to hold me over. You want a new angle, this is your best bet. Harley is a solid Early Modern age character if not being too recent for even that(she only got into the mainline comics in 1999 and her usage was very spotty and sporadic until after 2009 when Arkham Asylum gave her a noticable boost). So what WOULD a Golden Age take on the character look like?
I think what might be interesting is that she landed on the jester theme because of the joker who might just be a patient she interacted with at the time.
From some reason, the design of Harley Quinn in this show reminds me of the character of Anarky from the comics.
Just hope she won't be as overhyped as that guy's so many iterations.
She has become overhyped. DC is calling her the 4th pillar which just makes me vomit.
@@zemox2534 Nah, imo the Joker is the most overused and tiresome DC character. Retire that character for a couple of decades and give other villains a chance to shine. Harley Quinn is a fun character.
@@michaelandreipalon359 I like Anarky as a character and he has not been used a lot, mainly because a lot of writers tend to not understand what the character believes in as a political philosophy.
Really? The color schemes and masks and hats are completely different.
To be fair its perfectly possible that this Harley still has jewish parentage, an asian-american having one is far from unheard of
With that said, great analysis! Im looking forward to seeing more of this version of the character
Very good point!
@@SerumLake I say for this they should ditch the Jewish heritage and really lean into the Japanese-American aspect. *ESPECIALLY* since it's in the 1940's and if during WW2, she can be what is essentially a clown ninja
Harley Quinn being scary? This I gotta see!
Wait, all ten episodes at once? That's the release window they're doing? That's a terrible idea for audience engagement. When shows drop all their episodes at once the show won't be marketed as well and will most likely be popular only for a week or two, just look at the recent Fallout show for example. Week to week episode releases are always smarter.
X-Men 97 did the week-to-week thing and was wildly successful with it. Binge-watching isn't a good trend. Gotta give an episode time for the viewer to actually digest it and anticipate what's coming next.
You both do know that a viewer can just take a break and watch the rest of the season. At any time right? People are not as stupid as you thjnk ok so grow up@
I would say Fallout was still successful, but I too, prefer the longevity of week-to-week engagement.
Binging has its place. But it's definitely a niche that has oversaturated media. Week-to-week is definitely better for most shows.
I don't see a problem with that. Yes, xmen 97 did it fine with its weekly release but, do you honestly think that people would not recognice the masterful work done there, if the show is good people would.watch it regardless of how is released.
Harlequins are, traditionally, super-skilled servants who use their status of belonging to two worlds(Poor Background, Rich Resources. Alive/Dead. Fairy/Human) to navigate spaces that neither half could traditionally. So the dual identity thing really fits. Granted, the more otherworldly Harlequins are more of a British thing.
And yeah, as others stated, Court Jesters were the ones who got to mock the powerful, so her dealing with other people's dirty laundry and using that power to clean up the streets according to her own moral code fits.
I think the reason why people are immediately sceptical about character's ethnicities changing is because we've been seeing many recent cases where that has happened and the characters ethnicity is their character and there's nothing else to them. (Which makes them boring.)
I personally am interested myself in this version of Harley. (Kinda reminds me of the version from "Batman: The Telltale Series".) But I'm in the same boat where I hope there's more to her character than her ethnicity or sexuality.
Characters get changed and reimagined all the time. The DCAU reimagined a bunch of characters. They completely charged Mr. Freeze's origin, Brainiac's origin, Doomsday's origin, they combined the origins and personalities of three different Clayfaces into Matt Hagen, they combined origin and personality of Jason Todd with Tim Drake, etc.
Modern Harley is so far removed from the original that they are practically different characters. Modern stories also just completely fail to do anything significant with her backstory, so Joker is already kinda useless for her. A fresh take on the character is absolutely needed at this point.
Seriously though, there's nothing wrong with having her be a victim of abuse as her origin, and if anything it just helps show that victims can become bigger than their abusers. But the only thing I've seen recently that even tries to use this is her cartoon and it does it in the worst possible way.
"You didn't make me i made myself" No, he literally made you.
My issue is Harley is a gigantic
Enabler with the joker, I would
like to see Harley actually face
The consequences of her actions
because that's never shown in
Media with Harley Of how she
Ruined so many lives, she's not
Just some innocent victim
She happily joined joker &
did unforgivable actions
I'm not against her getting
a redemption but it has to
Be earned.
Think that line was her talking about her new self when she isn’t obsessed with the joker. And it is kinda wierd a lotta people don’t like how Harley has changed when almost every Batman character changed a lot too. Batman doesn’t kill anymore, joker isn’t just a bank robber anymore, and literally any villain was changed after BMTAS
@@Dookieman1975
My issue is Harley is
Just annoying & also
The writers ignore her
Bad deeds.
@@Dookieman1975 here's the thing with that. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are all obviously different from their original interpretations, but they were never meant to be these highly developed characters with concrete traits and an endless history. They were originally nothing more than what Conan the Barbarian is, short adventure heroes that existed just for the sake of it. But that's not the case with Harley, she was specifically made to fit a role and play out a story.
Although I do think the Btas comics kind of ruined her long before modern stuff. They had it revealed that instead of being a competent Dr she had instead slept her way through med school/college. Yeah....that was bad.
But modern Harley is just....NOT the same character at all anymore, and her original version is what made people love her in the first place.
@@elongatedmanforever1252 this too tbh. At this point she just feels hypocritical.
I had no idea Harley Quinn is Jewish. That is great, I wish I knew earlier.
Batman is jewish too! Not practising though.
And completely on accident.
Would it matter if the Joker or Riddler were Jewish?
@@senittoaoflightning4404 wha, how do you accidentally become jewish?
@@BM-wh5qk uh no? Idk why it would
I didnt know harley quinn was a jewish character, the more ya know
I'm gonna go with the theory that her new green and gold costume is to symbolize the wealth and greed of the victims she targets.
And with the black, I can see them playing into a Japanese spy with her
That or she's a helluva boss fan and aped Mammon's color scheme and clown gimmick
Hopefully we don't get another Velma,
Well, time to burst that individual bubble:
0:34 - If this Harley were to smile under that makeup, she would look just like a certain playing card with a bullet hole in it. Fans of the 1989 Tim Burton classic BATMAN will know what I mean. There is NOOOOOO escaping the Clown Prince of Crime!😂❤
There is a shad of green called harlequin
Thanks for sharing that info!
As someone whos tired of Harley being in everything dc, im excited for this new version. It sounds like an interesting new take!
"Doc, today I kicked a puppy "
"OH oh, well... now it's time for you to kick the bucket "
Man, I hope Amazon sells physical copies. I don't see it happening, but I need this on blu ray!
I think they've sold their other shows on Bluray (eventually...)
@@SerumLake GOOD TO KNOW!!!
I don’t care that much about a race change for Harley, but if she is Asian, a doctor while she is also a villain and not a loud goof ball, why not make her a new character all together. Imagine how many story’s we would have lost if Miles Morales was just another Peter Parker.
If they used a new character they'd have to completely change what they already made. Like someone else said “It would feel like Harley but they don't have the rights”
I'm just glad they didn't turn her fat, ugly and unlikable.
Something absolutely deranged that this show could do is make it so that Harley is the one who ends up creating The Joker, as opposed to The Joker creating Harley. Though I don't particularly like ANY batman story dwelling on The Joker's origins or backstory (I believe that sort of explanation dampens the impact of joker's strangeness), I think it'd be a neat little switcharoo to make. Could absolutely work, too-- He could've just been one of her Patients that she decided needed some vigilante justice, and ironically creates something even worse.
I'm getting Telltale Batman vibes from this take on Quinn, like Season 1 Telltale vibes mainly with the whole "Gotham's elite must be punished".
I’m all for diversity, but changing her ethnicity for diversity seems cheap. Lazy. Especially getting rid of her iconic blonde hair. But I do think the twist on her character could be entertaining. I’ll give it a fair try.
People gettin butt hurt about the changes forget this is an elseworld story
A Batman show without the Joker sounds like a breath of fresh air
yeah but if joker shows up at some point i hope he has gaggy as his sidekick since i don't think harley is gonna be involved with him
"Beware The Batman" had no Joker
@@fraga.matias No, but they had Anarchy fill in his shoes as a dim-store Clown Prince of Crime! Most of the villains there were stand-ins for others!
I think it would make more sense if Harley was treating women thrown into Arkham Asylum either by their husbands or families that want them out of the way, for one reason or another. Or after they defend themselves from their abuser and were punished for it. After hearing the histories from women who either were committed falsely or developed severe problems from abuse, she becomes the Harlequin to take revenge for them. Runs into Batman investigating the murders, he finds out she’s helped position the women to inherit their abusers assets. Idk. I think it sounds better than just hearing guys tell her awful shit they did and then following them home and beating their ass. And Jesters speak truth to power. I think the costume is to draw inspiration for attacking those who are beyond justice. The Jester was the only member of the court who could chastise the King.
That's a really interesting idea, thanks for sharing!
Considering she'll probably end up in Arkham once she's caught, maybe that can be Season 2 Harley?
@@jordanloux3883 Honestly just glad it seems she won’t be stapled to the Joker in this. I threw out what I thought could be good historical reference to draw from. What would be really cool is if she ended up fighting the Joker cause he’s some insane quack giving out lobotomies and torturing patients. Like a hospital clown but somehow more evil, and also a doctor. Plenty of people to draw on from history for that. And it’s an incredibly real scare if you’ve read about them.
@@serenedoge9920 Yeah no, it was a nightmare. You can actually see what it was like in there. There's a documentary called Titicut Follies that horrified viewers so much it forced them to update the entire system.
As I've said plenty of times before, here's hoping she doesn't suck egg as she has in most of the previous DC shows and games.
I seriously can't be the only one who thinks of Harley Quinn as the "Dan Hibiki" of Batman's rogues gallery.
Joker is so overused I would appreciate it if he disappeared for several years.
Same
What get from this Harley Quinn is a mix between OG Harley and the Kabuki Twins from the '04 version
Personally I am very, very interested in seeing where this goes. I find the direction this show is going sounds really interesting and I would love to see how her character ark goes.
It could be as simple as the fact that
Arleen Sorkin was a RL friend of Dini and since she has passed away they want to take her in a new direction
I imagine Harley was designed with the mentality of she would've been portrayed if she debuted in the 1930s or 40s, in which most characters were very different from how we know them now, although I had no idea the Joker started as a psychotic serial killer before becoming a wacky clown-themed mob boss before becoming a psychotic serial killer again.
Would fucking love to see the Joker in a later season show up as a direct result of her Harley Quinn activities. In other versions he always makes her; how interesting would it be to have a mirrored flip of that situation, and have her create him?
I hate current Harley Quinn, so I welcome the new Asian Harley Quinn. The blond version is loud, annoying, stupid, and a pest. Any different, more serious take is welcome, IMO.
Or maybe just don’t include her?
I feel like this version of Harley is going to be a new incarnation of Payback from Batman Beyond.
I look forward the new spin on everyone… As long as Bruce Wayne isn’t replaced with Crazy Steve (AKA Frank Miller’s Batman).
I must admit, part of me kinda likes The Goddamn Batman...
Crazy idea, but maybe Harley Quinn's new colour scheme of "green and yellow" could be inspired by Jewelee, a similar character to Harley who also has a "red and green" colour scheme
…why couldn’t they just use Jewelee instead of “Harley Quinn” in name only?
@@snowbunnie1113 probably because Jewelee isn't a batman villain?
@@drakespamer8193 The Kingpin was originally a Spider-Man villain before becoming Daredevil's arch-enemy. There's nothing stopping them from doing that with Jewelee if they wanted to...
@@jordanloux3883 i guess so, but who knows? Maybe I'm just looking too deep into it
Whilst I REALLY don't like the costume design - I am very happy to see a more villainous, malevolent Harley. It makes far more sense to me than the way modern writers have tried to give her a heroic bent, whilst at the same time glossing over everything she was happy to help Joker do. She's an awful, cruel person - and Joker being a complete monster in turn shouldn't absolve her.
Even if Harley is Asian-American, she can still be Jewish btw ! :D
Can you believe people are saying her design is unattractive?
Ridiculous.
Her designs look awesome and fitting for the time. Like do they expect a woman from a show set in the 40s to have pig tails and wear booty shorts?
Racists tend to be picky
“Nooo! (Insert random character from a non sexual piece of media) isn’t sexy anymore! This is the end of the world!”
Do these people realize that they can find anything they want on the internet? Why do they need to get off on an animated tv show character?
@@saucevc8353
It is kind of bland & uninteresting
She looks meh at best.
@@jordanloux3883
They aren't racist
because I'm one
Who has these
Complaints &
Finds chicks of every
Race to be very attractive.
I kinda wish the outfit was black and red but I don’t mind it
Regarding the choice to make Harley Asian-American: She _can_ still be Jewish. That kind of thing does happen sometimes, _and_ it could even explain why her personal beliefs haven't come up or seemed like a big part of her life.
Plus if this is a post-40s Gotham, you have Harley, A Jewish mixed-Japanese woman, then you have someone who has faced persecution on both sides of her family (and that's not even getting into the Holocaust and Internment Camps).
Why does it matter her religion? Are you telling that if Batman was a mormon you would not watch it? Religion is rarely touched by superheros for that reason. This are AU stories!!! She can be a prophet of Chtulhu and that would be fine
@@jordanloux3883 You know? At first I was gonna be like "raceswapping filth. Keep her Jewish." But I say not make her Jewish and especially lean into that Japanese American side. Would be fucking perfect for a backstory where she had a childhood in a Japanese internment camp following the attack on Pearl Harbor. This seems genius.
@@22espec "hey I like Cake" responded by "SO YOU HATE PANCAKE" ahh twitter argument
I’ve seen enough versions of classic Harley that I find it more intriguing how they’re going in such a different direction. I think a lot of people just expected more BTAS from this show when it was announced, but I’m glad Bruce Timm and Co are trying something new
Yeah, I admit when I first heard about the show I hoped it’d be more BTAS, but I think that it’s better that they move on and do something different.
@@SerumLake any chance of a btas revival ended with Kevin Conroy passing and Mark Hamill’s officially retiring as Joker. But I’m excited to see what’s to come for the character
Yeah, I’m still mad about Warner Bros dragging their feet on the BTAS revival podcast…
On a different note,I always thought what telltale did with harley and joker was interesting.
Having John Doe being corrupted by bad girl harley,while also having bruce trying to befriend him depending on if you chose that route.
This sounds like an interesting twist!
If you couldn't tell, I have high hopes for this series.
No I'm not a fan.
I enjoy the change to Harley because this show is like a alternate universe.
I love OG Harley Quinn because she can go toe-to-toe with the Joker in both comedy and criminal activity. Her being inspired by one of my favorite villains of all time makes me bias, I must admit.
That being said, I’m here for the original writers reinventing their original character. I’ll always have OG Harley Quinn, after all.
CinemaSins told me Im not allowed to like the Joker anymore. Im your average "critic"
I wonder if Bruce in therapy in the show will have him be opposed to it and he has to keep his true self hidden from Dr Harleen (like Tony Soprano (mostly) hiding his mob life from Melfi)
I think they kinda mixed her and punchline
but I don’t know how they’ll portray her so I’m just hoping the shows good
I would like to see a world where the joker is genuinely a guy with mental health issues and Harley quinn is a corrupt physiatrist useing him to commit crimes.
Kinda like a more in-depth version of the telltale Joker and Harley
I’ve never heard of it I’ll check it out
Her appearance changing to asian aint that big or interesting, she was never anything more than Jokers henchman.
What is worth noting is how she is all evil to begin with, no Joker, nothing. That may be cool, i wish to know more
Hope they introduce Gaggy in show, which both Gaggy and Harley both work for Joker so match silver and golden age of Dc comic
Much like how I like to picture Bette Davis being the inspiration for Madeline and Marilyn in the “Two of a Kind” Two Face comic, I picture this Harley Quinn being inspired by actress Anna May Wong.
I heard somewhere that they were originally going to use Punchline, who IS Asian American, in the show, but changed her into Harley because she is the more known character. Which if true is dumb, because this show could have made Punchline as a not well known character BECOME a better known character. The Smallville Season 11 comics did this same mistake when they had Batman work with a female Nightwing go from Stephanie Brown to Barbara Gordon because, again, the latter is a more known character than the former.
Also, Harley has been overused so much that she should be put on a bus and sent away until enough people actually start missing her again.
I don't think Punchline is Asian-American. At least, Jorge Jimenez, her co-creator, said she wasn't on Twitter a while back. She just seems to be into the K-Pop aesthetic
@@SerumLake Okay, I got that part wrong. Still, it would have been a better idea to shine the spot light at a lesser known character.
Hey, you're not alone! Lots of people have asked why they didn't just use Punchline, and I assumed she was Asian American too.