Current Events > What made Harley Quinn more popular than Poison Ivy or Batgirl?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Is she really that compelling a character?
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Jokers cool so she's cool by association.
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She's a crazy character like Deadpool

GregShmedley posted...

Margot Robbie + Twitter generation.

she was popular before the movie portrayal
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Trashy white girls with serial killer lover fantasies.
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She was pushed harder by DC. Joker is Batman's villain, it's only plausible that Harley is the most popular female villain.

Also BtAS really highlighted her. Poison Ivy was a bore in the show for the most part.
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Hot pants with cheeks hanging out and mad cleavage probably didnt hurt either. They are shifting to that with Ivy in Gotham now too.

Might have something to do with movies. Ivy and Batgirl happened to be in the worst Batman film of all time. I don't know if Suicide Squad is good or bad, but obviously at least some people liked it.

And Harley of course was the breakout character in BTAS.
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What happened was halfway through new 52 they did a thing where Harley broke out of her abusive relationship with the joker and got her Independence and she got super popular ever since.
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Unlike Poison Ivy and Batgirl, Harley Quinn was a rare example of a TV creation garnering enough popularity to jump into the comics. She was a cartoon first, comic character second. More than a couple of the Animated Series episodes painted her in a dark yet sympathetic light, unlike her male counterpart the Joker. This helped make her more appealing to both male and female watchers of the show.

Poison Ivy didn't really get similar treatment in the Animated Series. She was generally shown as close to murderously psychotic as the Joker in her criminal schemes, she just came in what more people would consider a prettier package. The character has also had a longstanding misandrist undertone both in and out of the comics, which can turn off both male and female Batman fans for different reasons. For the most part, Harley hasn't really ever had that issue...except when she's hanging out with Poison Ivy.

Batgirl can be an interesting character on her own with a deeper history. However, some comic character fans (particularly casuals) just see her as a female Batman-Lite (most casuals don't even know there's a Batwoman now or just assumed it was an updated Barbara). And I say this as someone who's liked the character Batgirl more than Batman.

Also don't underestimate how significant Harley being the iconically "cute" one of the 3 is. That can often boost a character's popularity immensely, especially attractive female characters with a comical side.
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^I strongly agree with all that.

ClockworkHare pretty much nailed it, Posion Ivy was too much of a man hating bitch, Batgirl was just a goody two shoes in a skirt, but Harley was the sexy crazy chick that you could sympathize with as she is not psycho evil like Joker and her back story shows she was a victim of Jokers insanity.

Catwoman and Harley Quinn are the two more popular female characters in the Batman series.
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Crazy in the streets
crazy in the sheets
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Personality.

In the cartoons at least

Batgirl is a bland do gooder whose main plot hook is about who her daddy is. Not anything about her.

Poison Ivy "Just wants to make the world good for plants!" which is hilarious and 2-Dimensional.

Harely was funny, sympathetic, interesting. She had funny relationships with Joker, Ivy, Batman etc. She had a character.

Imagine being locked in a room with Batgirl for a night.

Now imagine being locked in a room with Harely all night.

You damn well know night #2 would be more memorable. Even if she just killed you.
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@UnfairRepresent

One could perhaps say that the risk is worth it cause under all the crazy Harley Quinn is a fun woman to be around, smart too considering everything.

Barbra Gordon would be boring to be stuck in a room with, she would not try to kill you and could have some interesting stories to share but only if you know she is batgirl.
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Offworlder1 posted...

One could perhaps say that the risk is worth it

Heavy risk.....

But the priiiiiiiiiiiiiize
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This topic has made me really sure the next cosplayrole play fun will be Harley Quinn inspired, now to see which of my sweethearts wants to be Harley.
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...Are there actually people trying to argue Harley only became popular recently? She was only adopted by the comics because of her popularity from TAS.
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Being a better character than Batgirl and Poison Ivy

BLAKUboy posted...

...Are there actually people trying to argue Harley only became popular recently? She was only adopted by the comics because of her popularity from TAS.

Her popularity stems from TAS but it didn't explode into the monstrous Juggernaut that it did until Palmiotti / Connor's New 52 series.
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I love pigtails.
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Her playful, sexy, naughty, crazy, horny vibe combined with those outfits.
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she's a fun character.

whether shes in a bat family or suicide squad comic, she brings much needed levity in those grim comics. that's why she stands out the most cause she's polarizing.
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The Arkham games helped, since they just took Jeanette Voerman's look from Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines and made her a fuckton more attractive that way.
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*What made Harley Quinn more popular than Poison Ivy or Batgirl?*

Arkham series.
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Tyranthraxus posted...

BLAKUboy posted...

...Are there actually people trying to argue Harley only became popular recently? She was only adopted by the comics because of her popularity from TAS.

Her popularity stems from TAS but it didn't explode into the monstrous Juggernaut that it did until Palmiotti / Connor's New 52 series.

Which is the result of her huge popularity from TAS...
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TheoryzC posted...

Tyranthraxus posted...

BLAKUboy posted...

...Are there actually people trying to argue Harley only became popular recently? She was only adopted by the comics because of her popularity from TAS.

Her popularity stems from TAS but it didn't explode into the monstrous Juggernaut that it did until Palmiotti / Connor's New 52 series.

Which is the result of her huge popularity from TAS...

She was in the comics for fucking years before New 52 but wasn't anywhere near as popular even after the New 52 launch. It literally wasn't until Palmiotti / Connor's comics did she start having her face plastered everywhere.

You're like trying to argue that Brad Pitt is famous because of Thelma and Louise.
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