Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, two of Gotham's most notorious villainesses, have captivated readers for decades. As early as the 90s, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy have teased a romantic relationship. As society shifted, the focus on their romance grew ever stronger, and they’re now one of the best power couples in DC Comics.
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The comics that focus on their adventures run the gamut from wacky misadventures to emotionally charged retrospectives of their relationships. There are so many stories that can be told through the perspective of their relationship thanks to their ever-shifting alignments, be they hedonistic villains or reluctant antiheroes.
10 Batman Adventures Holiday Special (1995)
This one-shot by Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, and Richard Starkings set in the Batman animated universe features one story that sows the seeds for “Harlivy." In this story, the mischievous duo of Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn use hypnotizing lipstick on Bruce Wayne, compelling him to follow their every order. Utilizing his absurd level of wealth, the wicked pair quickly indulge themselves in a lavish shopping spree.
The dynamic between these two fan favorites is clear as day. Even as early as 1995, it was clear that writers knew there was something special about their relationship. Even when they inevitably get caught, they’re more concerned about a silly argument than Batman standing right in front of them,
9 Batman: Harley Quinn (1999)
While the Holiday Special was on the sillier side, Batman: Harley Quinn is the first to explore Harley’s relationship with Ivy in a serious light. During this time, she was still under Joker’s thumb. Poison Ivy finds Harley Quinn in a crashed rocket, and nurses her back to health. Already, it’s clear as day to see that Ivy has a soft spot for Harley.
Poison Ivy encourages vengeance against Batman and Joker, and even gives her a special drink that makes her immune to Joker's gas. The story explores Harley’s toxic relationship with the Joker and establishes Poison Ivy as one of her closest allies. Despite not having any blatant romance, Ivy shows far more love for Harley than the Joker ever does in this short exchange.
8 Gotham Girls (2002)
Gotham Girls follows the five main girls of Gotham in the animated series: Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Batgirl, Renee Montoya, and Catwoman. Being the Timmverse, Harley and Poison Ivy are still firmly on the side of the bad guys. That said, their relationship is borderline blatant in this one, especially since Joker only shows up in a flashback.
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In Gotham Girls #3 by Paul Storrie, Jennifer Graves, J. Bone, Patrica Mulvihill, and Phil Felix, with all the girls fighting over an important vial, Harley and Ivy get distracted by each other. Ivy refuses to hurt Harley. In turn, when Ivy gets hurt, Harley is reluctant to leave her, showing just how much they care about each other.
7 Batman: Harley and Ivy (2004)
Batman: Harley and Ivy by Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Shane Glines, Lee Loughridge, and Tom Orzechowski is the first comic run to fully focus on the relationship between Harley and Ivy. They also focus on the more toxic aspects, albeit in a lighthearted fashion since it’s a comedy comic. Harley is portrayed as a ditz who barely realizes how annoyed Ivy is with her.
Despite the annoyance, Ivy very clearly cares about Harley, especially when it’s established how anti-social she is. She can’t stand most human beings and prefers to work alone, but Harley consistently manages to worm her way into her schemes. While Harley is still head over heels for Joker at this point, she’s clearly trusting Ivy in ways she doesn’t even realize.
6 Gotham City Sirens (2009)
Gotham City Sirens by Paul Dini, Guillem March, Jose Villarrubia, and Steve Wands add a third wheel to the Harley/Ivy dynamic in the form of Catwoman. At this point, Harley doesn’t even give any reasons for going to Ivy’s place. She just decides to move in with Ivy and Ivy barely blinks at the idea. She only acknowledges Harley when she starts saying how she’s over Mr. J again.
Ivy, in a deadpan tone, calls out Harley for wanting another round of abuse, humiliation, and regret, before leaving Ivy behind once again. It’s a subtle nod to the two characters’ history at this point. Ivy wants to get Harley away from the Joker but is clearly used to Harley being regressive at this point. That dynamic sets the tone for their relationship in this series.
5 DC Bombshells (2015)
The DC Bombshells universe created by Ant Lucia is a gorgeously realized dieselpunk alternate reality inspired by 1940s pinup art. Here, the female heroes are reimagined as frontline superheroes in World War II, and of course, Pamela Ysley and Harleen Quinzel make an appearance in this continuity.
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Here, Pamela Ysley was a French smuggler who uses a strange perfume that dazes the men she meets, at the cost of turning her green. In a nice change of pace, Harleen and Pamela are straight-up heroes, and they’re also in a committed relationship. There’s something so nice about a universe where these two women can enjoy each other’s company openly, even if it’s in the middle of a war.
4 Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red #1 (2020)
Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red is a huge anthology of stories, but the most gorgeous of the bunch has to be its amazing first entry, Harleen Red by Stjepan Šejić of Harleen fame, and Gabriela Downie. Harleen has the tables turned on her, with a different psychiatrist attempting to get through to her. Dr. Leah asks her what the color red means to her.
Tragically, it reminds her of all the horrible things the Joker made her do. Strangely, she says that it also reminds her of a rose, the first association that isn’t negative. The “rose” appears shortly after, as Poison Ivy arrives to break her out, bathed in a dazzling light and wreathed in roses. Unlike the tragic tale of Harleen, this one shot ends with Harley in a healthier romance.
3 Batman: Urban Legends #1 (2021)
Batman: Urban Legends #1 by Chip Zdarsky, Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, Marcus To, Adriano Lucas, and Becca Carey is an anthology of stories, but one of them features a sadder story. In New Roots, Harley Quinn stands alone in a greenhouse that Ivy once lived in. It’s bittersweet seeing both Harley and Ivy in classic outfits and openly professing their love for each other.
The sharp contrast of the warm and vivid flashbacks to the cold and barren present is a great representation of the ups and downs that the couple goes through. The relationship between Harley and Ivy is wonderfully complex in execution but simple at its core. They do care for each other. They just don’t know how to do it properly, because they’ve never had to before each other.
2 DC Pride
DC Pride is an annual event that started in 2021 and showcased the many LGBTQ+ couples in the DC Universe. As expected, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn are regular members, showing up in both volumes of the event so far. These stories are great because they feature Harley and Ivy at their healthiest in a relationship.
It’s rare to see the two genuinely happy and pining for each other, without any angst. While they may have short spats in these one-shot stories, it always ends with them making up and probably beating up some menacing threat. As a bonus, DC Pride has some truly gorgeous variant covers that feature the couple in candid and wholesome scenarios.
1 Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: The Eat Bang Kill Tour! (2021)
Set between the second and third seasons of the Harley Quinn animated series, this hilarious limited series by TeeFranklin, Max Sarin, Marissa Louise, and Taylor Esposito focuses on the two lovebirds as they escape from Ivy’s complete train wreck of a wedding. This story best encapsulates the dynamic of Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn in all of its heartwarming yet toxic glory.
They’re both immature and selfish people in different ways, but the story makes a good effort of sowing the seeds for their self-improvement in season three. This transitional tale is a great way to explore the negative aspects of their relationship while acknowledging that they aren’t insurmountable. It’s unique because it doesn’t end with Ivy and Harley perfectly happy or broken up. Just like any relationship, it’s complicated.
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