The Ascendance of Harley Quinn: Essays on DC's Enigmatic Villain

by Shelley E. Barba (Editor), Joy M. Perrin (Editor)

Since her first appearance in 1992, Harley Quinn--eccentric sidekick to the Joker--has captured the attention of readers like few new characters have in eight decades of Batman comics. Her bubbly yet malicious persona has earned her a loyal and growing fan base as she has crossed over into television, theater, video games, and film. In this collection of new essays, contributors explore her various iterations, focusing on her origin and contexts, the implications of her abusive relationship with the Joker, her relationships with other characters, her representations across media, and the philosophic basis of her character.

Genres: Essays, Nonfiction

239 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 2017

Reviews

[Samantha Luce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating collection of thoughts and interpretations from Harley's origins to all her present incarnations. Well researched. I learned so much about my favorite female protagonist. Very enjoyable and thought provoking read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

[Dev · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

First let me just say that I haven't actually read any of Harley's comics at this point. I mostly know her from B:TAS [although it's been years since I've watched it], the first two Arkham Games, and the Suicide Squad movie. I'm vaguely aware of some plot points in her comics from things around the internet but haven't read them myself. I'm not sure if that's necessarily a good or bad thing when it comes to this book. On the one hand I would like to be able to decide for myself whether the authors are twisting canon to suit their arguments, but on the other hand a LARGE portion of this book is just plot recaps from various media so if you're already super familiar with it you are going to have a lot of skipping around to do.

I felt like this book started off very strong and then lost steam pretty quickly. There were some interesting points and essays but a lot of them were just repeating the same information and a lot of times one essay and the next were in direct opposition on their opinions. That's good for offering differing viewpoints, but can give you a bit of emotional whiplash after awhile. Also, even though I'm not intensely familiar with a lot of the content firsthand, it definitely seemed like a lot of authors were cherry-picking certain things to fit their arguments.

Likewise I was just AMAZED by how people will take even the most sexist tropes and argue that they are in actuality very feminist 'because reasons'. I think a lot of these essays could have boiled down to "while we love Harley, a lot of her personality and content is still largely problematic because as long as primarily straight men are writing/drawing/editing works about lgbt+ women there are going to be problems with agency, the male gaze, etc etc".

Like I said, there's some interesting stuff in here, but also I just literally summarized the important takeaway in one sentence so unless you are just REALLY into Harley or analyzing media from several almost-identical angles you might want to skip this one. I enjoyed it for the most part but there were a few essays I had to skip through because they were so similar to one I had just read.

[Jillyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

To sound like that person we all hate: I liked Harley Quinn before it was cool.

Now that that's out of the way, I was so excited to see a book of people talking about one of my favorite comic book/cartoon characters. The cover art is cute, and the premise of essays from different authors about this character along with her symbolism and philosophies. I was expecting something akin to the "The Philosophy of (insert pop culture reference here)" books that I read a few of in college. But, I was left a bit disappointed.

I found the essays to be a bit monotone and repetitive. While I know the blurb says this book is comprised of essays, I expected well written, well researched, short opinion pieces. And some of them were! But others felt like reading high school essays that were given as an assignment, with arguments that aren't completely supported, or with background information written as though it were a History of DC text book.

Like I said, there were some essays that were strong and really interesting. But others just weren't. I suppose that's the risk you take when reading an essay collection or anthology.

It's worth reading if you're a huge fan of Harley Quinn, DC, or comics. But if you're not, or if you're looking for a deeper philosophical-type examination of Harley, this might not be super helpful for you.

I was given a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were a few interesting essays in here, but overall it isn't worth reading. A couple of the essays were very poorly written, and there is a lot of repetition between essays. I also felt that there was a lot of picking and choosing of plot points, character info, and external sources to prove points and a number of essays left out information that wouldn't have supported their thesis. I understand the impulse to do that, but you can't just ignore parts of the source material that you don't like. (And there were a few essays in which I didn't feel the authors really backed up their ideas with enough facts.) I also personally would have rather read more essays about Harley by women/NB folks - as it was, it was almost an even split.

Received from NetGalley in exchange for review.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of essays touches on numerous topics from pop culture to hybristophilia, the birth of Harley in a cartoon to her character taking over DC comics in numerous titles. I enjoyed the academic exploration of Harley Quinn and learned to look more deeply at the contextual themes and influence comic characters can display for or represent to society.


Thank you, NetGalley and McFarland for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[☘Tara Sheehan☘ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Harley has often caught flack due to her relationship with the Joker. My mom used to get on me about making sure I had decent friends because I’d be known by the company I keep. That would be the case for Harley.

She is often portrayed as a highly sexualized, big breasted, little to no clothes on, mentally unstable sidekick and/or thorn in the side to the ‘better’ women of DC like Wonder Woman. I’ve read graphic novels where they insinuate a lesbian relationship between her and Poison Ivy or she’s in a psychologically abusive one with Joker.

What was it Jessica Rabbit said? “I’m not bad I’m just drawn that way.” That’s Harley’s problem.

This collection of essays helps bring out her humanity and show she’s much more complex than a simple criminal with a sex addiction. Who Harley is, what she has meant in the world of DC and to her fans has evolved throughout the years particularly with the new spotlight on the comic world and a sudden influx of fans born from the movies. As society has changed its ethical and moral definitions so has its attitudes towards Harley and what she represents.

The recent Suicide Squad movie portrayed her in a viciously abusive relationship with Joker who shattered her then convinced her that his attempted murder and everything else he did to her was okay in the name of love. Suddenly memes and catchphrases started popping up everywhere between couples believing that this representation was somehow the epitome of love and something to aspire towards in their own love life.

The essays offer plenty of food for thought and leave you trying to decide which side you fall on; is she a victim or villain?

[Ravenclaw251 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a DC fan, and while I love Harley Quinn, I don't like how her relationship with the Joker is romanticized. It was interesting to read her back story, other people's opinions, and her character development. I didn't love every essay, a couple had me wondering how they made it in, but ultimately it was an enjoyable read, and a must if you want to get to know the character of Harley.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've become quite the fan of Harley Quinn over the past couple of years, mainly through reading her own comics and the Suicide Squad series; obviously, I've seen the character in the Suicide Squad movie too, but as that was a particularly turgid piece of cinema, I prefer not to think about it. My interest in the character made me really interested to read this collection of essays; I gain a weird amount of enjoyment from reading proper academic analysis of lowbrow culture, so The Ascendance of Harley Quinn was an excellent read for me.

A range of different topics are covered, from the history of the character, the representation of the abusive relationship with the Joker, Harley's relationships with other characters and the broader consideration of what the character actually represents, philosophically. There's plenty of fascinating content, largely linked to the dichotomies at the heart of Harley Quinn: victim or villain? (Both, actually.) Good or evil? (Again, both.) There's plenty of discussion of the disparity in how her backstory is presented in the original comics and the New 52 iteration, with one giving Harley more agency in her transition from Dr Harleen Quinzel to the Joker's sidekick. The analysis devoted to this is interesting and expansive, while Harley's bond with Poison Ivy is also given plenty of discussion. 

There are a couple of minor faults with the book. Inevitably, it's quite repetitive, with particular episodes of the Batman: The Animated Series and certain issues of the comics covered repeatedly. I enjoyed all the essays except one, which seemed a particularly mean-spirited attempt to mansplain the apparently inevitable future dwindling in Harley's popularity; frankly, I don't think that's true and, additionally, it seems really out of place in what is otherwise a celebration of the character.

In conclusion, for fans of Harley Quinn, this is essential reading. The book provided me with loads of information I didn't already know, as well as provoking plenty of food for thought about a character for whom I've developed a lot of affection. 

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an ARC of this book from a publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

4 stars.

I originally intended to read only a few essays at a time in between reading other books, but found myself so intrigued by the evolution of Harley through the years as well as the numerous analyses of her character that I ended up reading it in practically one sitting.

This book offers a look at the impact the character of Harley Quinn has made on pop culture. More than that, it shows what the public's reaction to her character says about society, as seen most recently with the glorification of what is, in actuality, the abusive relationship which exists between Harley and The Joker. It also explores the different nuances of Harley's psyche, which, in turn, showcases the effects of one's past on their personality in addition to highlighting the impact an abusive relationship can have on an individual.

Overall, this book aids in humanizing and proving the complexity of a character that, in my opinion, has too often been sexualized and reduced to a sidekick when, to many, she is the more fascinating and compelling member of her coupling with The Joker.

[GONZA · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of essays on one of my favorite villain of all times: Harley Quinn, here depicted mostly as a powerful villain on herself and not Joker's sidekick. Interesting are the writings about her being a conscious victim of abuse who chose to be with the abuser. I even learned the word hybristophilia, which means somebody (usually female) who is in love with a serial killer. Unluckily I haven't read all the comics that are cited in this book, but I plan to.

Una collezione di saggi su uno dei miei personaggi preferiti tra i "cattivi": Harley Quinn, qui descritta, almeno la maggior parte delle volte, come un personaggio a sé e non la spalla di Joker. Tra i saggi che piú mi sono piaciuti ci sono quelli che la descrivono come vittima cosciente e volontaria di una relazione d'abuso. Sempre in questo libro ho imparato anche la parola Hybristophilia, che indica coloro (la maggior parte delle quali donne) che s'innamorano di serial killer. Purtroppo anche stavolta non ho letto tutti i fumetti citati nel libro, ma conto di farlo prima o poi.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!