Harley and Ivy: Life and Crimes #1 is an Honest, Messy Love Story

I hope you’re ready, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy fans, because this is a real love story right here. DC Comics is known for some truly great superhero romances. Superman and Lois Lane, Wally West and Linda Park, or Green Lantern and Star Sapphire (okay, that last one’s not great, but they’re getting better). But what about the romance between the mischievous madcap Harley Quinn and her eco-conscious, eco-terrorist love, Poison Ivy? Where’s their great love story? Where’s the book that takes an honest look at the ups, downs, and all the crazy in-betweens of their relationship?

It’s right here, starting with Harley and Ivy: Life and Crimes #1, written and drawn by Erica Henderson (Jughead, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl). While DC Comics has come a long way in lifting up Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn as a couple, its rare for us to see a story where their relationship is the driving force of a story. But thanks to Henderson’s debut issue, shippers everywhere are getting the story they’ve been waiting for as we dive into the origins of Harley and Ivy’s relationship in a book that’s charming, funny, and unbelievably messy.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Harley and Ivy: Life and Crimes #1 is the Start of a Wild Romance

This comic is billed as “The definitive origin of DC’s wildest love story“, but how wild are we talking here? Well, it’s presented as a flashback, dually narrated by the titular couple. After briefly touching on their first meeting in the “No Man’s Land” arc and a few other times, we dive into what the two truly consider the adventure that kickstarted their romance. Ever the warrior for Mother Earth, Ivy is getting ready to enact a plan that will destroy Ace Chemicals. However, a clown at a crossroads throws a major wrench in the works.

Just as Ivy is preparing to destroy Ace Chemicals, Harley is mustering up the courage to leave the Joker once and for all. However, after discovering what Ivy has planned, Harley snaps and starts fighting Ivy (that’s admittedly a hell of a way to start a romance story). The two end up destroying a part of the factory, only to draw the attention of the Joker. Fresh from reclaiming his cut-off face during the early days of the New 52, Joker beats up Harley, triggering a protective instinct in Ivy and spiriting her future partner away to safety.

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For a love story, this doesn’t start out very romantic. Oh sure, the narration and glimpses of their future make it clear that Harley and Ivy are in love. But this first meeting? It is rough. Harley’s still carrying pain from the abuse she suffered, and Ivy only cares about the Green. And yet, we still see so much of the people they want to be. We see Harley’s loving spirit still thriving inside as well as Ivy’s inner compassion. It’s a fine line, but Henderson does an amazing job rounding out both characters at this early stage in their life.

Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy’s Romantic Origin Isn’t Perfect, But it’s Real

I’m not really a romance fan, myself. But I do appreciate honesty and authenticity in fiction. I think what really works about this book is that Henderson doesn’t pretend that things for Ivy and Harley were perfect from the get-go. She doesn’t pretend that they had a magical moment that changed both of their lives, because, despite what the movies tell us, relationships take time and effort to form. Henderson understands that love is complicated, and its highlighting that complication that elevates this story into something special.

As far as the art goes, Henderson does a great job with that as well. The colors and shading during Harley and Ivy’s encounter in Ace Chemicals does a great job of giving their first meeting a sense of unease, adding to that imperfect first meeting vibe this issue has going on. And when the Joker shows up? Henderson draws him in such a way that you can feel how wrong it is for him to appear here, like a cancerous presence leeching off their story. Henderson takes some interesting swings here, and I’d say there are more hits than misses.

Harley and Ivy: Life and Crimes #1 is a great opening chapter. It acknowledges the love shared between these two queens, but doesn’t shy away from saying their romance isn’t perfect. I think it’s great to have a story that says love doesn’t have to be perfect from the start. That a romance can blossom even when we’re not always acting as our best selves. It’s a very modern approach to a queer love story, and honestly, one of the best things DC Comics can do with Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy’s fan-favorite romance.

What did you think of Harley and Ivy: Life and Crimes #1? Let us know down below!