DC Comics Announces Harley Quinn Will Join the Birds of Prey in New Series

On Friday, June 9th, Kelly Thompson announced the final member of her Birds of Prey team for a new series releasing this September: Harley Quinn.

Does a mission want a wildcard? No.

Does a mission sometimes NEED a wildcard? Yes.

Harley Quinn. The ultimate wildcard.
🎶🦇👊⚔️♦️#BirdsOfPrey #BreakingHeartsAndFaces September 2023.@DCOfficial @Leo__Romero #JordieBellaire #BirdsOfPreyNation pic.twitter.com/yVeIaexqFu
— KELLY THOMPSON (@79SemiFinalist) June 9, 2023

The idea of Harley on the team sparked controversy before it was even announced, as Kelly Thompson acknowledged.

I have read some iteration of “oh god, yes! Please let it be Harley!” about a thousand times in the last 48 hours.

Roughly the same number of times I read some iteration of “oh god, no! Anyone but Harley!” pic.twitter.com/qkbqS4tNKa
— KELLY THOMPSON (@79SemiFinalist) June 7, 2023

This wouldn't be the first team that DC Comics faced backlash over including Harley Quinn on the Birds of Prey. In 2019, a new Birds of Prey ongoing starring Harley Quinn, Black Canary, and Huntress was announced with Brian Azzarello as the writer. It was meant to capitalize on the then upcoming movie: Birds of Prey: and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn.

*The original cover art for the cancelled series*

The series' announcement received so much backlash that the book was stealthily cancelled by DC. The already finished issues were later released in an out-of-continuity one-shot in the summer of 2020.

Interestingly enough, the Birds of Prey movie did not feature Harley Quinn joining the titular team. Harley teamed up with the ladies of the film by necessity to escape Black Mask, but ultimate abandoned them. She stole Black Canary's car, and wrote the Birds of Prey team off as "dorky little do-gooders." Kelly Thompson's series marks the first time Harley will actually be an official part of the team.

What do you think of Harley Quinn joining the Birds of Prey? Be sure to follow Batman News for more updates!

UPDATE: Kelly Thompson has revealed that her Birds of Prey team will be reshuffled after the first arc, so there's a chance Harley and/or other members might only be a part of the team for the first six issues.

Yup. First arc. Then we'll get some reshuffling.
— KELLY THOMPSON (@79SemiFinalist) June 9, 2023

26 comments

Raphael Howard

June 9, 2023

I wouldn't have Harley as a core member of the BOP myself, but I am willing to be open-minded. The new team seems to be made up primarily of members recovering from toxic influences in their lives, which could lead to good storylines...

It's annoying that Harley has got into another organization associated with Barbara Gordon, but kind of fitting for a character who disguised herself as Batgirl at least twice...

Kaingerc

June 9, 2023

https://media.tenor.com/KLa...

Kaingerc

June 9, 2023

BTW, the team doesn't WANT or NEED a "wildcard"
https://youtu.be/yIgHHBUTA90

Kaingerc

June 9, 2023

FYI, the full group is: Canary, Cassandra Cain, Harley, Big Barda and Zealot (from the Wild C.A.T.S)
I really dislike that they shoved Harley in there, probably to be the "comedy relief", there are plenty of other choices for that role that wouldn't have been nearly that disruptive and overused (it's the Suicide Squad problem all over again, why would anyone invite her to be part of a team?!)

https://static1.cbrimages.c...

Kaingerc

June 9, 2023

Wildstorm works best when it's its own thing seperate from the DC universe (like Milestone comics for example)
When you try and mesh them together you just get redundancies and conflicting tones (just see how well it worked out when they first tried it with the new 52)

When they did "The Wild Storm", which was basically a modern reboot of the universe it worked really well, too bad they had to drop it because of the issues with Warren Ellis.

Kaingerc

June 9, 2023

Here's a variant cover that might make you feel a bit better (though I still wouldn't hold my breath that Harley would be any more tolerable in this series than all the other dozen ones she appears in)

https://static1.cbrimages.c...

Papa Grande ( formerly deevo)
June 12, 2023
This makes my day. Canary could snap Harley in two- NO comparison in fightig skills.

ChE_MovieFan

June 9, 2023

I'm pretty burnt out on Harley, especially as an 'antihero'.

Harleyfan
June 9, 2023
Same
1. ChE_MovieFan
  June 16, 2023
  🤔
  1. Harleyfan
    June 16, 2023
    🤨

Sara

June 9, 2023

Oh, how lovely! Such an underused character!

If they just have to have her being reformed and in BoP, they need to cancel her solo book and let Thompson take over. We don't need multiple books about Harley learning to do the right thing like a freaking child.

Victor Fuentes

June 9, 2023

I like most of the team... I have to know the mission and if it is a Bat-related title or not...
If Harley will be on the team for more than an arc, I think it will better to cancel her ongoing series.
But I like the writer... I trust her (more than in Tini Howard).

Papa Grande ( formerly deevo)
June 12, 2023
I trust Chuck Austen more than I would Tini Howard...yeah...that's pretty sad in'it?

Ravager

June 9, 2023

https://media2.giphy.com/me...

Harleyfan

June 9, 2023

Absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary. I'm starting to hate Harley now. At least this version of her.

Kerk Lastnameless

June 10, 2023

Ugh...

Akash Sil

June 10, 2023

I have fond memories of Big Barda learning the Pokemon TCG https://uploads.disquscdn.c... from Dinah's adopted daughter during her brief stint on the Birds of Prey. Glad to see her back.

Snow Bun Bun

June 10, 2023

You know, if Harley wasn’t shoehorned into the team, this would have been a pretty solid line up of characters. D.C. wants Harley to be everything all at once and she ends up being nothing but an annoyance (both in an out of universe)

...Harley Quinn used to be near universally loved by fans back when she was “Joker’s girlfriend”. Can’t we please just go back. She was funny, scary and tragic. She depth and sympathy and her mental illness was portrayed as a dangerous and sad thing, something she needed to overcome, instead of a “LOL so random quirky girl” thing.

Harleyfan
June 10, 2023
Agreed!
Papa Grande ( formerly deevo)
June 12, 2023
Yeah- I am so past Harley Quinn. They keep shoehorning her into the comics like she's the 2nd coming. Tom King went so far as to say she was as adept as Batman in that idiotic Heroes in Crisis.
I actually paid to watch Birds of Prey the film --the way they neutered ad watered down characters like Zsazz and especially Cassandra Cain showed how far these people were willing to go to prop her up.
Of course they would shove her onto this team, despite the attempted comic tie-in book with her not going anywhere last time...
1. Sara
  June 12, 2023
  The neutering and watering down of other characters to make Harley look good is the worst thing about how they use her.
  The situation has evolved from bad editorial direction for Harley herself (as Quinnpool or manic pixie dream girl) to the psychological torture of the whole DC fandom. Everybody knows that a character coming into contact with Harley usually means months of helplessly watching their degradation.
  It doesn't have to be this way, DC...
  1. Harleyfan
    June 19, 2023
    👏

Mothy

June 12, 2023

I'm going to go in with an open mind. I know that people are tired of Harley and I understand why. She and Joker have been pretty overused.
Personally, I'm hoping that this is going to be an establishing moment for Harley as an anti-hero/Batfam member and sets the tone for how they use her going forward. For example, I really enjoyed Bruce and Harley's relationship in her show. And she had some really strong moments in the Injustice comics.
But if I'm being realistic, it's probably not going to be like that. Characters have to stay static and recognizable and they're not allowed to grow. Batman learns to trust his family, then Batman pushes everyone away for the 30th fucking time. Exactly what I want.
Honestly, Punchline would probably be more warmly received if we didn't have as much Joker and Harley in the past couple years.
I'm excited for Big Barda to be on the team.
I hope we get Katana in the next roster. I'd love to see Lady Blackhawk and Sin again.
I'm being as optimistic as I can lol

Bruce Vader

June 13, 2023

Well whoop-de-doo, what a surprise. Harley used to be a wildcard, now she's a blandcard.

Harleyfan
June 19, 2023
💯

Raphael Howard
June 9, 2023
I wouldn't have Harley as a core member of the BOP myself, but I am willing to be open-minded. The new team seems to be made up primarily of members recovering from toxic influences in their lives, which could lead to good storylines...
It's annoying that Harley has got into another organization associated with Barbara Gordon, but kind of fitting for a character who disguised herself as Batgirl at least twice...
Kaingerc
June 9, 2023
https://media.tenor.com/KLa...
Kaingerc
June 9, 2023
BTW, the team doesn't WANT or NEED a "wildcard"
https://youtu.be/yIgHHBUTA90
Kaingerc
June 9, 2023
FYI, the full group is: Canary, Cassandra Cain, Harley, Big Barda and Zealot (from the Wild C.A.T.S)
I really dislike that they shoved Harley in there, probably to be the "comedy relief", there are plenty of other choices for that role that wouldn't have been nearly that disruptive and overused (it's the Suicide Squad problem all over again, why would anyone invite her to be part of a team?!)
https://static1.cbrimages.c...
Kaingerc
June 9, 2023
Wildstorm works best when it's its own thing seperate from the DC universe (like Milestone comics for example)
When you try and mesh them together you just get redundancies and conflicting tones (just see how well it worked out when they first tried it with the new 52)
When they did "The Wild Storm", which was basically a modern reboot of the universe it worked really well, too bad they had to drop it because of the issues with Warren Ellis.
Kaingerc
June 9, 2023
Here's a variant cover that might make you feel a bit better (though I still wouldn't hold my breath that Harley would be any more tolerable in this series than all the other dozen ones she appears in)
https://static1.cbrimages.c...
1. Papa Grande ( formerly deevo)
  June 12, 2023
  This makes my day. Canary could snap Harley in two- NO comparison in fightig skills.
ChE_MovieFan
June 9, 2023
I'm pretty burnt out on Harley, especially as an 'antihero'.
1. Harleyfan
  June 9, 2023
  Same
  1. ChE_MovieFan
    June 16, 2023
    🤔
    1. Harleyfan
      June 16, 2023
      🤨
Sara
June 9, 2023
Oh, how lovely! Such an underused character!
If they just have to have her being reformed and in BoP, they need to cancel her solo book and let Thompson take over. We don't need multiple books about Harley learning to do the right thing like a freaking child.
Victor Fuentes
June 9, 2023
I like most of the team... I have to know the mission and if it is a Bat-related title or not...
If Harley will be on the team for more than an arc, I think it will better to cancel her ongoing series.
But I like the writer... I trust her (more than in Tini Howard).
1. Papa Grande ( formerly deevo)
  June 12, 2023
  I trust Chuck Austen more than I would Tini Howard...yeah...that's pretty sad in'it?
Ravager
June 9, 2023
https://media2.giphy.com/me...
Harleyfan
June 9, 2023
Absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary. I'm starting to hate Harley now. At least this version of her.
Kerk Lastnameless
June 10, 2023
Ugh...
Akash Sil
June 10, 2023
I have fond memories of Big Barda learning the Pokemon TCG https://uploads.disquscdn.c... from Dinah's adopted daughter during her brief stint on the Birds of Prey. Glad to see her back.
Snow Bun Bun
June 10, 2023
You know, if Harley wasn’t shoehorned into the team, this would have been a pretty solid line up of characters. D.C. wants Harley to be everything all at once and she ends up being nothing but an annoyance (both in an out of universe)
...Harley Quinn used to be near universally loved by fans back when she was “Joker’s girlfriend”. Can’t we please just go back. She was funny, scary and tragic. She depth and sympathy and her mental illness was portrayed as a dangerous and sad thing, something she needed to overcome, instead of a “LOL so random quirky girl” thing.
1. Harleyfan
  June 10, 2023
  Agreed!
2. Papa Grande ( formerly deevo)
  June 12, 2023
  Yeah- I am so past Harley Quinn. They keep shoehorning her into the comics like she's the 2nd coming. Tom King went so far as to say she was as adept as Batman in that idiotic Heroes in Crisis.
  I actually paid to watch Birds of Prey the film --the way they neutered ad watered down characters like Zsazz and especially Cassandra Cain showed how far these people were willing to go to prop her up.
  Of course they would shove her onto this team, despite the attempted comic tie-in book with her not going anywhere last time...
  1. Sara
    June 12, 2023
    The neutering and watering down of other characters to make Harley look good is the worst thing about how they use her.
    The situation has evolved from bad editorial direction for Harley herself (as Quinnpool or manic pixie dream girl) to the psychological torture of the whole DC fandom. Everybody knows that a character coming into contact with Harley usually means months of helplessly watching their degradation.
    It doesn't have to be this way, DC...
    1. Harleyfan
      June 19, 2023
      👏
Mothy
June 12, 2023
I'm going to go in with an open mind. I know that people are tired of Harley and I understand why. She and Joker have been pretty overused.
Personally, I'm hoping that this is going to be an establishing moment for Harley as an anti-hero/Batfam member and sets the tone for how they use her going forward. For example, I really enjoyed Bruce and Harley's relationship in her show. And she had some really strong moments in the Injustice comics.
But if I'm being realistic, it's probably not going to be like that. Characters have to stay static and recognizable and they're not allowed to grow. Batman learns to trust his family, then Batman pushes everyone away for the 30th fucking time. Exactly what I want.
Honestly, Punchline would probably be more warmly received if we didn't have as much Joker and Harley in the past couple years.
I'm excited for Big Barda to be on the team.
I hope we get Katana in the next roster. I'd love to see Lady Blackhawk and Sin again.
I'm being as optimistic as I can lol
Bruce Vader
June 13, 2023
Well whoop-de-doo, what a surprise. Harley used to be a wildcard, now she's a blandcard.
1. Harleyfan
  June 19, 2023
  💯

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DC Comics Announces Harley Quinn Will Join the Birds of Prey in New Series

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