Go ahead and grab your torches and pitchforks, because a lot of you (seriously, a LOT of you) are gonna want my head on a spike for this. It's ok. I'll be waiting for ya'll to beat down my door.
Anyway, I think it's safe to assume that by now everyone who wanted to see SS has already seen it and everyone else doesn't care- so yeah, thar be spoilers ahead! ( say that in a pirate voice otherwise you won't fully grasp the ambiance of it.)
I've been a fan of Harley Quinn since her inception, Batman the original series (The animated show from the 90s). She was meant to be a throwaway character, but the viewers reacted so strongly and positively towards Harley that she was given a backstory and ultimately a larger role on the show. Even as a child, my understanding of the Joker's relationship was that it was clearly abusive- and I kept on a wishin' and a hopin' for the day that Harls would finally leave his ass for good. Harley doted on his every whim, and when he smacked her around or verbally abused her she hardly gave it a thought. Her excuses for his behavior were classic victim mentality and remember, being a child, I had no idea why she stuck around just to be treated like a punching bag. Even now as I write this, I feel that pain in my gut just remembering what it was like to witness that on my tv screen. It HURT me. I wanted better for her then, and I want better for her now.
Ok, let's fast forward a little bit. Harley's relationship with the Joker is far darker in the comics than it ever was on the cartoon show. It's not only often extremely violent, but borders on rapey on more occasions than I'd like to admit. Maybe more than just borders. I don't know how I'm going to finish this article when I keep on cringing this much. Yuck.
In suicide squad issue number fifteen, the Joker reveals to Harley that not only is she insignificant to him- she's merely one of many "Harley" sidekicks that he's had over the years. Yeah, as if she hasn't been through enough.....now she has to face the fact that she truly has been less than nothing to her beloved "Mistah J" all along. I've seen a lot...a lot a lot, of abuse towards Harley by the Joker over the years, but this psychological warfare takes the cake for me. so no, people. The Joker and Harley are in no way #relationship goals and if I see that shit I will smack you.
In Harley's New 52 solo title, she's finally given some independence from the clown prince of crime and goes her own way. She goes back to psychiatry, adopts a few dozen animals and even starts her own girl gang of harlequin themed badass babes. Her friendship with Poison Ivy is prevalent here, which warms my heart to the fullest seeing as Ivy cares about Harley with an honest sincerity that I don't think Harley has ever experienced before. Mostly this title has done everything right, but the origin story of the Joker shoving Dr. Harleen Quinzel into the vat of acid rather than her diving in on her own accord (like the original animated series incarnate) robbed her of a piece of her independence that I've always revered. Harley CHOSE to do so on her own terms in order to prove her love (and insanity) for the Joker and taking that away from her is an injustice. I can only assume it was to paint the Joker as that much worse of a villain, and perhaps we will miss him less from the book.
Now, in Suicide Squad the film- we see an entirely different couple being portrayed here. I was extremely pleased with the portrayal of Dr. Quinzel and the Joker's early interactions (Showing that Harley was clearly already somewhat mentally unstable to begin with if she could fall for the Joker...and so easily) and obviously thrilled when once again Harley chose to dive into the acid on her own accord. I sat there in the theater and was SHOCKED when the Joker, rather than letting her fall to her death and drown in that acid (as we learn later on that Harley cannot swim) is clearly conflicted about his feelings, changes his mind and jumps in after her. This of course, set the tone for the Joker/Harley dynamic throughout the film.
In this incarnation, The Joker not only returns Harley's affections...but is downright obsessed with her. Now, imagine the conflicted feelings I had personally about going into this film expecting to COMPLETELY hate the joker and whatever abuse he was about to inflict upon my poor Harley, only to learn that...he ADORES her in this story? Wait...what? That doesn't....that doesn't make any sense though....? At least, that was my attitude for the first few scenes....and then it began to grow on me. "Wait a second here...." I thought to myself as I crunched on the carrots I'd snuck into the theater "maybe.......maybe this is wonderful..." And here is where I'm going to lose a lot of you.
You see, after an an entire lifetime of witnessing a character I adore getting emotionally shit on in an unrequited romance....it's pretty damn relieving when you are introduced to a universe in which the one they love, loves them back....and treats them like a fucking human being. A human being they LOVE (You know, as much as a homicidal maniac understands of the word.) Seriously though, did you SEE the way the Joker looked at Harley? It was like he simply COULD not get enough of her. Everytime he saw her it was like he was looking at her for the first time. Say what you will about Jared Leto's performance (I personally don't have anything bad to say, suck it haters!) but those facial expressions...that hunger in his eyes for his lady love was A+. All in all, this version of these characters may be a LOT different than their comics-verse counterparts, but I'm in love with it. Can't nobody drag me down from cloud nine because Harley has finally received the love she deserves from her darling Puddin' and I couldn't be happier for her.
