PART SIX: TWISTED DOMESTICITY

The Batman Adventures #16 (vol 2) – "The Bride of The Joker"

This incredibly cute and twisted issue of the second volume of the Batman Adventures REALLY took this relationship to a different place.
Basically, Harley has deceived Joker into believing she’s inheriting a fortune so that he will propose to her and she can finally fulfill her dream of being married to him. He, of course, is planning to kill her after the wedding. Poison Ivy is furious and determined to stop it at all costs.
One of the most interesting things about this issue is Harley’s blatant manipulation of Joker. She is very much aware that he’s not going to propose to her unless she provides him with some sort of serious incentive to make things official – since she’s devoted to him anyway, there’s no need for him to provide that sort of commitment, which he would resist anyway. She’s also aware that he’ll kill her – and hopes that when she tells him she has no money, that he’ll let her live and she’ll have fulfilled her wish of being married to him. Twisted, insane, completely nonsensical and totally Harley. These are not the actions of a helpless victim.
Joker, meanwhile, when he finds out about Harley’s deception – at first is distraught she’d so such a thing on their wedding night, but then is thrilled. Flattered. Delighted. He finds it romantic. You’d go to that level of sneakery – just to marry me? Wow! In fact, instead of getting mad at her, he delightedly invites her into his arms. Again it’s very clearly illustrated that violence, manipulation, even death, play a large part in this relationship and how it (dys)functions – to them it’s an expression of affection and love, particularly Joker.
As in the proposal scene, Harley’s very assertive – she wants a ring. She’s no floozy, and after ‘all these years’, he’d better have one. He doesn’t of course, but he improvises with a grenade ring. And Harley thinks it’s romantic. She sighs and swoons and couldn’t look happier.
I also love their little kiss there. Waw.
After Batman clocks Joker, he says crossly to the Dark Knight ‘you hit a man when he’s in love?’ Hrm. That’s a pretty to-the-point comment to make. There’s really not a lot of room to reinterpret that, he’s pretty much stated quite frankly how he feels about his girl.
The interaction with Poison Ivy is interesting too. She calls Harley a meat-bag and Harley responds that when Joker calls her that, he says it’s nice (with Joker looking oh-so-smug) – again this emphasizes the D/s kinky aspects of their relationship – Harley perceives the affection in the verbal abuse from Joker. And, not surprisingly, Ivy crashing the wedding before it can take place is the only thing that can end the friendship. There’s one thing that crosses the line for Harley and that’s interfering in her relationship with Joker. But I won’t talk too much about that part, cos it makes me sad.
There’s also the continued Daddy/girl dynamic with Joker referring to himself as ‘Daddy’ and to Harley as ‘kiddo’. I’ve always liked he seems so much older than her and really regards her as something of a pet. The only bit that throws me is when he says ‘come to Papa, Puddin’’ – the ‘Papa’ (it’s cute, but I prefer ‘Daddy’!) bit, and calling Harley ‘Puddin’’, when the ‘Pooh’ nickname has already been established. But I also think perhaps this was Ty Templeton’s way of underscoring how much of a duo they have become by this point, that there’s a certain level of ‘mirroring’ there.

 
JLA Unlimited #41 – "The Anniversary Party"

While Joker and Harley are a team in this, they only appear together on a few pages. Nonetheless, their relationship – and teamwork - drives this issue.
It opens with a very domestic setting (in a twisted way) of Joker and Harley at home with their pets. She’s trying to cheer her man up, who is sulking that Batman’s forgotten their anniversary. It’s lovely and comfortable and silly and fun and they have such a good understanding of each other. It’s still got that completely bent, twisted feel to it as well.
Once they land on the space station they go their separate ways to cause mischief (and much mischief is caused!). Cutely, Mistah J needs Harley to witness his joke and goes off in search of her. When they find each other he irritably asks her where she’s been and she answers, equally irritably, that she has a headache. When he reveals that a ‘dame in fishnets’ has been chasing him, she reacts with furious jealousy. She’s no longer the meek little doormat – not by a longshot.
Then, when they’re caught the sort of complacent, philosophical approach they both take to it is just darling. This is all par for the course, a regular part of their lives, a way they have of teaming up together and having fun. They’re so comfortable with each other and they play off each other too, when they share scenes and all of it is so cute and comfortable and natural – this story is not a big or indepth story, but I think the simpatico they have here is well worth mentioning.


Return of the Joker

I was kind of unsure where to place this one at first – in terms of when it was actually released, it was in 2000, before the above two stories, and some of the stuff in part six, had been released and I believe what we see in this film actually influenced the depiction of the relationship in these other stories. But, in terms of the canon timeline, it’s the final story in their relationship so I will put it here. It takes place at an unspecified point in the future.
Of course, Joker & Harley together is only the one scene - a flashback – in this film. What struck me most about this scene is how far Harley has come. She’s gone. The Harley of this scene is beyond rehabilitation – she’s dark, twisted and nasty. There’s perhaps an edge of her old innocence – she’ll never really lose it, a part of her truly believe everything they do is just in fun – but what she aids and abets Joker in doing in this film is quite heinous. In fact, her innocence is all the more creepy for the perverse things she has been party to in this. At this point, I believe that the only thing that could possibly redeem Harley is Joker’s death – which happens, incidentally.
But onto the relationship and even though the set-up of happy family is a performance for Batman, there is true engagement there between them. The fact is, without Harley, Joker would never have been able to set up the gag of happy family – and the fact she’s there probably gave him the idea to begin with. By this point, the relationship is so established it’s second-nature to both of them and they’re in complete simpatico with each other, keeping their comedic routine going beautifully. They play off each other perfectly and you can almost feel them wanting to wink at each other.
I’m honestly not sure how deliberate it was on the part of the animators/story-boarders, but one aspect I love is the way Joker is gripping Harley’s hand, who is simply allowing him to clutch it hard and tight – in such a way she can’t even fold her fingers over his hand. Intentional or not, it’s a beautiful representation of the D/s in their relationship, so if it was completely accidental, it just happens to be a lovely coincidence. The rest of their body language is very close and very intimate. They’re presenting an absolutely united front.
And when Harley shoots the bazooka, the way he looks at her is with absolute love, pure and simple. He’s proud of her, proud of what’s created and proud of her commitment to his schemes and ethos, proud that she acts now without his prompting.

The look they exchange there is the final word in how far this relationship has come over the years.