It’s a bit strange that DC decided to make their own streaming service, as it’s such a specific niche to build a platform off of. Wouldn’t a Warner Bros. streaming service have made more sense? At any rate, the DC streaming service “DC Universe” began its run in 2018, and its biggest draw is one of its original shows: Harley Quinn.
With the first season having just wrapped up very recently, it’s safe to say that the show isn’t just standing tall on its own two feet, but it’s doing acrobat tricks just to show off. Here are 10 reasons to tune into the show.
It’s The Funniest Thing To Come Out Of DC Comics
Harley Quinn is hilarious, which is ideal, considering the whole “psychotic clown” angle. It’s a refreshing change of pace from DC’s tendency to brood and be dreary so frequently. While it’s fine to be dark, sometimes a break is greatly appreciated. Before Harley Quinn, the funniest product DC delivered was Shazam! So that, combined with Harley Quinn, make for two very good experiments in leaning towards a lighter tone (in the modern era) without sacrificing quality. But while Shazam! had a lean for slapstick comedy and childish antics, Harley Quinn leans towards shock, deadpan, and satirical humor.
It Isn’t Afraid To Get Serious
While Harley Quinn might be gut-busting, it can also be heart-breaking. The show deals heavily with the presence of trauma Harley suffers from, whether from her abusive family or from the toxic relationship she had with the Joker. It also focuses on her friendships with Poison Ivy and her crew, and the occasional dramatic situations that rise up between the characters when Harley’s actions affect them. It also isn’t afraid to play with heavier beats concerning life, death, and romance. And it always manages to make the transition smoothly in either direction of comedic or dramatic.
There Are References Galore For DC Fans
While any casual person can watch Harley Quinn and enjoy it, the fun is doubled for any comic fanatic. There are countless characters introduced to the show that work well due to their obscurity. The Z list villain Kite Man, the misogynistic Dr. Psycho, and the recently introduced Sy Borgman all appear. There are also countless “in-jokes” and references that work – Bane speaks like Tom Hardy’s version from The Dark Knight Rises. The Two-Face design is reminiscent of his appearance in Batman: The Animated Series. At one point, Harley and her crew have Suicide Squad t-shirts.
This Is a Harley Show First And Foremost
While Harley Quinn originally appeared on Batman: The Animated Series as the Joker’s top hench girl and girlfriend, the character has really blazed her own path in the nearly 3 decades she’s existed. She’s evolved and found her own footing in that time, going from sidekick to villain to anti-hero. While appearances from the DC world, especially Batman’s (as Harley is from Gotham) are welcome, the importance of the focus being on her is critical. And the show does not lose track when it comes to focusing the plot and the events happening as a result of or related to Harley’s story.
It Re-Invents, But Never Distorts
As Harley Quinn is a comedy, some characters or actions can be stretched in order to suit the comedic tendencies of the show. But ultimately, they work because they exaggerate the truth of characters, rather than create a bizarre version. Because the jokes are based on the truth, the comedy elements are even funnier. For instance, Commissioner Gordon is portrayed as a caffeine-and-nicotine addicted workaholic who throws himself into his work to avoid his marital troubles and is clingy to Batman as a result. Clayface can take the appearance of anyone, but he simply can’t pull off schemes due to his overeager and bad acting. Batman is overtly emotionless and monotone, but clearly has a good heart.
The Adult Rating Serves A Purpose
Two of the most notable additions to Harley Quinn are the consistent use of curse words and ultra-violence. These not only establishes just how graphic comic books can really get but also demonstrates the madness of a world like the one presented in DC comics.
And it’s hilarious, adding to the shock humor. When Harley Quinn curses out Joker henchmen and breaks their legs, it really does bring out the psychotic side of her and showcases the difference between her type of violence in comparison to Batman’s non-violent methods, or the Joker’s over the top violence, which is worse than Harley’s.
Each Episode Is A Solid Entry
Season One was a solid showcase for Harley Quinn. Every single episode showed a purpose, and in just 22-minute runtimes managed to stay entertaining, and likewise, be concise and encapsulate a cohesive plot. And when all 13 episodes are put together, they make for a solid story arc for the first season of the show and leave room to build for Season Two. Even the most ridiculous episode, which features Clayface’s severed hand growing a personality and bonding with the lonely Commissioner Gordon, serves a point. Each episode is distinguishable and memorable in its own right.
The Voice Cast Is Impressive
The best draw of the show might be the voice cast. Everyone is giving it their all in their performances, no matter how small. In particular, the return of Diedrich Bader to voicing Batman (after starring in Brave And The Bold) was a welcome choice. Ron Funche’s high pitched and silly voice for King Shark is funny because a character with such an imposing stature and size would surely have a terrifying voice, but the choice to subvert expectations pays off. Tony Hale as the practical but highly sexist Dr. Psycho also consistently turns in laughs. Even Giancarlo Esposito’s brief appearances as Lex Luthor give Clancy Brown’s voice a run for its money. But of course, there are several other exceedingly good voice choices.
This One Of The Best Versions Of The Joker
Since Mark Hamill’s Arkham Joker is essentially the same Joker from Batman: The Animated Series, that means Alan Tudyk’s Joker is the top standard since Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance.
The Joker in this series is hilarious, sociopathic, obsessive, and hypocritical. He showcases all of the Joker’s worst tendencies and might be one of the most despicable versions of the character, but is also one of the funniest. He constantly manipulates and tortures Harley, he kills people in horrifying manners, he stomps on the fingers of everyone around him and is completely self-absorbed. He represents the awful tendencies of toxic masculinity, and why it can be construed to look charming, while also remaining perfectly in line with what makes up the Joker.
These Might Be The Best Versions Of Harley Quinn And Poison Ivy
Harley Quinn (Kaley Cuoco) and Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) have been through many iterations through comics and media, but Harley Quinn gives them a grounded and realistic version of the two, and they genuinely feel like real people. The decision to focus the show entirely on Harley and feature Ivy as the most important person in her life rather than Joker is brilliant. Cuoco’s spunky and intense delivery of Harley’s lines is precisely the type of psychotic and charming energy the character demands. Likewise, Bell’s blasé and down-to-earth attitude and one-liners give Ivy a sense of being “above” humans, but able to empathize with them.
Harley and Ivy’s portrayal makes the audience actively root for them despite being supervillains. The show has many great qualities to it, but the heart and soul are Harley and Ivy, and the central dynamic between the two will likely be the most consistent glue that keeps all of the narratives to lovingly wound together.
