For nearly three decades now, Harley Quinn has remained the most popular supervillain sidekick of all time. This has been the case so much so that her popularity has skyrocketed her into becoming her own character set apart from her once-beloved Mr. J.
In her place, DC has recently decided to give the Joker a new sidekick. Aptly named Punchline, this new female villain is much like Harley in some ways but is also vastly different in many others. Here are ten ways that Joker's new girlfriend, Punchline, is the complete opposite of Harley Quinn.
10 Not A Fangirl
Harley Quinn is often depicted as being totally obsessed with the Joker. She couldn't be any more of a fangirl for the psychopathic supervillain character. Ever since their first meeting when Mr. J began playing mind games with Harley, she took the bait completely and really didn't have much agency of her own till much later.
Punchline couldn't seem less like Harley in this way. She's not a fangirl. Punchline doesn't seem to be totally obsessed with the Joker and pleasing his needs at all times. Instead, she's more subtly attracted and intrigued.
9 A Partner
Back in the days when Harley Quinn was working for the Joker, she was never really his partner. It was more like she was his top henchmen. That couldn't be less the case for Punchline.
Punchline considers herself to be something of an equal to the Joker. While it's very unlikely that Mr. J feels the same way, he most likely does respect her viciousness and likely treats her psychotic tendencies as something close to on par with his own.
8 Color Scheme
The classic red and black color scheme of Harley is all but gone when it comes to Joker's new girlfriend's design. Punchline seems to prefer the darker colors of black and purple. These shades certainly seem to better match her demeanor as opposed to Harley's.
Another important fact to point out is that Harley's red and black outfit never really matched with Joker's purple suits. On the other hand, Punchile matches her psychopathic boyfriend quite nicely.
7 Not As Many Smiles
One way that Joker and Harley Quinn matched up quite nicely was their ear-to-ear grins. Loving every second that she spent with her Mr. J, Harley would often to her best to mimic his impressively large grin.
Punchline, on the other hand, is much more subdued as opposed to the famous Batman archnemesis. She does have the slight curve of a smile on her lips from time to time, but it seems as though it is a very rare occasion to every catch Punchline laughing maniacally like these other two clown characters are quite used to doing.
6 The Devil
Writer James Tynion IV described Punchline as the "devil" on Joker's shoulder as opposed to Harley Quinn, who is more of a "twisted Angel." This juxtaposition between the two actually works quite nicely.
It truly shows how Punchline and Harley Quinn, while they are at different points filling the exact same role, could not be more different. Often times it seemed as though Harley wasn't really helping the Joker be any more sadistic than he already was. Punchline might actually have a more evil influence on someone who is already one of the evilest characters of all time.
5 Silent
Talking is perhaps what Harley Quinn is best at. She can talk all night long, throughout long fights, and even when she's by herself. It's almost impossible to get this sometimes hero (sometimes villain) character to shut up.
Punchline prefers to be more reserved than that. If Punchline wants to tell you something, she's not going to do so with words. Rather, she'll do so with the deadly knives that the new Joker sidekick has at her disposal.
4 Sadistic
While she definitely did plenty of bad deeds in her own time, Harley was never truly sadistic. She simply wanted the Joker's approval and was willing to gain that approval no matter what she had to do. Once that need was gone, Harley became somewhat of a hero.
Punchline is a sadistic, ruthless killer and would/will be sadistic whether she's alongside the Joker or not. This new character seems to love inflicting pain on others. That's what's drawn her to the Joker.
3 Knife vs. Hammer
The oversized hammer is Harley Quinn's preferred weapon of choice. Its ridiculous size fits in with her harlequin theme quite nicely. Since she isn't exactly the strongest supervillain character in the world, this massive hammer helps her pack more of a punch than she otherwise would have.
Going in the completely opposite direction, Punchline prefers to use two small knives as her preferred weapons of choice. This fits in with her more murderous and sadistic nature. Harley just wants to beat her opponents, while Punchline would prefer to watch them suffer.
2 Loyal to Joker
When Harley Quinn finally woke up and realized what's good for her, she betrayed and left her former lover. In the end, they were never actually, truly compatible with one another. Although it is still very early in Punchline and Joker's relationship, that doesn't appear to be the case with these two.
Given that they both want to inflict pain on others, it seems as though Joker and Punchline will stay together through thick and thin. We're eager to wait and see if that is going to be the case.
1 Bad To The Bone
Deep within herself, Harleen Quinzel was always a good person. Back when she first met the Joker Harleen was a psychiatrist who simply wanted to do the right thing. Eventually, after she left the Joker, she began trying to do the right thing.
There appear to be absolutely zero redeemable qualities in Punchline. She's just an insane murderer like her new boyfriend.