Harley Quinn's Origin Story and its Obscure Comic Book Sequel

Welcome to Adventure(s) Time’s forty-forth installment, a look at classic animated series and their tie-in comic books. Suggestions are welcome, so feel free to leave one in the Comments. This week, we're reviewing the adaptation of a classic Adventures comic. (Perhaps the most important Bat-comic of the 1990s. If you're ignoring that bit about the broken back, of course.) Then, a later Adventures issue set "in-between the pages" of Harley Quinn's origin.

Perhaps the most anticipated episode of the series was the final one to air. "Mad Love" debuted on January 16th, 1999 featuring a story by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, and direction from Butch Lukic. Fans had been waiting literally years for this one -- the ones who thought it could ever make air, that is.

"Mad Love" began life as a prestige format Batman Adventures comic, and unlike many "prestige" books released in the 1990s, this one was deserving of the title. Batman Adventures: Mad Love won an Eisner Award for "Best Single Story" in 1994, and earned the praise of "best Batman story of the decade" from America's favorite grizzled comics pro Frank Miller. The comic went into numerous printings, raising awareness of the quality of DC's Adventures line.

The story's genesis comes from Dini and Timm kicking around ideas for Harley Quinn's origin. Dini had the inspiration that she was a psychiatrist, and things snowballed from there. The duo soon realized that FOX Kids censors would neuter the story beyond recognition. However, DC editor Scott Peterson had given Dini and Timm an open invitation to contribute a story when Adventures was launched. Both were interested in producing a comic, and now they were sitting on a great story that couldn't work on the show. In-between their deadlines on Batman, Dini and Timm (with aid from Glen Murakami) produced Mad Love.

Big awards. Universal acclaim. Not bad for a major comics debut. (Timm always dreamed of penciling comics; the closest he came were He-Man toy package mini-comics.) But the frank depictions of abuse and violence proved the creators right -- no way this could air on FOX.

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Years passed, and Batman found itself revamped as The New Batman Adventures. And this new network, Kids WB!, wasn't so squeamish about content for children's television. People began asking for a Mad Love adaptation, and eventually, it happened.

"Mad Love" follows the beats from the comic, although many scenes were truncated, and some bits were cut entirely. Opening with a scheme that has the Joker and Harley ambushing Commissioner Gordon at a dentist appointment, unsuspecting viewers had no clue what they were in for. Acknowledging the busted plot as a corny scheme, the Joker's in a foul mood.

So foul, he's not willing to tolerate Harley's helpful suggestions on how to kill Batman next time. (Nor her more-explicit-than-ever attempts at seducing him.) Irritated, he physically kicks her out of their hideout. Kicks her into a pile of garbage.

Dejected, Harley looks back on her life. Her high-pitched voice grows more somber, thinking back to her days before she encountered the Joker. What unfolds is the twisted love story between Dr. Harleen Quinzel and her patient, the Joker. He manipulates the doctor, makes her feel as if she's the only one who understands his inner pain. Shocks her with stories of his childhood abuse. Convinces her Batman's not a hero, but a modern manifestation of this abusive father.

When the Joker escapes and is returned bruised and beaten by Batman, Harleen snaps. Adopting her new identity of Harley Quinn, she breaks the Joker out of Arkham and their sick love affair begins.

Determined to prove her worth to the Joker, Harley adapts one of his schemes and manages to apprehend Batman. Chained up, hanging upside down above a tank of piranhas, Batman just might be done for. Until he plays his own mind games with Harley, convinces her the Joker has been manipulating her all along. She calls her puddin', hoping to find validation. He rushes over, incensed, and smacks her for having the temerity to upstage him.

Then, after freeing Batman, decides to go with an earlier Harley suggestion. The Joker tries to just shoot Batman, misses when Batman headbutts him, the piranhas are freed, and...something else happened. Yes, the Joker proved once and for all just how much he truly "loves" Harley, by shoving her out of a window.

While many elements of "Mad Love" the episode truncate the comic's execution, this moment is slowed down. The music stops, all sound stops, as Harley faces probable death. Sure, it's a cartoon and no way is she dying on camera. But a metaphorical death, the death of her delusions surrounding the Joker?

That would be an optimistic final note for the series, wouldn't it? Revealing the secret past of this intriguing new character, fleshing her out as a person, then giving hope for a new life. Okay, we'll get past the final confrontation between Batman and the Joker... It's unusually violent this time, and Kevin Conroy's delivery of that taunt, letting Joker know Harley got closer than he ever did to killing the hero, that's good stuff -- then Harley has her conclusive victory, right?

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The closing voiceover, delivered gracefully by Arleen Sorkin, teases us even more. Harleen's voice is back, recognizing how foolish she was to fall for the Joker's manipulation. Injured, she vows to recover, do her time, and rebuild her life.

Until she sees a rose with a note. Mr. J's message to "feel better soon" is all it takes. Her mental string of insults ends with her declaring the Joker her "angel."

Even more brutal is the comic's ending. Here, Harley's former boss Dr. Leland is asking what it felt like to be the Joker's pawn. To throw her life away for the scum, to live through his abuse. Her answer, upon seeing the rose..."It felt like a kiss."

This homage to the 1962 song "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)" encapsulates their "romance" perfectly. (Actually, Paul Dini's done an amazing job finding songs to sum up the Harley/Joker dysfunction. In the "Harlequinade" episode, Dini pulled the jazz song "Say We're Sweethearts Again" from obscurity to demonstrate how sad this romance is.) Going out with the "kiss" line might've been too much for even the WB's censors, although the ending doesn't lack in impact.

Unfortunately, this isn't true for other moments in "Mad Love." Some of the deleted scenes would've aided in rationalizing why Harleen would adopt her criminal persona. Discovering she was a teenage gymnast explains her physical abilities, for example. And the original Mad Love provides a more plausible rationale for how young Harleen came to become the Joker's therapist in the first place. A sketchier interpretation of Harleen was also sanitized for the show. The comic reveals Harleen seduced her professors for better grades, and is more explicit in showing her interest in Arkham patients as fame-driven.

And, because Mad Love simply had too much material for a twenty-minute episode, some of the scenes that survived the cut feel rushed. The Joker's simmering anger as Harley attempts to seduce him, for example, plays better in the comic. Plus, there's the issue of this Joker design. It's utterly inhuman, killing the drama at times. This Joker just doesn't "act" well. The Joker's crazed reaction to Harley's call in the comic blows away its adaptation.

All that said, every cast member does stellar work this episode. It could be argued Conroy, Sorkin, and Hamill all produced their finest performances during "Mad Love." Were this truly the last time we saw this cast together, it'd be a fantastic note to go out on.

Over two years after Mad Love finally made it to TV, the Adventures line was still going. Former editor Scott Peterson was now writing the book, with Tim Levins on art. Gotham Adventures #43 (December 2001) also returns to Harleen's past. Specifically, her days as Arkham's junior psychotherapist.

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Peterson was always adept at high concepts, and "Turnabout" is no exception. A mystery figure is targeting Harley, exploiting the gimmicks of various Arkham inmates. With both Joker and Poison Ivy incarcerated, she must turn to Batman for help.

How does she attract his attention? By committing a series of petty burglaries.

Even as Batman readmits her to Arkham, another attempt on her life is made. Batman questions if a fellow inmate is behind the attacks. He investigates, and Peterson/Levin exploit their four-panel gimmick to great effect.

So, for reasons that are a bit unclear, Batman allows Harley to leave Arkham and tag along. Together, they work the case, enabling Levins to render more than a few cutsey Harley images.

Ultimately, Batman discerns this grudge has nothing to do with Harley Quinn. Dr. Harleen Quinzel, however, has an enemy from her past. Acquiring a list of her Arkham patients, Batman questions her treatment of one Jenny Smith. The name doesn't ring a bell. Actually, none of them do. Peterson is sticking with the Mad Love interpretation of Harleen having less than pure motives as a psychoanalyst, and essentially sucking at her job.

Harleen's treatment of Jenny Smith, however, is outright malpractice. The Jenny brought into Arkham after a traffic stop just happened to share the name of an escaped Arkham inmate. If Harleen weren't so obsessed with the Joker, she would've listened to the woman and cleared the issue up.

Instead, she had Jenny committed, even denying her visits from her daughter. As Jenny has languished in Arkham for years, watching Harley go in and out, her hatred (and knowledge of various criminal techniques) has only grown.

Finally released after years of false imprisonment, she's targeted Harley. And when it looks as if she's going to "ice" Harley forever with Mr. Freeze's gun, Batman arrives with a guest. It's Jenny's daughter Amy, who's grown "so big" during her incarceration.

Realizing she has more than revenge to live for, Jenny accepts Bruce Wayne's invitation. She'll be leading a committee devoted to Arkham reforms, which would seem to be dearly needed.

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The Wrap-Up

Continuity Notes

The "Mad Love" flashback scenes are adamant about not reviving the old character models. This creates some continuity issues, as clearly they occurs years in the past. Since Poison Ivy is shown as an Arkham inmate, that would place the flashbacks after the "Pretty Poison" episode in Season One. Really, Batman needs to be in his blue cape/yellow oval costume.

Finally, there's another appearance of Mr. Freeze and Killer Croc as Arkham inmates. Other stories establish them as not criminally insane, thus not Arkham inmates.

Approved By Broadcast Standards & Practices

Every major character in "Mad Love" bleeds at some point. Highly unusual for the series. The episode does tone down just how abused the Joker is during the flashback that has Batman returning him to Arkham, though. Also, Joker's slapping of Harley in the climax appears off-camera in the animated adaptation.

Battle of the Harleens

Obviously, "Mad Love" is a classic for a reason, so acting as if it's in competition with an obscure tie-in comic is a little silly. "Turnabout" has some credible ideas, however. What kind of an employee was Dr. Quinzel? What care did she offer? If you were falsely imprisoned by Harley, then watched her waltz out of Arkham while you were denied a hearing, what would that do to you?

Now, all of this hinges on some leaps in logic. Mistaken identity happens, but this is absurd. Still, "Turnabout" has a solid mystery and gimmick. And Tim Levins' artwork perfectly suits a Harley story.

Regarding the "Mad Love" adaptation...well, as usual, the book is better. That doesn't negate its status as one of the best episodes of the series, however. The score, animation, and vocal performances do the material justice overall. And even if there were still censorship issues, its presentation of abusive relationships remains authentic. The Joker's ability to draw Harley in, to remain calm and even loving before exploding with violence, is typical of an abuser's tactics.

But for fans who experienced the book first, who viewed it as a special "lost episode" that took the best elements of the show and merged them with the frenzy of a Harvey Kurtzman comic...a twenty minute episode, animated by anyone other than TMS, just can't cut it.

Warner Brothers did release a motion comic of Mad Love a while back. (Available on their Youtube channel.) And given their recent tendency to go back to the well for adaptations, it's possible one day Mad Love could become a full-length DTV feature. Eighty minutes to explore the story, with the proper character models and more fluid animation, just might be a worthy project.

That’s all for now. If you have any episodes of a series you’d like to see paired with its tie-in comic, just leave a comment or contact me on Twitter.