Comic Couples We Love: The Gorgeous Growth Of Harley & Ivy

Love is still in the air for the penultimate entry for Comic Couples We Love, a special feature of romance. Continuing the spotlight we’ve putting on some of our favorite comic couples and the issues featuring them.

Heroes aren’t the only ones that need love. Even those wadding around the waters of villainy or at least anti-hero-ness need the care and affection of others. We’re not talking about those truly toxic beings who don’t deserve any sort of relationship. Red flag filled relationships the powers that be try to spin as “romantic” or worth following.

No, today, we turn our attention to the beauty that is Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn.

Both are familiar with being on the opposite side of the law. Abused and gaslit by the vile men tied to their origins. Foils to Batman and more of the DC stable of heroes across their years of existence. Neither one a stranger to making the leap to different mediums throughout the decades.

Representation doesn’t just mean seeing characters that look, act, love, belief, or think like us as heroes. True representation means those reflections can be the hero, the villain, the love interest, the anti-hero, or any other type of character needed for storytelling. Alongside wanting to have authentic inspiring stories about people or culture to be told with great respect.

Harley and Ivy are not a simple relationship. Together they can confront their traumas and shared issues, while having someone to see the best of them. They have their ups and their downs, as all couples do, and have fought and been broken apart often.

For years it was a more implied relationship, full of subtext and missing words, only having definitive answers in alternate universes through much of the 2010s. Finally, though, their love was able to be spoken and celebrated in the main universe. DC Comics’ turn to not only feature LGBTQIA+ characters for Pride Month but also beyond has opened the door in so many ways.

Apt for this feature, the origin story of this couple’s love is currently being told. Harley & Ivy: Life & Crimes is a series focused on the early days of their connection — how they went from two Bat rogues that barely interacted to the friends and love that they are now. It’s not an easy tale, especially since Harley’s ex is the toxic controlling won’t be left behind Joker.

 

Within the issues dropped so far, writer and artist Erica Henderson has given the characters depth and space. She’s looked at the struggles and the growing pains, without shying away from the harder topics simultaneously finding humor and merriment in the moment and character interactions.

Funny enough, I just so happen to have reviews up for the first & third issues.

Another space to turn one’s gaze upon is the currently 41-issue deep Poison Ivy series (which I also review), where the romance of Ivy and Harley has popped up numerous times. It’s ranged from it helping pull Ivy back from a truly dark place to exploring the openness of their relationship with another woman adding some sexy hi-jinks to the whole affair.

This duo stands as one of the most prominent queer couples at the “big two” publishers now. They’re two characters who have great staying power and recognition well outside of the comic pages. That includes their love being showcased and celebrated in the Harley Quinn animated series that has been running for years now.

Raise a glass and cause some chaos, to celebrate the wonderfully delinquent union of two of the most compelling characters around.