Harley Quinn Season 1 (2019)
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Harley Quinn Season 1 Review
Harley Quinn is an animated superhero series that premiered its first season on DC Universe in 2019. It’s such a good, highly entertaining show.
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“So let me get this straight:
You’re not over your ex,
and you want to throw
your success in his face“
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It follows the misadventures of Harley and her girlfriend Poison Ivy after she left Joker. The first season consists of thirteen episodes and some are clearly better than others, but for the most part this is a stellar season of superhero television with most of its elements working effortlessly in tandem to create this animated beast that should not be missed.
As a big fan of animated Batman and co, I adored the characterization here. These are my Batman, Joker and Harley, and not the DCEU version, which are infinitely inferior. Harley is amazing. Kaley Cuoco’s voice is perfect for the role and the character is just as she should be – loud and childlike, brutal yet charming. She’s the main reason to watch this series.
I also loved everything that they did with Poison Ivy. She is a clearly dangerous presence, she is badass and she’s also very well developed with her antisocial behavior being well explored. The relationship between the two is fantastic and the heart of the show. Clearly in the first season they still aren’t a romantic couple, but the seeds are well planted here for that destined transition into something more meaningful.
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Joker is incredible. This is the Joker that I love, similar to the one from ‘Arkham Asylum’. The voice of Alan Tudyk is impeccable and the look of the character is spot-on. Joker here is unhinged and dangerous, but also genuinely funny at times with a strong emphasis on jokes and humor, something that the live-action versions are still lacking. I also loved his relationship with Batman that was very well realized with Batman himself appearing not that often, but he is always a memorable presence. That face revelation was the funniest scene of the season.
Clayface and Doctor Psycho are both equally silly additions to this roster of villains and the overall team was very entertaining to follow with their dynamic being excellent. Bane is hilarious in every of his scenes, which was surprising as he is usually portrayed as brooding and serious.
That brings me to my next point. This show is undeniably a comedy above all else. That personally bothered me at times as the tone is all over the place. For such a brutal, unhinged and gory show, the humor could come to offset the stakes quite often. Still, the jokes are coming pretty strong, the lines are very well delivered by these capable voice actors and the dialogue is continually impressive that I ended up liking the humor quite a bit.
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Harley Quinn is a show that is very modern in its humor as it references everything from Pixar to other DC properties. Most of these are executed well and I’ve had a lot of fun seeing these jokes play out. The action is also very well executed, but for my liking we should be getting more action set pieces for what is a superhero show at its core. The animation is stellar and the character designs are faithful and enjoyable.
The first season of Harley Quinn is very good. It has problems in its tone at times and some episodes are clearly weaker than others, especially the mid section, but the final two episodes are very moving, and the beginning is instantly intriguing. This is a show that favors strong characterization and great humor above all else, and I am all for that.
Worst Episodes: You’re A Damn Good Cop, Jim Gordon and A Seat at the Table.
Best Episodes: Till Death Do Us Part and Devil’s Snare.
