Harley Quinn’s character has gotten out of hand.

In DC's preview for Harley Quinn #44 – written by Elliott Kalan and art by Mindy Lee – there’s a moment of meta-commentary where Harley its she has become largely disted, as she points out several problems she’s facing with herself.

Harley mentions how she tried to redeem herself from her misdeeds while with the Joker, but now she’s too good to be a villain while being too chaotic and morally gray to be a hero. Harley Quinn’s internal struggle presents how this new era can fix her while also reflecting on her dramatic character growth.

Harley Quinn's New Era Sets Out To Correct The DC Fan-Favorite's Inner Turmoil

Harley Quinn #44 – Written By Elliott Kalan; Art By Mindy Lee; Lettering By Lucas Gattoni

Harley Quinn’s internal struggle between good and evil is by no means new, but this preview shows Harley’s interesting perspective of being unhappy with her current life. Harley presents herself as a broken character, being a hero one story while committing crimes the next. She notes how she no longer enjoys what she’s doing while also feeling alone being cut off from Poison Ivy. As an interesting new direction for her character, the preview shows Harley Quinn in a rough place with no as she reminisces about when she was a bright, hopeful college student.

Tini Howard’s run ended on a high note for Harley, but now with Poison Ivy on the run and Vandal Savage as Gotham’s commissioner, Harley Quinn could be facing a lot of internal and external turmoil. After Howard’s run largely being chock-full of colorful and zany stories, a darker, more reflective Harley with a stronger anti-heroic outlook could be a nice change for Harley’s character, while returning to basics. With Harley mentioning her struggle between hero and villain, it’s evident this new creative team seeks to bring Harley’s characterization as an anti-hero back on track.

Harley Quinn Is A Multifaceted Character That Can Be Both Funny And Serious

Can This New Era Balance All That Makes Harley Quinn?

Harley is definitively a chaotic character, but there is more to her than being a slapstick anti-hero. She is an emotionally complex and highly skilled character who can portray multiple facets of her identity without devolving into a caricature of herself. With Ivy gone and Harley feeling lost, this new era of Harley introduces a downward spiral for Harley to pull herself out of, and grow from. It’s worth pondering whether this new era of Harley Quinn will take her in a new and interesting direction while also being able to mend her messy characterization.

Harley Quinn #44 will be available on October 23, 2024 from DC Comics!