The latest issue of Harley Quinn brings to light an annoying habit the clown queen has picked up that is reminiscent of Marvel’s Spider-Man.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Harley Quinn #3, by Stephanie Phillips, Riley Rossmo, Ivan Plascencia and AndWorld Design, on sale now.
Harley Quinn’s recent heroic turn has put her in the unlikely company of the Bat-Family. In spite of the sincerity in her attempt to atone for her past, she’s an odd fit for Batman’s group of young heroes. It’s not just her time as a supervillain that makes her the odd one out. Her personality makes Harley stand apart from the majority of Batman’s proteges.
While not every member of the Bat-Family is as stoic as its patriarch, none have Harley’s gift of gab. Nightwing might know his way around a quip, he’s not the motormouth that Harley is. She doesn’t even exist within the same fictional universe as the hero she has the most in common with, Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man.
Harley’s similarities with Spider-Man are on full display in the latest issue of her self-titled book. Her acrobatic fighting style is similar to the web-slinger’s, although hers isn’t enhanced by powers of any sort. What draws the greatest similarity to his fighting style is her running commentary in battle.
After a barrage of jokes at his expense, Hugo Strange’s right hand man, Lockwood, does some psychoanalysis on the former psychiatrist. He describes her comedy routine as a coping mechanism for her own failures. Given Harley’s failed attempt to open a support group meeting with flat-falling jokes, her opponent might have a fair point.
Spider-Man has also been called out for using excessive humor as a coping mechanism by both allies and enemies. The web-slinger’s life has been defined by loss, and he constantly puts his own life at risk when he regularly faces powerful opponents such as the Rhino and Venom. Spider-Man largely developed his sense of humor as a coping mechanism for risking his life on a nightly basis since he gained his powers as a teenager.
While Harley’s still new to the superhero game, she isn’t new to incorporating humor into her fighting style, having developed her snappy repartee as the Joker’s partner-in-crime. Trying to find the humor in the Joker’s twisted gags was another coping mechanism she had to develop in order to deal with his abuse not only to others but to her as well.
Harley Quinn’s quips, acrobatic fighting style, lithe physique, and serious intelligence behind her clownish facade highlight many of her similarities to Marvel’s web-slinger, as does her immense popularity. If she remains on the side of the angels, she may well become DC’s answer to Spider-Man, in spite of her checkered past.
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