New episodes of Harley Quinn stream Fridays on DC Universe.
By Elazar Abrahams
Move to the side Margot Robbie, this generation’s definitive version of Harley Quinn has arrived. Voiced by Kaley Cuoco, this animated iteration of Harley is so much more than just the Joker’s girlfriend.
First off, this show is legitimately funny. You don’t need to be a fan of the comics to enjoy the well written and clever barbs. It helps that the series isn’t scared of a TV-MA rating. These superheroes and villains curse quite often. This might be jarring to some viewers, but you’ll get used to it. One thing you won’t get used to is the gruesome over-the-top violence in the show. I’ve never seen this much unnecessary blood and guts in a cartoon. It’s an unnecessary creative choice, but I understand why the showrunners chose to move in this direction. Harley Quinn certainly stands out.
Throughout these beginning episodes, we see Harley develop a close sisterly bond with Poison Ivy (expertly voiced by Lake Bell), which really centers the show. Fans are also treated to appearances from both major characters like Commissioner Gordon and Batman himself, and D-list villains like King Shark. Having the entire DC world as a sandbox really helps add to the sense of an already established world that we now get to experience from Quinn’s point of view
It’s kind of a shame that Harley Quinn will be ignored by most audiences simply because it is on a streaming service (DC Universe) that most do not subscribe to. Much like the underappreciated Titans, this series will come and go.
I give Harley Quinn a B+.
TV and City 