WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman: White Knight Presents Harley Quinn #5, by Katana Collins, Sean Murphy, Matteo Scalera, Dave Stewart, and AndWorld Design, on sale now.
Batman: White Knight Presents Harley Quinn has placed Harley on an emotional rollercoaster as she copes with the death of Joker, as well as Bruce Wayne's incarceration. But no matter how down she gets, she has to stay strong for her kids, Bryce and Jackie, while working with the FBI to solve a series of killings.
But in Batman: White Knight Presents Harley Quinn #5, her new job takes a severe toll on her as her pursuit of the Producer and Starlet ends up killing one of her hyenas: Lou.
It's no secret that Harley loves her hyenas, often calling them her "babies." Lou and Bud have been by her side in the cartoons, comics and the DCEU where Margot Robbie's Bird of Prey made it clear they were the only kids she's interested in. And in this comic, Harley has always indicated as such to Duke Thomas and the other cops, reiterating these hyenas are very much her kids, as much as Jackie and Bryce.
Harley's resolve gets tested after she escapes the clutches of Starlet, following a fight where the villain tried to kill her. Luckily, agent Hector Quimby turned on his former nanny, helping Harley out, but that set the stage for a new theatrical finale, with the Producer and Starlet want to give Harley an explosive curtain call.
When Harley gets back home and starts tending to her kids, she smells gas in the kitchen and quickly realizes it's a trap. Her apartment blows up, and with the building in flames, she tries to grab her twins and bolt. However, she gets hurt in the process, only being able to pick up Bryce. Bud helps drag her out, though, but as the authorities come, there's no way to get to Jackie. Luckily, Lou went back in and in the blink of an eye, bursts through a window with the baby in its mouth. The medics administer oxygen and thankfully, the girl responds. However, Lou isn't so lucky.
Harley's left heartbroken looking at Lou's lifeless body on the street, hinting that this heroic sacrifice will push her over the edge. These animals remind her of the few good times she had with Joker, and they represented the first bits of freedom she ever had. With that in mind, it's not hard to see why she won't take lightly to losing one of her closest companions or imagine her unleashing the full might of her wrath on the responsible parties. is
Earlier in the issue, Poison Ivy visited her in the hospital and told Harley it's time she accept the dark parts of her rather than repress them. Harley began to process that notion, but now it looks like she'll be going after Starlet and Producer with everything she's got.