History WesternAnimation / BatmanAndHarleyQuinn

* WouldHitAGirl: Batman and Nightwing give Harley and Ivy some pretty good beatings. Of course, both females fight back just as hard and the latter is a straight-up villainess.

* TheGhost: A conversation between Batman and Sarge Steel confirms the existence of ComicBook/LadyShiva and a later one between Bats and ComicBook/BoosterGold similarly reveals the existence of Bloodwynd, Black Condor, and Triumph. The Superbabes scene also suggests the existence of ComicBook/{{Starfire}} and ComicBook/PowerGirl.

* ContinuitySnarl: When exactly the film is set in uncertain. In particular, there some evidence to suggest it takes place ''before'' the [[spoiler:Tim Drake incident in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker]]. The problem being: if that's the case, it would mean Harley [[spoiler:redeemed herself, and got the life she had always wanted, only to throw it all away and go back to being a villain just a few years later.]] For obvious reasons, this makes little sense.[[note]]Tie-in comics to the DCAU, and especially to ''Batman Beyond'', attempt to suggest what is depicted in ''Return of the Joker'' to be a timeline that's been averted, and now alternate timelines and futures have replaced them, as depicted in later "Beyond" and DCAU comics.[[/note]]

* BrokenAesop: A frequent complaint about the film is that while it's supposed to be about Harley's redemption and we're meant to see her as a tragic figure, most of the humor is derived from her being an immature {{Jerkass}}, which is the very thing she's trying to overcome.

* ArtStyleDissonance: The art style is similar to that of ''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries The New Batman Adventures]]'', but the movie is much more sillier and raunchier than any previous episode of ''Batman The Animated Series'' or ''The New Batman Adventures'', including how characters like Batman or Nightwing are portrayed.

* ContinuityCavalcade: The roadhouse contains numerous villain henchmen and associates who have appeared throughout ''Batman The Animated Series'' and ''The New Batman Adventures''.
* ContinuitySnarl: When exactly the film is set in uncertain. In particular, there some evidence to suggest it takes place ''before'' the [[spoiler:Tim Drake incident in ''WesternAnimation/ReturnOfTheJoker]]. The problem being: if that's the case, it would mean Harley [[spoiler:redeemed herself, and got the life she had always wanted, only to throw it all away and go back to being a villain just a few years later.]] For obvious reasons, this makes little sense.[[note]]Tie-in comics to the DCAU, and especially to "Batman Beyond," attempt to suggest what is depicted in "Return of the Joker" to be a timeline that's been averted, and now alternate timelines and futures have replaced them, as depicted in later "Beyond" and DCAU comics.[[/note]]

* DenserAndWackier: The movie leans much more toward comedy and is much raunchier than any previous DCAUO film, or even any episode of ''Batman The Animated Series'' or ''The New Batman Adventures''.

* ForgottenPhlebotinum: Batman and his crew can't stop [[HealingFactor Jason because he keeps regenerating from his wounds]]? [[MundaneSolution How about weed killer?]] It worked great in ''[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE29EternalYouth Eternal Youth]]'' and ''[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/TheAdventuresOfBatmanAndRobinE5HouseAndGarden House and Garden]]'' and somehow, Batman never thought of using it in this episode.

-->'''Man:''' Haven't seen her.
-->'''Bum:''' Would have liked to!
-->'''Landlord:''' Dame owes me three weeks back rent! If you find her, you tell her she can eat my sh--
-->'''Old man:''' Sheee had... the cutest smile.

** Early on Harley keeps referring to Nightwing as "Nightwig" mostly because she remembers the fact that he used to have a mullet.

* NiceMeanAndInbetween: Batman is the nice (although he's not quite as [[AllLovingHero compassonate]] as in the Animated Series). Harley is the mean, being [[{{Jerkass}} completely obnoxious]] for most the the film (although she turns out to have a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold nice streak]] after all). And Nightwing is the In-between (he's far nicer than Harley, but not quite TheParagon Batman is.)

** Harley's song in the henchmen bar is her cover of Music/{{Blondie}}'s "Hanging on the Telephone".

** Likewise, Batman's attitude towards Harley is pretty much the opposite of the kindness and understanding he showed her during the BTAS episode ''Harley's Holiday'', even as she's been nothing but helpful to him.

* DenserAndWackier: The movie leans much more toward comedy and being much raunchier than any previous DCAUO film, or even any episode of ''Batman The Animated Series'' or ''The New Batman Adventures''.

A movie in the WesternAnimation/DCUniverseAnimatedOriginalMovies line, ''Batman and Harley Quinn'' is an original story created by Creator/BruceTimm. It's about ComicBook/HarleyQuinn teaming up with Franchise/{{Batman}} against ComicBook/PoisonIvy and Jason Woodrue. It stars Creator/KevinConroy as Batman, Creator/LorenLester as Nightwing, Creator/MelissaRauch as Harley Quinn, Creator/PagetBrewster as Poison Ivy, and Creator/KevinMichaelRichardson as Jason Woodrue. It uses a similar animation style to''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries The New Batman Adventures]].''

* ArtStyleDissonance: The art style is similar to that of ''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries The New Batman Adventures]]'', but the movie is much more sillier and raunchier than any previous episode of ''Batman The Animated Series'' or ''The New Batman Adventures'',, including how characters like Batman or Nightwing are portrayed.
* BadGuyBar: Halfway between Gotham and Bludhaven is a dive bar where supervillains' henchmen can unwind and dance the night away.
** One of the henchmen even sends Bats one of his favorite drink: milk.

** CallBack: Circe wanting Batman to do something for her, in the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' episode [[Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS1E5ThisLittlePiggy This Little Piggy]].

* BlackComedyRape: Played with. While Nightwing DOES eventually consent to Harley's sexual advances after some initial attempts to say no, the fact that he's tied to her bed BDSM style, and his sheepish guilt afterwards suggest he may have felt he didn't have much of a choice. Then again, when Batman finds him and Harley together they're in the middle of a joyful friendly tickle fight, so his sheepish guilt could also just be because he knows Batman [[SherlockScan took one look at the room and knew]]. Also skirts the [[DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale Rape Double Standard]], as if the roles were reversed Nightwing would straight up come off as a villain.

** Many of the henchmen and henchwomen featured back in ''B:TAS'' or the Adam West show makes a reappearance at the [[BadGuyBar roadhouse]] (see MythologyGag below for complete list).
** [[spoiler:Swamp-Thing]]'s appearance in the film is nothing but an anticlimactic cameo.

** When the henchman is dancing behind Batman in the bar, he does the Batsu--Batman's dance from the 1966 adaptation of Batman.

** When the henchman is dancing behind Batman in the bar, he does Batman's dance from the 1966 adaptation of Batman.

* AlternateContinuity: Co-writer Jim Krieg has stated the film is DCAU adjacent, taking place in a parallel universe to B:TAS because everything is sillier. The film's composers have also mentioned it takes place in a "similar" universe to B:TAS. Bruce Timm had said he's not in control of what's in continuity and that this movie could just be head-canon, but he personally somewhat viewed it as a continuation.

A movie in the WesternAnimation/DCUniverseAnimatedOriginalMovies line, ''Batman and Harley Quinn'' is an original story created by Creator/BruceTimm. It's about ComicBook/HarleyQuinn teaming up with Franchise/{{Batman}} against ComicBook/PoisonIvy and Jason Woodrue. It stars Creator/KevinConroy as Batman, Creator/LorenLester as Nightwing, Creator/MelissaRauch as Harley Quinn, Creator/PagetBrewster as Poison Ivy, and Creator/KevinMichaelRichardson as Jason Woodrue. It uses the same animation style as ''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries The New Batman Adventures]]'', and Bruce Timm treated this story as part of the Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse continuity.

* AlternateContinuity: Averted, in this case. Bruce Timm had previously gone on record prior to its release to declare that this movie is part of the DCAU continuity, (albeit with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn3yml1__Pk minor continuity issues]]). With the art style heavily leaning towards that of ''The New Batman Adventures'' and all the cameos that showed up in the villains' club scene, it is clear that he does intend this to be part of the DCAU.

* ArtStyleDissonance: The art style is similar to that of ''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries The New Batman Adventures]]'', but this movie is adult-oriented, as opposed to the family-oriented DCAU TV shows.

* BackportedDevelopment: As ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited'' drew to a close, so did ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis''. However, this film sees the DCAU introduction of A.R.G.U.S., a government agency that first appeared in the ComicBook/New52.

* TheBusCameBack: Harley, Nightwing and any other Batman character besides Batman himself returns to the DC Animated Universe following the lift of the "Bat-Embargo" that was active during the period of the last [=DCAU=] property ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited''. In fact the [=DCAU=] itself qualifies after being inactive for a long period of absence.

** Nearly every named or recognizable henchmen and henchwomen who were featured back in ''B:TAS'' makes a reappearance at the [[BadGuyBar roadhouse]] (see MythologyGag below for complete list).

* TheGhost: A conversation between Batman and Sarge Steel confirms the existence of ComicBook/LadyShiva in the DCAU and a later one between Bats and ComicBook/BoosterGold similarly reveals the existence of Bloodwynd, Black Condor, and Triumph. The Superbabes scene also suggests the existence of ComicBook/{{Starfire}} and -- despite Galatea being an expy of her -- ComicBook/PowerGirl.