Batman is in a particularly unique place in the greater DC Universe, which can be taken as both a negative and a positive. On the movie side, Robert Pattinson and Matt Reeves are already neck-deep into production on The Batman – Part II, which is gearing up for a massive release in Oct. 2027 behind a star-studded cast. Meanwhile, DC Studios’ The Brave and the Bold continues to sit in production limbo, as there have been no reports detailing when that movie may be made or released, and casting for the DCU’s new Batman is still nothing more than a constantly-shifting rumor mill.
Also still in the public eye is Harley Quinn, who continues to thrive in both comics and other media after Margot Robbie gave the villain/anti-hero new life in the DCEU. Kaley Cuoco’s TV-MA-rated Harley Quinn animated series brings massive laughs with every episode, and fans hope to see the bat-wielding maniac back in a movie over the next few years as well. However, in one of the craziest developments for Harley in recent memory, the comics version of her got a major twist to her story through a new release.
DC Comics (per Bleeding Cool) released a new issue of the Absolute Batman run, titled Absolute Batman #22, which delivers a new take on Harley Quinn’s origin story. In this comic, Harley’s mother works for Jack Grimm, the Absolute Joker, but then turns against him due to his horrific experiments. When Harley looks into this situation, she finds that Grimm is actually her father, as he calls her “pudding” in a twist on the classic relationship between them. Usually, Harley is depicted as the Joker’s psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum before he drives her insane and turns her into his girlfriend/lover/companion.
This twist will surely be shocking for longtime comic readers, even considering how often plot threads and relationships change through the years. It also gives the Joker a unique level of power and potential leverage over Harley, as that familial relationship knocks the red-suited maniac off her guard and gives her a new perspective on the classic supervillain.
This storyline also comes with some major revelations for Bruce Wayne, as Grimm conspired in both his life and Thomas Wayne’s and leaves readers wondering if the Wayne family patriarch is still alive. While the details are still being kept under wraps for what will happen after this shocking revelation, anticipation is high to see exactly how DC Comics will resolve this new Harley/Joker dynamic and how the characters will continue to thrive on both the page and the screen.
