Gotta love me a good DC anthology book! Many characters have gotten this treatment and this time it’s Harley’s turn! A collection of 17 standalone stories (19 if you get the physical trade), we have various Harley-focused misadventures. Right now, I will tell you which ones are my favorite!
Before we dive in, I should clarify a few things. I will NOT be touching on stories from the sequel series, Black + White + Redder. Maybe I’ll do a separate overview, but for now, I’ll stick to the stories from the original series. And I’ve decided to limit myself to telling my Top 7 favorites because…Harley talks about Hannukah in one of the stories, a holiday that lasts for 7 days. That’s as good a reason as any. Without further ado, let’s begin with…
#7 - The End of The Line (Chapter 8)
After Harley falls asleep on a subway train back to Coney Island, she now has to fight off subway pirates to get to the head of the train and get herself back home. This is a light and fun kind of Harley story, nothing too serious. However, if you want to pull something meaningful from it, you could argue that even when your entire life gets thrown off the tracks, you can still find happiness in the mess.
#6 - Black, White Knight, & Red (Chapter 6)
I’m a big fan of the Murphyverse, so of course I’m going to gravitate towards this. Harley has her twins write Valentine’s Cards for “Uncle Bruce” in prison and she remembers a specific fight back in her criminal days that reminds her of how Bruce didn’t just watch her like everyone else, but he also saw her for who she was underneath the showmanship. It’s a sweet story and always makes me want to pick up the White Knight books again.
#5 - Harleen: Red (Chapter 1)
I swear, if we don’t get a sequel to the original Harleen graphic novel in my lifetime, I will burn the world to the ground! But I’ll admit, this little story set in that same universe will calm me just a bit. Right off the bat for this entire series, it tells us Harley’s relationship with the color red and how its meaning to her has changed so much over the years and her various transformations.
#4 - Hypothetically Speaking (Chapter 11)
We have criminal Harley in this tale! She sits back and tells a bar full of criminals and goons exactly how she would take down all the major superheroes in the DCU for good. It’s a reminder of how dangerous and strategic Harley is once you can see past her manic personality.
#3 - Get Yer Story Straight (Chapter 3)
A trio of criminals steal something from Harley and are trying to tell the story of how they pulled it off to the bartender. Except they all have differing stories, each one trying to argue that theirs is the correct version. It’s a fun way to show off the different ways various writers have written the character through the years. And it ultimately doesn’t matter which version they tell. Because after Harley comes back to beat them up, she tells them it’s more important to tell the truth about how she beat them to a pulp afterward.
#2 - Fixer-Upper (Chapter 14)
This…is not a fun or happy story. Harley begrudgingly follows clues the Joker has left for her to search for her birthday gift. Throughout the story, we get her thoughts and it shows that at this point, she is no longer happy with him. She realizes the reality of how Joker sees and treats her, and yet she still keeps doing what he wants. Up until she decides it isn’t worth it to find out what the supposed gift is at the end, just walking away.
#1 - Happy Thanksquinning (Chapter 15)
Another Thanksgiving in Arkham Asylum and Harley manages to break free. Except she isn’t all that happy to be back out in the world. She sees something she knows Ivy would like and goes back to spend the holiday with her. While the previous entry probably should be placed at the top spot, this chapter shows the loving side of Harley that is at the core of who she is, regardless of whatever methodology she utilizes or whatever shenanigans she gets into.
But tell me what some of YOUR stories are! I’m looking forward to hearing responses!