Harley Quinn Animated Series (So Far): A Less Screwed Up Origin Story

Amidst all the F-bombs and bloody violence in Harley Quinn from DC Universe, it quickly becomes clear that this is a series determined to define Harley as someone entirely her own and capable of handling her own series, movie, comic title or whatever else you can throw at her!

As we reach about the halfway point in the series, it’s a great time to look at what has gone right and what could be tweaked going forward. I don’t think I’m alone in saying that this animated series was a surprise hit though. No one expected that an animated series revolving around Harley Quinn on the still-new DC Universe streaming app would have such remarkable potential.

Yet, here we are.

Within the first few seconds of the very first episode, you can see that this is a project from DC animation unlike anything that has come before it. Not just the overtly crass humor either, there are tons of F-bombs, broken bones and blood to make the series stand out immediately. But it doesn’t rely solely on a sense of juvenile behavior. Instead, it uses adult range to explore Harley Quinn as a character outside of the Joker. No longer just “the Joker’s GF”, this Harley Quinn is so much more.

While Harley, voiced by Cuoco, is an absolute treasure, the real standouts so far are the characters that populate this hilarious version of Gotham. From Gordon to Clayface, the “extras” in this series turn out to be the funniest parts in every single episode. That’s both a credit to the writers who have such a keen understanding of the world they play in and the voice actors who bring such an undeniably unique flair to each character.

It’s tough not to appreciate just how new and unique this series is for DC Comics. There isn’t anything like it currently out and it thrives in that originality. With it’s determined focus to establish Harley Quinn as her own character, giving her a chance to define her own origin story, it has all the weight fans could ask for without sacrificing on laughs. There might be some twists and turns coming, but the budding friendship between Harley and Poison Ivy will certainly be the one to keep an eye on. There is something more there than the series is willing to admit right now, but I’m not buying this Poison Ivy/Kite Man distraction for one F!*@$&% second.

Overall, I couldn’t be more excited with the direction of the series and what it means for Harley Quinn, who has enjoyed quite a significant time in the spotlight and continues to hold fan’s attention. She is an increasingly important character for DC Comics and this series shows that they have a solid understanding of where to take the character. Halfway through the first season and its safe to say that I’ll be keeping up with each new episode for as long as they are willing to make them.