harleen is the harley quinn comic i had been waiting for so long. genuenly exploring how a smart college graduated psychiatrists could genuenly end up as a super villain. in here harley is... a person, a normal, fucked up, vulnerable person. with genuine problems and that i can believe could get twisted into what she becomes partway because of the joker yes, but also partially because of her own hang ups.
also this is the one single story that has made me able to see the joker as a sex object, someone you could be attracted to and who could enjoy sex themselves
He smiles... and I make the worst mistake of my life... I smile back.
As fascinating an origin story as it is a compelling, thematically complex study of mental illness, Stjepan Šejić's Harleen shows us the 'meet cute' behind the twisted relationship between Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime, The Joker, and Dr. Harleen Quinzel. It's heavy on the psychiatric, favoring conversations and inner monologue over any substantial action; a choice that works beautifully in showing how inevitable Dr. Quinzel's transformation into Harley Quinn really was. However, the moments of action we do get, throughout, are delivered in a satisfyingly graphic manner that effectively displays the erratic, manipulative psychology of these characters.
I really enjoyed getting a more nuanced look into Harley Quinn, a character I'm mostly familiar with through animated series (where she's little more than a caricature of 'mad love') and films (where's she's so far gone, there's really no trace of Dr. Quinzel left). Šejić's smart writing and gorgeous artwork elevate this character to something more interesting, more consequential, than a secondary villain while also giving further insight into the psyches of several other Batman villains, in the process.