Warning: Spoilers for Batman '89: Echoes #5!Jack Nicholson's sequel to 1989's Batman featuring Madonna in the role has been repurposed for Batman '89: Echoes, a comic series that continues the continuity of Tim Burton's movies.
In Batman '89: Echoes #5 by Sam Hamm, Joe Quinones, Stacey Lee, Paolo Rivera, Leonardo Ito, and Carlos M. Mangual, Harley Quinn enacts the latest step of her plan. As a Jeff Goldblum-esque Scarecrow plunges Gotham into chaos with his fear juice, Harley creates a hostage situation at the ACN news station.
Much of the story has seen her dressed like a court jester, but for this hostage crisis, she arrives in style with a brand-new costume reminiscent of the Joker as played by Nicholson from the first Burton Batman movie.
Madonna's Harley Quinn Re-Enters Tim Burton Canon with a New Joker-Like Suit
It Definitely Borrows Elements of Jack Nicholson's Joker
In this universe, before becoming Harley Quinn, Dr. Harleen Quinzel brings her skills as a psychiatrist to ACN as a frequent television guest for City Beat. "Dr. Q" is openly a fanatic and a sympathizer of the late Joker. Feeling slighted by her TV producer, Chuck Lantz, over failed promises of a prime-time TV hosting spot is enough to finally set her off. With a flurry of Arkham Asylum inmates assisting her after their therapy sessions, Dr. Q arrives at ACN in a suit similar to the one that the Joker wears in Batman, albeit with inverted colors, taking Lantz hostage.
Batman '89 Officially Exists in the Same Universe as This Bizarre Rick Moranis Comedy (& We Can Prove It)
Batman's Burtonverse introduces two new unexpected characters from a cult comedy hit starring Rick Moranis, but they make perfect sense to real fans.
Harley Quinn sports a similar wide-brimmed hat, gloves, checkered pants, and even white face paint to match her fallen idol. The biggest difference comes in the color choice. The dominant color in Harley's ensemble is red rather than purple. Her gloves are white instead of purple. However, she does trade the Joker's green vest for a purple one, as well as his orange dress shirt with a red and black one. She adds additional flair to her tie, as the Joker has a straight green necktie, contrasting with her purple tie with white polka dots. Her pants are white with black stripes.
What This New Joker-Like "Costume" Says About Harley Quinn of the Burtonverse
This Is a Character-Driven Depiction of the Original Joker Sidekick
This costume ensemble goes a long way to showcase exactly how much Harley Quinn idolizes the late Jack Napier. By proxy, it paints this version of Harley similar to her original iteration from her canonical origins, only with a twist. Before gaining her independence, Harley was unwaveringly loyal and blindly dedicated to Mr. J. In this world, Harleen never meets the Joker before his death, but she has clearly ired him from afar and studied him enough to duplicate his wardrobe to a tee, albeit with a Harley Quinn touch.
Batman '89: Echoes #5 is available now from DC Comics.
- Created By
- Paul Dini, Bruce Timm
- First Appearance
- Batman: The Animated Series
- Alias
- Dr. Harleen s Quinzel
- Alliance
- Suicide Squad, Gotham City Sirens, Quinntets, Gang of Harleys, Secret Six, Justice League of Anarchy, Batman family
- Franchise
- D.C.
- Created By
- Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson
- Cast
- Cesar Romero, Barry Keoghan
- First Appearance
- Batman (1940)
- Alias
- Red Hood, Clown Prince of Crime, Ace of Knaves
- RELATIONSHIPS
- Batman (archenemy), Harley Quinn (former psychiatrist, on-and-off girlfriend), Penguin (frequent collaborator), Two-Face (frequent collaborator)
- Alliance
- Injustice League, Legion of Doom, Injustice Gang
The Joker is a psychopathic criminal mastermind with a warped sense of humor. Initially introduced as a remorseless serial killer, the character evolved over time, often oscillating between a prankster and a homicidal maniac. His relationship with Batman is one of the most complex in comic book history, defined by their mutual obsession. Over the decades, the Joker has become an enduring icon of chaos and madness, embodying the antithesis of Batman's order and justice.
- Movies
- Joker: Folie a Deux
- TV Shows
- Batwoman
- Video Games
- Batman: Return of the Joker, The Adventures of Batman & Robin (SNES), Gotham Knights
- Franchise
- D.C.
- POWERS
- Criminal Mastermind, Expert Chemist, Weaponized Props, Psychological Manipulation, Combat Skills, Unpredictability, High Pain Tolerance, Charisma, Escape Artist
- HISTORY
- The Joker's history has been depicted with various origin stories, the most common being his transformation into the Joker after falling into a vat of chemical waste that bleaches his skin white, turns his hair green, and lips bright red. This disfigurement drives him insane, leading him to become Batman's greatest nemesis.
- NAME
- Arthur Fleck
- Age
- Varies by portrayal; generally depicted as being in his 30s to 40s.
- Height
- Typically depicted around 6 feet (1.83 meters).
- Comic Books
- Joker #1, The Joker #5, Joker: Killer Smile #1, Batman: Three Jokers #1, Batman: The Joker War Zone #1, DC's Year of the Villain: Joker #1, Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #1, The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #1, Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity Secret Files #1, The Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1
