History ComicBook / Harleen

** Ivy asks if Harleen is attracted to her during one of their later interviews. While the reader knows Harley will eventually fall in love with Ivy, this is years early for that so Harleen doesn't reply and leaves the room in a flustered state. The variant cover of the third issue also does this.
** Depicting the characters as playing cards, it has Joker as (well) a Joker but Harley and Ivy are both Queens, a small nod towards the far healthier relationship the two women will build in the years to come.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:Batman was intrigued by the possibilities of Dr. Quinzel's hypothesis and so had his Wayne Foundation support her research, which brought her to work in Arkham.]] In the aftermath, Batman realizes the role he played for what happened to her.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:Batman was intrigued by the possibilities of Dr. Quinzel's hypothesis and so had his Wayne Foundation support her research, which brought her to work in Arkham.]] In the aftermath, Batman realizes the responsibility he bears for what happened to her.

* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Averted. Harley has a number of thin scars on her face.

* RealityEnsues: A career in violence while also in a violent relationship will leave permanent physical marks (like scarring).

** Ivy asks if Harleen is attracted to her during one of their later interview. While the reader knows Harley will eventually fall in love with Ivy, this is years early for that so Harleen doesn't reply and leaves the room in a flustered state. The variant cover of the third issue also does this.

** Ivy asks if Harleen is attracted to her during their second interview. While the reader knows Harley will eventually fall in love with Ivy, this is years early for that so ''Harleen'' doesn't reply and leaves the room in a flustered state. The variant cover of the third issue also does this.

* PoisonousFriend: This starts low-grade with Shondra, Harleen's best friend who has a more cynical outlook. She tries to convince Harleen that to get grants, the first thing to establish is how her research will make her corporate sponsors tons of money. Then there's obviously the Joker, taking the trope UpToEleven. The one who won't fit here (if the series goes on long enough) will be literal PoisonousPerson Poison Ivy.

* CallForward: This takes place about five or more years since the events in ''Harleen'' (which concluded at, "Four years later...").

A follow-up to the series, "Red", by Šejić, was released in June 2020 in the first issue of the digital comic, ''Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red''.

!!''Red'' provides examples of:

* TheCon: [[spoiler:The investigation Bruce launches into the mass breakout brings this to light. It turns out that Joker got his hands on Harleen's research and used it to set himself up as the perfect patient for her theories. Falling in love with him and becomes his side kick was an unexpected bonus, but all of it was just him playing Harley to get himself set free.]]

** Ivy asks if Harleen is attracted to her during their second interview. While the reader knows Harley will eventually fall in love with Ivy, this is years early for that so ''Harleen'' doesn't reply and leaves the room in a flustered state. The variant cover of issue 3 also does this

See the book's very own trailer [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUMZXKcHNX8 here]]

* BigDamnHeroes: During the mass Breakout of Arkham, Ivy saves Harleen from Killer Croc before escaping.

* TheCon: [[spoiler:The investigation Bruce launches into the mass breakout at the end of issue 3 brings this to light. It turns out that Joker got his hands on Harleen's research and used it to set himself up as the perfect patient for her theories. Falling in love with him and becomes his side kick was an unexpected bonus, but all of it was just him playing Harley to get himself set free.]]

->''"There's a small, lucid part of me that wants to wake up. The dream has lasted quite a while. A long time in the dark. I mean, even the darkest night must end...Right?"''

* {{Irony}}: Quinzel's hypothesis which brought her to Arkham for research, becomes proven accurate... on ''herself''.

* RealityEnsues: A career in violence while also in a violent relationship will leave permanent physical marks.

* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Averted. Harley has a number of thin scars or scratches on her face.

** Now, [[spoiler:she and Poison Ivy have become romantic partners]], though importantly in-story, that's not become known to anybody else yet.

** Now, [[spoiler:she and Poison Ivy have become romantic partners]].
* ColorMotif: As the title of the story and of the comic advertise, in this black & white comic the only color is red. And as narrated by Harley herself, red is the in-story motif and metaphor of herself, her fall, her criminal career, her relationship(s), and -- specifically today -- her pet name for Ivy, of course.

** In Issue 3 we get a look at Bruce Wayne in the Bat Cave where many of the trophies from Batman's famous fights from all mediums are prominently on display, including the iconic T-Rex and Giant Penny.

** Every appearance of Batman displays [[Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice glowing eye lenses]] in his cowl.

* VillainOfAnotherStory: In the first issue, Harleen comes into contact with Prof. Hugo Strange, Mr. Zsasz, Poison Ivy, the Riddler, Killer Croc, the Mad Hatter, Harvey Dent, and the Joker. Strange is currently Arkham's chief, and all the others but the last two merely serve as interview partners, giving a one-panel insight into their world view. Dent (who is still a few months away from becoming Two-Face) tries to get Harleen to abandon her work, and only the Joker has a major villainous role. The Penguin and Mr. Freeze then appear in the next issue.

* BrokenBird: Quinzel's story here is less that of mad love and obsession corrupting her into madness as commonly believed of Harley Quinn (although that remains part of it), but of professional promise and idealism gradually broken away by circumstances, then coming to a head to [[DespairEventHorizon one traumatic day]] that leaves her a shattered woman embracing madness as comfort and escape.

* VillainOfAnotherStory: In the first issue, Harleen comes into contact with Prof. Hugo Strange, Mr. Zsasz, Poison Ivy, the Riddler, Killer Croc, the Mad Hatter, Harvey Dent, and the Joker. Strange is currently Arkham's chief, and all the others but the last two merely serve as interview partners, giving a one-panel insight into their world view. Dent (who is still a few months away from becoming Two-Face) tries to get Harleen to abandon her work, and only the Joker has a major villainous role.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Ivy asks if Harleen is attracted to her during their second interview. While the reader knows Harley will eventually fall in love with Ivy, this is years early for that so ''Harleen'' doesn't reply and leaves the room in a flustered state. The variant cover of issue 3 also does this

* VillainOfAnotherStory: In the first issue, Harleen comes into contact with Prof. Hugo Strange, Mr. Zsasz, Poison Ivy, the Riddler, Killer Croc, the Mad Hatter, Harvey Dent, and the Joker. Strange is currently Arkham's chief, and all but the last two of them merely serve as interview partners, giving a one-panel insight into their world view. Dent (who is still a few months away from becoming Two-Face) tries to get Harleen to abandon her work, and only the Joker has a major villainous role.

* {{Irony}}: Quinzel's hypothesis that she came to Arkham to research becomes proven accurate... on ''herself''.

** A tray of take-out coffees has cups labeled "[[Creator/BruceTimm Timm]]" and "[[Creator/PaulDini Dini]]" along with "Dr Quinzel".

* VillainOfAnotherStory: In the first issue, Harleen comes into contact with Mr. Zsasz, the Riddler, Killer Croc, the Mad Hatter, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Harvey Dent, and the Joker. All but the last two of them merely serve as interview partners, giving a one-panel insight into their world view. Dent (who is still a few months away from becoming Two-Face) tries to get Harleen to abandon her work, and only the Joker has a major villainous role.

* BrokenBird: Harleen's story here is less a story of mad love and obsession corrupting her into madness as commonly believed of Harley Quinn (although that remains part of it), but of professional promise and idealism gradually broken away by circumstances, then coming to a head to [[DespairEventHorizon one traumatic day]] that leaves her a shattered woman embracing madness as comfort and escape.

* MythologyGag: Harleen sleeping with her professor earned jokes about how he "rode his Harley." Which itself is a reference to an infamous GettingCrapPastTheRadar joke from the Harley Quinn OriginsEpisode from ''ComicBook/TheBatmanAdventures'' adapted to the episode "[[Recap/TheNewBatmanAdventuresE21MadLove Mad Love]]" from ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''.

* VillainOfAnotherStory: In the first issue, Harleen comes into contact with Mr. Zsasz, Poison Ivy, the Riddler, Killer Croc, the Mad Hatter, Harvey Dent and the Joker. All but the last two of them merely serve as interview partners, giving a one-panel insight into their world view. Dent (who is still a few months away from becoming Two-Face) tries to get Harleen to abandon her work, and only the Joker has a major villainous role.

* BrokenBird: Harleen's story here is less a story of mad love and obsession corrupting her into madness as commonly believed of Harley Quinn, but of professional promise and idealism gradually broken away by circumstances, then coming to a head to [[DespairEventHorizon one traumatic day]] that leaves her a shattered woman embracing madness as comfort and escape.