WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Harley Quinn #74, by Sam Humphries, Sami Basai, Dave Sharpe, Guillem March and Arif Prianto, on sale now
Harley Quinn has come a long way since her introduction as a minor villain henchman in Batman: The Animated Series. She's now a more heroic, relatable figure, even working alongside the Justice League at points. She may have just reached perhaps her largest height as a hero though, as Harley defeated Granny Goodness and derailed her plans to take over the Earth. Plus she's also officially kissed Booster Gold.
Harley Quinn has dealt with impossible odds before, but her latest battle with Granny Goodness pushes her to the absolute limit. Discovering that Goodness has constructed an infant firepit in North Hollywood, Harley learns that this could lead to the spread of Apokolips influence across the planet, transforming the populace into servants of Darkseid. Harley's battle against Granny Goodness leaves the anti-hero at a major disadvantage, with the New God physically overwhelming her with ease. But before she can kill Harley, Goodness finds to her surprise that the Clown Princess of Crime can tell she's dealt with a serious loss in her own life that she's never really overcome -- utilizing her skills as a mental health professional to break down the pain Goodness is going through.
Goodness is surprisingly affected by the loss of her loyal hound, Mercy, during training. Harley uses this to calm Goodness' fury long enough to reach a hidden Apokoliptian ray gun given to her by the "Failed Fury" Petite Tina and uses it to destroy the fire pit. Granny then uses a Boom Tube to escape the ensuing damage and destruction -- leaving Harley to be crushed by the falling building. She nearly dies from the injuries. Luckily, however, EMTs are able to reach her in time and get her to a hospital, allowing Harley to survive saving the world.
Not only that, but Harley also gains a victory in her personal life. Harley has spent her time in Los Angeles growing closer and closer to Booster Gold. The fellow hero has also been making a pleasant enough life for himself in Los Angeles, trying to stay out of the way of over-the-top super-heroism. He's even become something of a sounding board for Harley, giving her emotional support and good advice during her time investigating the death of her friend. He's come to her aid during her investigation and has all-around been there to try and help her through a tough time in her life - actually listening to her and talking with her with the understanding that she's a strong, intelligent woman in her own right.
It's led to Harley admitting she's developed a bit of a crush on Booster in previous issues, but with her victory in this issue she feels confident enough in her choices to find Booster in the bar they frequent, sadly singing karaoke. She surprises Booster with a duet and reveals that, even though she thinks he's dork, she wants to be with him, as evidenced by the massive kiss she lays on him. It's a huge step forward for the pair as a potential romantic relationship.
Both of these often underestimated heroes deserve a bit of a break from the ridiculousness of their world, even for a moment. This could certainly just be a brief fling, but it's still especially heartening to see Harley open to her emotions again after a period of mourning the loss of her mother and after Ivy seemingly broke things off with her. Both Harley and Booster deserve happiness, and it's good that they found it in each other.