Posted in: Batman, Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: dc comics, DC TV, harley quinn, poison ivy, straightwashing

DC TV Vs DC Comics Over Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy

DC Daily just posted a new episode, looking at Poison Ivy's decision to choose Harley Quinn over Kite Man. And they had a lot to celebrate by the all-but wedding of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy in the most recent Harley Quinn TV series.

It is rather in contrast with the DC website's focus today on the Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy mini-series, the language used smacking of straight-washing.

Jody Houser and Adriana Melo's vibrant miniseries shines a spotlight on one of comics' most compelling—and popular—female friendships.

And the closest the article gets to recognising Harley and Ivy as a couple is this paragraph.

Whenever one is threatened, the other becomes fiercely protective. When Ivy's deteriorating in a mall shopping bag thanks to her unreliable form, Harley's hand reaches over to gather her withered fingers. In any form, Harley loves her, and that proves to be the linchpin of the whole thing.

Bleeding Cool has repeatedly listed how DC Comics once celebrated with marketing, a lesbian relationship between Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn in the Harley Quinn comic book but spent 2019 and 2020 walking that back.

Poison Ivy was removed from the Harley Quinn comic and the new writer of Harley Quinn, Sam Humphries, forbidden from bringing her back in again, while introducing a new romantic interest for Harley in Booster Gold. DC Social media began referring to Harley Quinn as single, and a statue of Harley and Ivy together saw its solicitation rewritten to remove any indication that they were girlfriends, merely friends, and a goodbye kiss in their own mini-series was notably redrawn as  a peck on the forehead.

But the Harley Quinn TV series has constantly upped the relationship, while the DC Daily Show has reflected the fan response – which is its job – even as Harley Quinn comic book writer Sam Humphries, forbidden from using Poison Ivy in the comic – expressed his support most vehemently.

But for Pride Month, a season that DC Comics publicly supports and posts positive messages, each has now been responded to by a lot of people asking about Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, each and everyone ignored by DC Comics, in the way that other responses are not. The only exception was DC VP Hank Kanalz – and only in a personal capacity.

Still, at least the fans have the TV series – if they can get it.

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