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The Wellington Comic Lover's Guide to... The Joker and Harley Quinn

By Gus

If I’m going to have a recommendation list, I prefer it to be multiple choice! Here’s our not-so-serious guide to The Joker and Harley Quinn!

comic covers arranged in a grid

Who is the Joker?

When his robbery of the Ace Chemical Plant was interrupted by Batman, a criminal known as the 'Red Hood' accidentally fell into a vat of chemicals. Emerging from the runoff with his skin turned chalk-white and his hair dyed bright green, he was driven mad by the experience and embraced a darkly humorous view on existence. Rebranding himself as The Joker, he now uses his arsenal of deadly gags and his trademark grin-inducing toxin to challenge Batman and his allies.

The Joker series

In his most recent series, Joker goes on the run after Arkham Asylum is destroyed, and Commissioner Gordon is tasked with hunting him down.

Joker miniseries

Graphic novels and miniseries starring the Joker as a main character.

Joker storylines

Storylines from the main Batman titles that feature the Joker.

Joker Across the Multiverse

The Batman Who Laughs

On a world in the Dark Multiverse, Batman finally killed the Joker, only to trigger a transformation that turned the Dark Knight into a version of his grinning nemesis. Coupling his skills and training with the Joker’s twisted mind, this 'Batman Who Laughs' collected a legion of other evil Batmen from parallel worlds to invade the DC Universe across two major events, Dark Knights: Metal and Dark Knights: Death Metal.

The Batman Who Laughs appearances

Injustice

One of Joker’s most devastating plans is the inciting incident of the Injustice series, which leads Superman to take over the world as a benevolent dictator.

The White Knight

In an alternate timeline, the Joker seemingly reforms and runs for mayor of Gotham City, threatening to end Batman’s career of vigilantism by changing the system from within.

More Jokers across the Multiverse

Who is Harley Quinn?

Arkham Asylum psychologist Harleen Quinzel fell in love with her patient, the Joker, and became his sidekick, altering her name to Harley Quinn. They became a villainous duo, but after being disrespected by him one too many times, Harley eventually left the Clown Prince of Crime and struck out on her own as a freelance anti-hero.

From the DC Kids YouTube channel.

The Joker and Harley's first meeting, in a direct adaptation of Mad Love, one of the comics listed below.

Harley's Animated Origins

Harley Quinn first appeared in the Batman: The Animated Series and was later adapted into the comics based on the show. Ironically, her origin story was first recounted a comic called Mad Love, which was later adapted into an episode of the animated series.

More animated Harley books

In 2019, Harley Quinn got her self-titled animated series, which in turn got its own comic, bridging the gap between its first and second season.

Harley Goes To Print

Harley was then introduced into the DC Comics universe in 1999, where she made sporadic appearances as the Joker’s henchgirl and a member of the Gotham City Sirens.

The New 52

In addition to resetting DC Comics’ continuity, the New 52 initiative redefined Harley Quinn, updating her origin and costume and making her more independent of the Joker. Her primary appearances in this era were as a member of the conscripted supervillain task force, the Suicide Squad.

Harley Goes Solo

Harley eventually graduated to her own self-titled series, where she moved to Coney Island and got into madcap adventures with a wacky supporting cast, including her bionic roommate Sy Borgman, the hardware-obsessed vigilante Red Tool, and a talking stuffed beaver.

DC Rebirth

Harley’s adventures as Queen of Coney Island continue in DC Rebirth, as she saves the island from a zombie horde, runs for mayor of New York City, and fights the forces of the hell planet Apokolips.

In a riff on ‘Old Man Logan’, Harley also had a series about her twilight years in Old Lady Harley.

Harley's Suicide Squad appearances

Harley continued to be a member of the Suicide Squad, with the DC Rebirth incarnation of the team being based on the 2016 movie.

Infinite Frontier

In the Infinite Frontier era, Harley turns over a new leaf and commits to being a hero in Gotham City. She immediately racks up her own rogue's gallery in the process, including the obsessive Keepsake and the vigilante Verdict.

Harley and Ivy

Having left the Joker for good, Harley is now in a relationship with fellow supervillain Poison Ivy, the plant-manipulating environmental terrorist. Harley and Ivy have since had a few series together, and prominently feature in DC’s Pride Month collections.

Harley also regularly appears in Poison Ivy’s ongoing series as well.

Harley and the Birds of Prey

Since her appearance in their eponymous movie, Harley has been a member of the Birds of Prey, an all-female team of heroes protecting Gotham City.

Harley Quinn YA novels

Harley now has her own YA novel series, which reimagines her college years. Here, the young Harleen Quinzel interns at a psych lab, joins a girl gang, and eventually scores her first job at Arkham Asylum.

Breaking Glass is a graphic novel which sees a broke and struggling teenage Harley dealing with Gotham City’s gentrification and her loyalty to two charismatic activists, her friend Ivy and the anarchist ‘Jack’.

More Harley Quinn comics

Punchline

After being held hostage by the Joker during a class trip, Alexis Kaye was radicalized by his message and set out to become his new partner-in-crime. Styling herself as an ‘anti-Harley Quinn’, Alexis uses her knowledge of chemical toxins and social media manipulation to subvert Gotham from within as the villainous Punchline.

Punchline appearances

Arkham Asylum

Founded by Amadeus Arkham in the early 1900s, Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane houses all of Gotham’s most dangerous criminals, including the Joker, and used to employ Harley Quinn before she turned criminal. Its capacity to rehabilitate its patients is limited due to the number of times it’s been broken out of or outright destroyed, but no matter the damage, some version of the asylum has always persisted in Gotham City.

Classic Arkham Asylum stories

Arkham Tower

A recent arc in Detective Comics saw Arkham rebuilt as Arkham Tower following the asylum’s destruction in Infinite Frontier. While the Tower’s treatment program appears to have rehabilitated the inmates, the Bat-Family suspects there is something amiss with its miraculous methods and infiltrates the facility.

Meanwhile, in Arkham City, a former asylum doctor wanders Gotham trying to track down her missing patients, including such obscure Batman foes as the radioactive Doctor Phosphorus, the vampiric Nocturna, and the esoteric Ten-Eyed Man.

Arkham City and Arkham Knight

These comics tie into the Arkham City and Arkham Knight videogames, which saw a portion of Gotham City turned into a giant prison, overseen by the hi-tech security officer The Arkham Knight.

The Arkham Knight eventually crossed over into mainstream DC Comics, here revealed to be someone raised in the asylum by the inmates and who subsequently became their protector from Batman.

Batman Arkham books

The Batman Arkham series collects essential stories about Batman’s villains from across their publishing history.