Since January 13, you can watch an animated series about Harley Quinn on HBO Max that not only showcases the best portrayal of the anti-heroine but also offers brutal comedy, action, and characters that instantly steal your heart.
What is this animated series about? The “Harley Quinn”-series originally premiered in 2019 on the DC Universe streaming service but has been available for streaming on HBO Max since January 13.
The series revolves around Harley Quinn, the famous henchwoman of the Joker, who realizes in the first season that she is much less important to her beloved villain than she had hoped.
She decides to break away from him and pursue her own path in Gotham. She is accompanied by Poison Ivy and a newly formed crew that includes well-known characters like King Shark and Clayface.
The series follows Harley as she faces various challenges. On one hand, she wants to be taken seriously in the world of villains, overcome her emotional dependence on the Joker, avoid annoying heroes, and find peace with her own development. And that is one of the greatest strengths of the animated series: its characters are not simple caricatures but have depth, develop continuously, and remain authentic and fun.
In short: Harley Quinn has a lot of heart despite brutal action and crude comedy. And that makes it one of my absolute favorite series.
Here you can watch the trailer for Harley Quinn on HBO Max:
Harley Quinn charms viewers right from the start
A show can hardly survive if the protagonists cannot convince. Luckily, the series has Kaley Cuoco (known as Penny from The Big Bang Theory) who provides a funny, over-the-top, but still completely authentic Harley Quinn. She is loud, impulsive, and simply an imperfect person whose inner conflicts make her relatable despite her exaggerated demeanor.
She reflects a lot, longs for respect and acceptance, and prefers to avoid her problems rather than resolve them – unless, of course, they can be solved with a gun or a baseball bat.
Her team, consisting of Ivy and other friends, are not just extras and means for jokes (don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of jokes, and they are actually really good). Their crew appreciates each other, grows together, and thereby ensures that conflicts carry more weight.
When Harley runs back to the Joker because she longs for love and attention, it is not funny but rather sad.
Characters you just can’t help but love
But Harley is not the only one who shines. There are other candidates who can easily steal your heart within seconds. Sure, due to the comedy genre, some personalities are exaggerated or rewritten, but it fits the setting perfectly. Clayface is a nerdy theater kid with a pronounced fondness for acting and performing arts, Bane is a muscular softie who just wants to belong and Batman seems like he’s too old for this whole circus.
However, my highlight besides Harley is clearly Poison Ivy. Instead of the “femme fatale,” as she is portrayed in many other DC media, she is a jaded, introverted plant lover with emotional attachment issues who does not hesitate whenever Harley needs her help. The duo makes for enjoyable viewing due to their deeply different traits but the love they have for each other not only brings many laughs, but also touching moments.
A series that turns many things in the DC universe upside down – and that’s exactly why it works
I had an incredible amount of fun with the series, and with its release on HBO Max in Germany, I am already looking forward to watching it again. This time without breaks between the individual seasons. But just because I like it, doesn’t mean it has to resonate equally well with the biggest DC fan.
Harley Quinn is primarily a comedy beyond being a superhero series. The series doesn’t take itself and even the most serious characters from Gotham and its surroundings as seriously as many superfans do. And you have to be able to tolerate that.
But exactly this approach opens the doors for the series to try new things that other films, series, and comics tend to avoid. Accordingly, they do not shy away from taking characters like the Joker or even Batman and picking them apart
. No favorite character from the DC universe is safe with Harley Quinn, but that’s exactly what made it so much fun for me.
Fans of Harley and Joker as a couple will also have to swallow a bitter pill here. The series shows the problematic sides of their “relationship” and how Harley continues to suffer under his influence even after their official breakup. But rest assured, you definitely won’t miss out on romance. Harley Quinn develops one of the best, and surprisingly healthiest TV relationships that you might not expect from Harley at first.
Perhaps I was able to give you a little taste of the “Harley Quinn”-series and one final push to check it out. Do you like the approach of the series? Or are you put off by the idea of popular characters from DC showing their entirely new sides? If you want to discover more series on HBO Max, we have even more for you here at MeinMMO: HBO Max has launched in Germany – All information on pricing, programming, and subscription of the Netflix competitor
