We wanted her to fit into this world of Gotham that we created from the first movie.
Pun names exist for a reason!).
We know nothing about Lee other than that shes a liar and a fantasist.
Like a tower of Jenga blocks, how much can you take away while still leaving the structure standing?
The first, drastic reimagining came with her appearance in theBatman: Arkham Asylumgame.
But this is not the only new version of Harley weve seen this year.
This Harley is first and foremost a psychologist.
The accent is still there, if a good deal more subtle.
It is honestly hard not to root for her.
So is this character any more Harley Quinn than Lady Gagas fangirl?
If there was any doubt before, the filmsshocking if questionable endingsettled the case.
Phillips himself has come out and said, The first film is calledJoker.
Its not called The Joker, its calledJoker.
And the first film under the script always said an origin story.
Never said THE origin story.
It was this idea that maybe this isnt THE Joker.
Maybe this is the inspiration for the Joker.
Is that the guy?
And whatever else you think about that plot twist, there is some wisdom in it.
This Joker doesnt need an origin story.
It is a gallery filled with colourful imagery, potent iconography, and dramatic motivations and origin stories.
Which begs the question why so many interpretations are keen to strip away all of that.
In all honesty,the Penguinstands out as one of the most vanilla in the pack.
His outfits are decidedly more downmarket than anything even the sewer-dwelling Danny DeVito version would be seen dead in.
What makes the character them?
and, more often than not, What does the storyteller actually care about?
Outside of Gotham City, one of the biggest streamlined reboots was probably the 2005 continuation ofDoctor Who.
It was a strategic stripping away of the characters identifiable traits.
So instead the show focused on the characters sense of wonder, adventure, and frankly, scariness.
Get it?).
He doesnt even solve crimes.
And as crucial as some elements are, some do not make the cut.
Harley kicks ass, creates chaos, and has a problematic relationship history.
The Penguin is driven to crime by status anxiety.
Sherlock Holmes uses his off-kilter view of human nature to solve mysteries from seemingly minor or unrelated clues.
The glut of multiverse stories approaches the same question from the opposite direction.
Miles Morales is not Peter Parker.
