When a show's leads are super-villains, it's expected that the writers are going to break a few rules. The anarchy in Gotham, the villains’ new form of leadership, and Batman’s absence all play second fiddle to Harley and Ivy’s bond. Contrary to Harley’s beliefs, this isn’t a story about Harley Quinn becoming the DC Universe’s greatest villain. These turbulent feelings between Harley and Ivy become the driving narrative for the animated show’s second season. But most importantly, Ivy doesn’t want to ruin the friendship she has with Harley because she fears that, if they become something more, Harley’s rash personality will only end up breaking her heart-ruining the most sacred relationship she has in her life. Even if it’s not true love, it’s a low-maintenance relationship with a good guy, which is hard to come by within the villain community of Gotham. Harley quickly accepts that she has feelings for her best friend-Ivy does not. Their romantic feelings for each other sneak up on them-exploring the messy emotions that come along with falling in love. In the heat of the moment, Harley and Ivy share an intense kiss. In a high-adrenaline exit, Ivy proves her loyalty to Harley by risking her own life to save her best friend. Though not even a pit of despair is going to stop Harley and Ivy from coming up with a plan to escape-one that happens to involve George Lopez. In “There's No Place to Go But Down,” Ivy and Harley are sent to “The Pit," an inescapable prison run by Bane. It’s not until the second season that sparks begin to fly between the two best friends. The first season doesn’t focus on Ivy and Harley’s romantic relationship, but instead on their friendship. The writers delicately make sure Ivy isn’t a rebound for Harley.
After years of warning signs, Ivy is finally able to convince Harley to break off her toxic relationship with the Joker. Harley Quinn finds success taking its time building the relationship between Harley and Ivy, with the pilot establishing that Ivy and Harley are best friends.
HARLEY QUINN AND POISON IVY SERIES
Of course, while the comics may not fully tap into the potential of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy’s coupling, the Harley Quinn animated series fully fleshes out their romance. In Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner’s Harley Quinn #25, Harley and Ivy’s relationship became much more than a friendship as the two shared their first on-panel kiss, confirming their once subtextual queer relationship decades in the making.įollowing this first kiss, there have been a few Elseworlds storylines, including Injustice: Gods Among Us and DC’s Bombshells, featuring their romance, but few in-continuity stories took a deep dive into their newly formed relationship. It’s a friendship that expanded into other properties-including DC’s prime universe and animated films. Since the early days of Batman: The Animated Series, we’ve seen a strong bond between “gal pals” Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy.