Taking Up Space: A Harley Quinn Story

Just recently, I was reading a news report about a continuity conflict between the cartoon version of Harley Quinn and her comic version as it relates to her sexuality. This is less than a week after reading an announcement of a solo miniseries for Sean Murphy’s Batman: White Knight version of her. In the same week, I happened across news that Harley Quinn’s main title was due for a relaunching. Before this, I saw at least five commercials in the same hour for a Harley Quinn cartoon on television. I mention all this to ask…am I the only person getting a little burned out on Harley Quinn? Before I go any further, let me be very clear. The “straight-washing” of Harley’s sexuality (apparently, she had a relationship with Poison Ivy that has mysteriously not been revisited on any other platform) is absolutely a topic that needs unpacking. Pride Month was a strange time to actively backpedal on the inclusion of LGBTQ characters, so I get why that would be news. My problem isn’t really with the Harley Quinn coverage. It’s with DC constantly trying to make her news like Gretchen Weiners trying to make “fetch” happen. I can appreciate the intentions to a degree. The shoehorning of Harley Quinn into the mainstream dates back to at least the launch of the New 52 attempt at streamlining the DC universe and hey, the books could use a little levity at the time. But after countless relaunches of the Suicide Squad comic, her own solo book, cartoons, two failed films specifically centering h…