In Dark Nights: Death Metal, Harley Quinn has a brand new job in the very different DC Universe, but it puts her in a familiar role.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, FCO Plascencia and Tom Napolitano, on sale now.
With its first issue, Dark Knights: Death Metal has thrown readers into the deep end of a very different DC Universe. Thanks to the advance of Perpetua and her destructive power, only a few of DC's infinite Earths remain, and the main DC world is under the complete control of the Batman Who Laughs. This control extends over the entire world with many heroes, like Wonder Woman and Aquaman forces into serving the maniacal Batmen of the Dark Multiverse to protect the remnants of their people.
While some heroes have found themselves in new situations, other heroes have actually seen themselves returned to their former status. For example, Mister Miracle now serves as a prisoner of a Batman-Darkseid/Highfather hybrid named Darkfather on Megapokolips, who isn't the craziest Bat-themed villain to make an appearance in the crossover. Another servant of the Batman Who Laughs is Harley Quinn, who appears at a summoning of his fellow servants. Not much is known about her new place in this twisted world, but her costume reveals Harley's most tragic elements that continue to haunt her.
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During this meeting, Harley is seen to be paired with Doctor Arkham, accompanied by a large hyena and a Batman/Man-Bat hybrid. Since she's addressed as the "Hunter of the Wastelands" by the Batman Who Laughs, it appears that Harley has been tasked with locating those who still remain outside of her new master's control within the new continent of the Arkham Wastelands. Along with a nearly shaved head with red and black dyed hair, Harley has a more utilitarian version of her original, constraining jester costume, including its diamonds and red and black color scheme in place of her modern costume, which has an ever-present jacket, short pants, high boots and long, mostly blonde hair in pig-tails.
While it's not emphasized in this issue, this costume change reveals a lot about Harley's place in Death Metal's DCU and how it reflects her past.
Although this costume was Harley's iconic look in her early appearances in Batman: The Animated Series, Harley's original jester outfit is also specific to a certain moment in her history when she was completely enamored with the Joker. This appearance and her origin were literally shaped by the Joker to make her his tool and second fiddle in the many schemes targeted at Batman, unlike his current partner Punchline. Even, in the Harley Quinn animated series, Harley showed her newfound independence by changing her costume from her jester uniform to her new DC Rebirth era outfit.
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By returning to a version of this look,Death Metal highlights how much loss of control Harley doesn't have over her own world right now.
An amalgamation of Batman and his greatest enemy, the Batman Who Laughs shares in the Joker's tendency to break those around him, targeting their ideals and beliefs, while also using others as tools in his own twisted games. As seen in this issue, he uses Wonder Woman's love for her sisters as a constant threat to keep her in line. Although the Batman Who Laughs is operating on an entirely different scale than the Joker usually does, their tactics are the same as they reduce all those around them to shells of their greater selves.
Harley has faced this element of her past many times before in her many reunions with the Joker. During the "Death of the Family" event in Suicide Squad #15, by Adam Glass and Fernando Dagino, showed Harley being kidnapped by the Joker ashe responded to her flight for independence. When he locked her in a dungeon, the Joker tortured her with skeletons dressed in her old costumes, saying that they were harlequins that were no longer useful. During this horrific encounter, Harley was forced to battle against the Joker's view of her as nothing more than a tool.
Like other figures in this story, it seems that Harley will not remain a tool for much longer, as she begins to make her own moves in this wasteland. In fact, Harley's newest weapon has already been teasedby Greg Capullo. As she faces a world ruled by a version of Batman emboldened by the Joker's cruelty, Harley will have to overcome the role that the Batman Who Laughs has tried to place her in and embrace her own brand of chaos if she wants to survive the coming destruction that faces the entirety of the DC multiverse.
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Paul Yang is a writer for CBR that specializes in comic book content and is based out of Houston, Texas. In the past, he has worked as an English tutor and as a staff member for a literary journal. He has also been consulted as a "Marvel Expert" for local television on multiple occasions. When he's not writing or reading comics, he continues to work towards his English and Philosophy degree.
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Death Metal Cements the Tragedy Behind Harley Quinn's Best Costume - CBR - Comic Book Resources
