Death and Romance: is the
Joker really "always" trying to kill Harley?
Yet another fun little example of those who are anti the JokerxHarley ship twisting canon and ignoring context to suit their belief Joker and Harley should not be together is the claim that Joker is "always" trying to kill Harley.
The way they describe it, every interaction Joker and Harley have is marked by Joker chasing Harley with a gun or throwing her out a plane door or stabbing at her with a knife, and so on and so forth.
Conveniently, Joker's possible motivations and other actions surrounding the few times he has tried to kill her, are cheerfully ignored. The act exists in a vacuum where it simply becomes Bogeyman Joker trying to kill Harley because he's simply Bad.
Sigh. It's not only inaccurate, it's just so much more boring than what's actually going on in canon.
So. I'd like to do a little run-down of the actual times Joker has determinedly tried to kill Harley.
#1: Gotham Adventures #10: Mightier Than The Sword
In this story, Harley has been released from Arkham and is purpotedly going to write a tell-all book about hers and Joker's relationship. Furious, Joker breaks out of Arkham declaring his intention to kill her. He tracks her down and does, indeed, make the attempt eventually with a typewriter in a fit of rage after discovering she's actually writing a romance book between Punchinello and Owlman.
It's important to note with this example that Joker is acting in absolute fury here, mad, blind, humiliated and insulted rage. Yet despite these most unbearable of emotions to him, he finds time to engage in a little banter with Harley, to behave in a familiar and comfortable fashion with her. When he first finds her, the way he speaks to her is more playfully scolding than hate-filled - there's a sense that his perception of the situation is she's been naughty and he's disciplining her. He even stops to share a joke with her, clearly still feeling a sense of camaraderie with her.
Later, his efforts to kill her are halted by an attack of the itches courtesy of Poison Ivy, and as though nothing has happened he interacts normally with Harley even as she begins to beat him up, taking her efforts to kill him in stride, as though he thinks this behaviour is normal - which he most likely does.
Overall, about this attempt there's this sense if the itches hadn't stopped it, something else would've, like them simply coming to a resolution after he'd finished venting his spleen. Not to say he wasn't genuinely intending to kill her, but the ongoing feeling of being always able to start again and forget the past is present here, especially with the altogether affectionate way he continues to speak to her, the amount of attention he pays to her and the familiarity of the way they interact.
And the fact that he pays so much attention to her is significant. He's taking her actions extremely personally and is insulted his girlfriend would betray him like this. It'd be even worth asking Ty Templeton if Harley's authorial intentions were perhaps slightly more calculated than they otherwise seem at first glance, especially considering Ty's the guy who had Harley displaying similar manipulative behaviour in other stories.
Batman #663: The Clown At Midnight
I'm clearly going to have to clarify a few other examples I'm sure people will rush to mention:
- Pushing her out of a window in Mad Love: this was an act of anger. He was not concertedly attempting to kill her, he was lashing out in fury with no regard for consequences. It is very clear from the illustrations that it is the force of his blow that knocks her off balance, sending her flying back across the room and out a window that was unfortunately there. A little to either side and she would've just hit the wall. It's also clear they were some distance from the window. What he was actually doing was hitting her furiously with a fish with no regard for what the outcome of that act may have been. The fall could've killed her, most definitely, but it was not a deliberate attempt at murder.
- Marrying her with the intention of killing her in Batman Adventures #16 (vol 2): First of all, they don't even get past the marriage. Second of all, Harley set the whole situation up (faking a bequest of $50 million to her from a dead relative) knowing he would propose to her with the intention of killing her and hoping learning she did not actually have the money would make him decide not to kill her, meaning they were successfully married. Twisted, yes, but so are they. When he found out this was her plan, he was flattered - found the gesture romantic - instead of angry, and held his arms out for a hug before Batman clocked him. He even stated in the next panel he was a man in love.
- Turning her into a constellation in Emperor Joker: Joker's intention is to destroy the entire universe, killing every living thing in it. When Harley pleads with him for her life, his expression becomes one of absolute fondness and he kisses her before deciding everything she'd done for him was worth more, and turns her into a constellation of stars instead of killing her. He then sits there and lovingly contemplates her, even stating he's given her the best seat in the house for Armageddon - he still sees it as sharing his deeds with her. Harley, here, is distinguished from everyone else.
Finally, it's important to note that I absolutely, point-blank refuse to consider anything that transpired in the Harley Quinn series to be a part of canon. As far as I'm concerned, it all happened in some strange, out-of-character alternate universe. I will not dignify any single part of that series by including it in my discussions of either Harley as a solo character or her relationship with Joker.
Yet another fun little example of those who are anti the JokerxHarley ship twisting canon and ignoring context to suit their belief Joker and Harley should not be together is the claim that Joker is "always" trying to kill Harley.
The way they describe it, every interaction Joker and Harley have is marked by Joker chasing Harley with a gun or throwing her out a plane door or stabbing at her with a knife, and so on and so forth.
Conveniently, Joker's possible motivations and other actions surrounding the few times he has tried to kill her, are cheerfully ignored. The act exists in a vacuum where it simply becomes Bogeyman Joker trying to kill Harley because he's simply Bad.
Sigh. It's not only inaccurate, it's just so much more boring than what's actually going on in canon.
So. I'd like to do a little run-down of the actual times Joker has determinedly tried to kill Harley.
#1: Gotham Adventures #10: Mightier Than The Sword
In this story, Harley has been released from Arkham and is purpotedly going to write a tell-all book about hers and Joker's relationship. Furious, Joker breaks out of Arkham declaring his intention to kill her. He tracks her down and does, indeed, make the attempt eventually with a typewriter in a fit of rage after discovering she's actually writing a romance book between Punchinello and Owlman.
It's important to note with this example that Joker is acting in absolute fury here, mad, blind, humiliated and insulted rage. Yet despite these most unbearable of emotions to him, he finds time to engage in a little banter with Harley, to behave in a familiar and comfortable fashion with her. When he first finds her, the way he speaks to her is more playfully scolding than hate-filled - there's a sense that his perception of the situation is she's been naughty and he's disciplining her. He even stops to share a joke with her, clearly still feeling a sense of camaraderie with her.
Later, his efforts to kill her are halted by an attack of the itches courtesy of Poison Ivy, and as though nothing has happened he interacts normally with Harley even as she begins to beat him up, taking her efforts to kill him in stride, as though he thinks this behaviour is normal - which he most likely does.
Overall, about this attempt there's this sense if the itches hadn't stopped it, something else would've, like them simply coming to a resolution after he'd finished venting his spleen. Not to say he wasn't genuinely intending to kill her, but the ongoing feeling of being always able to start again and forget the past is present here, especially with the altogether affectionate way he continues to speak to her, the amount of attention he pays to her and the familiarity of the way they interact.
And the fact that he pays so much attention to her is significant. He's taking her actions extremely personally and is insulted his girlfriend would betray him like this. It'd be even worth asking Ty Templeton if Harley's authorial intentions were perhaps slightly more calculated than they otherwise seem at first glance, especially considering Ty's the guy who had Harley displaying similar manipulative behaviour in other stories.
Batman #663: The Clown At Midnight
Oooh,
the antis just love citing this one. Not least because it was the
last time they were significantly together in the mainstream. But it's yet
another fine example of the antis failing at reading comprehension.
Grant Morrison is the writer of this one and his view of the Joker is misguided, at best. His perspective is the Joker is constantly evolving into new super-personalities and after a brush with death in an earlier issue, he's preparing to make a new transition. To something more than human. The only problem with that is Harley: he cares about her and this keeps him tied to humanity. His solution? Well, to kill her of course!
This, despite all of Morrison's other failings as a Joker writer, is perfect Joker logic. Something makes you uncomfortable, makes you feel vulnerable, weak, confused? KIll it! Kill it with fire!! Stamp it out of existence!
Put simply: if Joker didn't love Harley, leaving her alive wouldn't be an issue. It'd be meaningless. But he's so determined to be beyond all humanity that he cannot conscience having this weakness of emotion. It's human and he doesn't want to be.
And of course, being Joker and an artist, he goes about it in operatic fashion. All throughout this story there's a recurrent black and red theme building up on itself - Harley's colours. An illustration of a checkerboard, just like her, along with a convoluted plot to have Harley an accomplice to her own murder and Batman at hand to witness. It's all about her and when we're talking sick psychopaths and romantic gesture, what could be a better representation of both?
No, this isn't romance as we'd normally see it, but it is from Joker's perspective. And utterly fitting to the vulnerability she makes him feel - he would resent that deeply.
FINALLY, of note about this attempt - he changes his mind. She pleads with him and gets through to him. He can't go through with it. Ultimately, even though this story is about Joker trying to transition into a new level of existence, he can't let go of her. That humanity does win out. The compromise is she has to let him scar her so she suits him and his new being better, and she consents to this. Naturally, Batman puts a halt to this and, in typical fashion, Harley gets her own back at Mistah J by shooting him through the shoulder. Again, the antis love to cite that part, detaching it from her motivation, which was fury and hurt that he keeps ignoring her. Not hatred, not a break-up, not an end to them - but a plea - I love you, stop ignoring me. Fact is, this book ends with them both still very much in love with each other (remembering always this emotion is a different experience for Joker than for most of us) and with the ongoing open-endedness of their relationship.
Batman: Harley Quinn
Rouding up the grand total of three attempts Joker has concertedly made to kill Harley, there's this example in Harley's debut to mainstream story. Another one those against the ship are fond of citing whilst completely detaching from context.
In this example, it is Joker himself who tells Harley he has to do away with her because he cares about her. When she is being blasted away in a rocket ship and he thinks she is going to become an ex-harlequin, he admits to his feelings.
I know people will argue he was just lying, but really WHY, when he believes she is truly about to do, does he need to? If he really was just the heartless abuser everyone likes to paint him as, why not take great delight in saying "I've never loved you, I think you're pathetic, good riddance"?? REALLY torture her before she dies? No, instead he says "farewell, my sweet Harley Quinn, I will mourn you", followed by a psychotic peal of laughter. Of course he laughs - the whole thing would strike him as some horrible, glorious joke - look, I'm feeling something for someone, let's destroy it with fire, how romantic! It would've been out of character for him not to laugh, but that laughter does not belie the honesty of his words, rather this being Joker, it reinforces them.
Furthermore, his behaviour afterwards indicates well-concealed distress as he calls for he and his henches to get drunk and talk about women. He even seems a little maudlin and pensive as he contemplates the eternal mystery of dames. And when Harley shows up - very much not dead - and makes her own efforts to destroy him, afterwards it's all taken in stride and once more they can start all over again. He is not dismayed she is not dead and cheerfully resumes the relationship where they left off.
It is worthwhile noting that in all three of these examples Harley retaliates. This is the nature of this relationship - a very twisted give and take. She can, will and does give as good as she gets and he accepts this as a natural response to his own efforts.
And, when it's all over, things carry on between them as they always have.
Honourable Mentions
Grant Morrison is the writer of this one and his view of the Joker is misguided, at best. His perspective is the Joker is constantly evolving into new super-personalities and after a brush with death in an earlier issue, he's preparing to make a new transition. To something more than human. The only problem with that is Harley: he cares about her and this keeps him tied to humanity. His solution? Well, to kill her of course!
This, despite all of Morrison's other failings as a Joker writer, is perfect Joker logic. Something makes you uncomfortable, makes you feel vulnerable, weak, confused? KIll it! Kill it with fire!! Stamp it out of existence!
Put simply: if Joker didn't love Harley, leaving her alive wouldn't be an issue. It'd be meaningless. But he's so determined to be beyond all humanity that he cannot conscience having this weakness of emotion. It's human and he doesn't want to be.
And of course, being Joker and an artist, he goes about it in operatic fashion. All throughout this story there's a recurrent black and red theme building up on itself - Harley's colours. An illustration of a checkerboard, just like her, along with a convoluted plot to have Harley an accomplice to her own murder and Batman at hand to witness. It's all about her and when we're talking sick psychopaths and romantic gesture, what could be a better representation of both?
No, this isn't romance as we'd normally see it, but it is from Joker's perspective. And utterly fitting to the vulnerability she makes him feel - he would resent that deeply.
FINALLY, of note about this attempt - he changes his mind. She pleads with him and gets through to him. He can't go through with it. Ultimately, even though this story is about Joker trying to transition into a new level of existence, he can't let go of her. That humanity does win out. The compromise is she has to let him scar her so she suits him and his new being better, and she consents to this. Naturally, Batman puts a halt to this and, in typical fashion, Harley gets her own back at Mistah J by shooting him through the shoulder. Again, the antis love to cite that part, detaching it from her motivation, which was fury and hurt that he keeps ignoring her. Not hatred, not a break-up, not an end to them - but a plea - I love you, stop ignoring me. Fact is, this book ends with them both still very much in love with each other (remembering always this emotion is a different experience for Joker than for most of us) and with the ongoing open-endedness of their relationship.
Batman: Harley Quinn
Rouding up the grand total of three attempts Joker has concertedly made to kill Harley, there's this example in Harley's debut to mainstream story. Another one those against the ship are fond of citing whilst completely detaching from context.
In this example, it is Joker himself who tells Harley he has to do away with her because he cares about her. When she is being blasted away in a rocket ship and he thinks she is going to become an ex-harlequin, he admits to his feelings.
I know people will argue he was just lying, but really WHY, when he believes she is truly about to do, does he need to? If he really was just the heartless abuser everyone likes to paint him as, why not take great delight in saying "I've never loved you, I think you're pathetic, good riddance"?? REALLY torture her before she dies? No, instead he says "farewell, my sweet Harley Quinn, I will mourn you", followed by a psychotic peal of laughter. Of course he laughs - the whole thing would strike him as some horrible, glorious joke - look, I'm feeling something for someone, let's destroy it with fire, how romantic! It would've been out of character for him not to laugh, but that laughter does not belie the honesty of his words, rather this being Joker, it reinforces them.
Furthermore, his behaviour afterwards indicates well-concealed distress as he calls for he and his henches to get drunk and talk about women. He even seems a little maudlin and pensive as he contemplates the eternal mystery of dames. And when Harley shows up - very much not dead - and makes her own efforts to destroy him, afterwards it's all taken in stride and once more they can start all over again. He is not dismayed she is not dead and cheerfully resumes the relationship where they left off.
It is worthwhile noting that in all three of these examples Harley retaliates. This is the nature of this relationship - a very twisted give and take. She can, will and does give as good as she gets and he accepts this as a natural response to his own efforts.
And, when it's all over, things carry on between them as they always have.
Honourable Mentions
I'm clearly going to have to clarify a few other examples I'm sure people will rush to mention:
- Pushing her out of a window in Mad Love: this was an act of anger. He was not concertedly attempting to kill her, he was lashing out in fury with no regard for consequences. It is very clear from the illustrations that it is the force of his blow that knocks her off balance, sending her flying back across the room and out a window that was unfortunately there. A little to either side and she would've just hit the wall. It's also clear they were some distance from the window. What he was actually doing was hitting her furiously with a fish with no regard for what the outcome of that act may have been. The fall could've killed her, most definitely, but it was not a deliberate attempt at murder.
- Marrying her with the intention of killing her in Batman Adventures #16 (vol 2): First of all, they don't even get past the marriage. Second of all, Harley set the whole situation up (faking a bequest of $50 million to her from a dead relative) knowing he would propose to her with the intention of killing her and hoping learning she did not actually have the money would make him decide not to kill her, meaning they were successfully married. Twisted, yes, but so are they. When he found out this was her plan, he was flattered - found the gesture romantic - instead of angry, and held his arms out for a hug before Batman clocked him. He even stated in the next panel he was a man in love.
- Turning her into a constellation in Emperor Joker: Joker's intention is to destroy the entire universe, killing every living thing in it. When Harley pleads with him for her life, his expression becomes one of absolute fondness and he kisses her before deciding everything she'd done for him was worth more, and turns her into a constellation of stars instead of killing her. He then sits there and lovingly contemplates her, even stating he's given her the best seat in the house for Armageddon - he still sees it as sharing his deeds with her. Harley, here, is distinguished from everyone else.
Finally, it's important to note that I absolutely, point-blank refuse to consider anything that transpired in the Harley Quinn series to be a part of canon. As far as I'm concerned, it all happened in some strange, out-of-character alternate universe. I will not dignify any single part of that series by including it in my discussions of either Harley as a solo character or her relationship with Joker.