During the 2019 edition of San Diego Comic Con, we were able to screen the first episode of Harley Quinn ahead of the series premiere in October. Prepare yourselves for one wild ride.

The DC Universe original series Harley Quinn is an animated adaptation of the fan favorite villain, finally receiving the spotlight she’s deserved. When it typically comes to the animated realm of DC, you have child friendly series like Teen Titans Go! or you have something in the middle such as Young Justice, but it’s newest Harley Quinn centric story is something much more adult than we were aware was even possible for the juggernaut studio.

The first episode touches on several issues that you might have with the character, one of which is her always playing second fiddle to the Joker. Throughout her history in all media, Harley has always run right back to the Joker no matter how often he leaves her to die, face incarceration or even a beating, but she rarely holds him accountable for her actions. In Harley Quinn, she actually reflects upon her trauma from the Joker and even plays into her sometimes teetering loyalty to him. The difference in this is that she shows much more strength and is able to breakaway (for now) by the conclusion of the first episode.

A big part of this transition comes from the much needed presence of Poison Ivy. In Harley Quinn, she plays the best friend and possible love interest(?), spending a majority of her role to liberating Harley. She is the perfect character to have partner up with Harley and the two share a dynamic that adds intrigue, humor and lightheartedness that is easily the driving force of the series. While discussing the comedic elements of Harley Quinn, it’s certainly the most enticing genre that is tackled for the pilot episode. The humor is almost non-stop, and has an ‘R Rated’ demeanor that embraces occasional outlandishness and plenty of swearing that’s used to remind viewers of it’s playful nature.

Another fun portion of Harley Quinn is the impressive action, having multiple bloody brawls and still finding time to add character growth or on-brand comedy. Whether Harley is fighting a gang and breaking bones or spitting blood after a punch, the brutality is just one more trait that integrates a fun energy for it’s intended adult audience. We get to see Harley use her mallet, a baseball bat and her own limbs in order to wreak havoc and seeing her ready to throw down with anyone just gives us insight on what a badass this incarnation of Harley is.

Of course it wouldn’t be Harley without a little Joker action, and he is obviously present in her original series but not enough to steal the attention or make him a necessity to keep things afloat. The point of Harley Quinn is that she doesn’t need Joker and of course because of their past there will always be something to connect the two, the series makes the brilliant decision to imply that it won’t be a major piece of the puzzle.

Because the series is still based on Batman, you can guarantee he makes appearances and this version is particularly broody in more amusing instances. He is short to respond, blunt, and most importantly tired of dealing with criminals which is the best approach for the narrative to follow. Others like James Gordon come off like a drunk officer and little awareness to continue to trend of being caricature versions of themselves. For that, Harley Quinn is a perfect balance of everything you can achieve with an animated series and it’s insanely easy to enjoy the satirical ride from beginning to end.

Harley Quinn is expected to run from October through early 2020 and for more on Harley Quinn, check out and subscribe to DC Universe for some of the best content you can find.