Whether or not you consider the superhero bubble has burst or not, it is honest to say that little or no by way of the style can really be thought-about “novel” or “boundary-pushing” anymore … however depart it to “Harley Quinn,” the animated present about a few of DC’s baddest villains, to proceed bucking that development. Very like its title character, the streaming sequence’ arc has hardly been a traditional one. Initially debuting in 2019 on a long-forgotten standalone service often known as DC Universe (it wasn’t very spectacular, as our assessment on the time proved), the sequence survived the transfer to what was identified on the time as HBO Max earlier than lastly discovering a house on Max. Now operating for 5 seasons robust, “Harley Quinn” is ready to take its largest and boldest swing but. And, truthfully, this must be making a lot extra popular culture noise than it presently is.
For viewers nonetheless catching up, you do not even must dig very deep to know the attraction of “Harley Quinn.” Take the present’s ridiculously stacked voice forged, led by a pitch-perfect Kaley Cuoco as Harley and together with the likes of Lake Bell, Alan Tudyk, Ron Funches, Tony Hale, Jason Alexander, Giancarlo Esposito, and lots of, many extra placing distinctive spins on well-worn archetypes. Then there’s the present’s “Take no prisoners” mentality that places even “Deadpool” and his wisecracking antics to disgrace, putting everybody from Zack Snyder to James Gunn himself inside its goal sights. However even past all that, the irreverent, foul-mouthed villain on the sequence’ coronary heart may even rival her live-action counterpart (with all due respect to Margot Robbie and the assorted filmmakers she’s labored with to convey her model of Harley Quinn to life). Beginning the debut season mired in a poisonous, codependent relationship with the abusive Joker (Tudyk), her journey has culminated in the uncommon property with the center to adapt her torrid romance with fellow supervillain Poison Ivy (Bell).
With season 5 premiering this previous January and never merely persevering with to click on on all cylinders but in addition shaking up the established order by shifting the motion solely out of Gotham Metropolis, it is about time we gave “Harley Quinn” and its (comparatively) under-the-radar joys the flowers they so richly deserve.
Harley Quinn loves DC … even because it satirizes it
Why does “Harley Quinn” work so nicely whereas so many different superhero properties in recent times have fallen quick? It is a query I have been asking myself ever since I first obtained sucked into this distinctive little nook of the DC franchise. I’ve by no means watched a second of “Peacemaker,” I am sustaining a wholesome dose of skepticism so far as Marvel’s “The Unbelievable 4: First Steps” is anxious, and if James Gunn’s “Superman” fails to wow me, nicely, that almost wraps it up. What’s left to stay up for, past Matt Reeves’ perpetually-delayed “The Batman” sequel? And but I hold coming again to “Harley Quinn,” of all issues, yr after yr.
It actually is not as a result of this crossover-heavy storyline places the whole DC Universe at our fingertips, permitting any given episode to comply with the exploits of a loser like Kite-Man (Matt Oberg), commit enormous chunks of a Valentine’s Day particular to a super-horny Bane (James Adomian), or deal with Poison Ivy taking up Lex Luthor’s (Esposito) Legion of Doom. In spite of everything, regardless of how promising the “Superman” trailer seems, I really feel nothing however sheer exhaustion on the notion of Gunn throwing a number of DC facet characters that I do not care about at us — one thing I’ve by no means as soon as skilled whereas watching “Harley Quinn” pull a number of D-list characters out of its hat. It could possibly’t simply be the concept the medium of animation lends itself so naturally to the world of superheroes and their rogues gallery, as confirmed so definitively by the “Spider-Verse” motion pictures, although that actually helps! Certainly, “Harley Quinn” is so in tune with its animation fashion that it might bend the boundaries of hyper-violent motion and gut-busting laughs in equal measure, discovering punchlines and artistic thrills that its live-action brethren merely cannot compete with.
No, the key sauce to “Harley Quinn” is the truth that the sequence wears its love for DC on its sleeve … even because it viciously satirizes the franchise to inside an inch of its life. The dysfunctional Bat-family and Bruce Wayne’s (Diedrich Bader) incapacity to recover from his childhood trauma are a frequent goal of jokes, as is Clayface’s (Tudyk) performing ambitions and King Shark’s (Funches) royal tasks. At each step of the way in which, nonetheless, these zany detours solely reinforce what makes these characters so lovable within the first place — a magic trick that few different rivals have ever pulled off.
Season 5 of Harley Quinn is as hilarious, violent, and heartfelt as ever
Nowhere does “Harley Quinn” show a greater steadiness between its grand ambitions than in Season 5. Solely three episodes have aired on the time of this writing, however that is all of the proof we wanted to verify that the inventive workforce led by Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Dean Lorey hasn’t misplaced a single step. Though as sharp and witty as ever, the sequence continues to seek out the right center floor between ruthless satire and a beating coronary heart.
Actually, the primary three episodes are a becoming showcase for every part this sequence is able to. The Season 5 premiere, titled “The Massive Apricot,” lives as much as the hype by taking Harley and Ivy out of the acquainted confines of Gotham Metropolis and dumping them into the way more glamorous sister metropolis of Metropolis — a dangerous transfer that leads to precise penalties and modifications. Utilizing the cliché of a long-term couple that has fallen right into a rut as a springboard, episode author Jamiesen Borak and director Diana Huh effortlessly weave collectively comedian e-book silliness with real feelings. In Episode 2, credited author Leslie Schapira and director Christina Manrique by some means sort out two very completely different A- and B-stories: one involving Harley Quinn pressed into babysitting for King Shark’s uncontrollable spawn, and one other a lot darker plot centered on a murderous ex from Ivy’s previous. Episode 3 then takes its cues from the villain revealed to be “Floronic Man” (voiced by John Slattery) and ups the superhero motion significantly, unleashing psychedelic mind-battles and chainsaw-ripping sequences that outclass a lot of its friends. And that is with teases involving heavy-hitting characters like Pink X (almost definitely Harvey Guillén’s Dick Grayson), Braniac (Stephen Fry), and extra nonetheless to come back.
Taken as a complete (full disclosure: I’ve watched forward and might affirm the episodes to come back are simply as nice), “Harley Quinn” Season 5 all however takes a baseball bat to our head and forces us to understand a stage of high quality that we will not take without any consideration. There are superhero exhibits, after which there are superhero exhibits truly price our time and funding. “Harley Quinn” could be very a lot within the latter class, and this is hoping there might be many extra seasons of unapologetic blood, intercourse, and crimes to come back.
New episodes of “Harley Quinn” Season 5 stream on Max each Thursday.
