Harper Row: Bluebird Appreciation 2021

[Majesty]

Are we sure Harper is being used as a prop here? We're talking "what if"s, but in a way like it's already happened.

Unless Harper had snuck in some tech in her teeth or something that recorded Punchline's confession through her gloating, to be used later to expose her. Which she could have done, but again the comic portrays it like Harper's way in over her head instead of that she was baiting her into a confession. Not to mention they seemed to have forgotten the master tactician part by making her feel the need to go in there to infiltrate and talk to Punchline without any kind of tech or plan. Punchline made her look like a rookie, and I doubt that they'd go back on that as that's how they seem to think that's how to make Punchline work, at the expense of other characters.

[Stars & Stripes]

Unless Harper had snuck in some tech in her teeth or something that recorded Punchline's confession through her gloating, to be used later to expose her. Which she could have done, but again the comic portrays it like Harper's way in over her head instead of that she was baiting her into a confession. Not to mention they seemed to have forgotten the master tactician part by making her feel the need to go in there to infiltrate and talk to Punchline without any kind of tech or plan. Punchline made her look like a rookie, and I doubt that they'd go back on that as that's how they seem to think that's how to make Punchline work, at the expense of other characters.

The eight-page length of the stories (but ultimately 4 this month due to splitting with Cullen’s story) doesn’t help matters, too.

My point is, while I don’t want things to be written that Bluebird is super perfect and never loses, writing her to be so incompetent that Punchline made her look foolish seems really silly.

[Majesty]

The eight-page length of the stories (but ultimately 4 this month due to splitting with Cullen’s story) doesn’t help matters, too.

My point is, while I don’t want things to be written that Bluebird is super perfect and never loses, writing her to be so incompetent that Punchline made her look foolish seems really silly.

I also think Bluebird has paid her dues in terms of growth/success/failure. That she shouldn't be being outsmarted/taken down/made to look incompetent by a rookie. Bluebird couldn't be 'turned' to making a harsh action of violence when they attempted to manipulate her against Cassandra Cain(whom she knew at that point had killed her mother). But she got through that and outsmarted THEM in the process, treating her 'indecision' as really buying time for the team. But yeah she goes through that and succeeds through that, showing how much she'd grown and how smart she was and how she can't JUST be played like that. But Punchline's gonna bring up her brother in a baby toned voice and that's just gonna make her smack her with a trey and fall right into Punchline's plan.. yeah, bull.

If they were playing Punchline's arrogance as her downfall because she thinks she knows more than the other heroes that have been doing this for years and her little speech to Harper bites her down the road because Harper was secretly recording her... then that's one thing. She'd actually lose and have to grow from it. But she's written as pretty much 20 steps ahead of them. We're meant to believe this college student that's been a Supervillain for less than half a year can destroy Harley Quinn(while dodging bullets at point blank range) and defeat Batgirl in a fight, make herself immune to all of Joker's toxins... trick Catwoman, GET THE DROP ON BRUCE FREAKING WAYNE IN HIS OWN BATCAVE....and outsmart Bluebird. She gets sent to jail and then outsmarts everyone by causing a social media revolution for her within one video, manipulating everyone into being on her side. THEN on top of that, when she gets sent to prison.. on her what... second day/week? She causes the Royal Flush Gang to betray(and supposedly kill) the Queen of Spades, therefore taking all her resources and becoming the new Queenpin on the inside?? It's too freaking much. She's getting handed pretty much everything, and even when she supposedly fails, it winds up making her that much stronger because it's all some well orchestrated plan.

If she had been a supervillain for years with the training t o boot and had established herself as one of the most brilliant minds in Gotham that'd be one thing. But nah.. this fresh out of college Joker fangirl is gonna take down Harley and Batgirl and sneak up on Bruce in his own Batcave nearly taking him out of commission too. Oh and is going to own the whole Royal Flush Gang..then in her spare time will make Bluebird look like an idiot.. all in the span of her first few months as a Supervillain.

It's too...freaking..much.

[Westbats]

And the thing is, they don't need to use Bluebird as a prop to big up Punchline. She literally nearly killed Harley(after dodging bullets from point blank range), was behind all the stuff going down in Gotham and Bruce Wayne no longer being rich. Fooled the world via social media to not seeing her as a bad guy...But the problem is they are using characters that would actually be very interesting as just canon fodder to build up her resume and making them throwaways. Next thing they're gonna say is she's an even better mastermind than the Joker or something like that.

I'm still under the belief that Punchline was intended to be a mini-series, the pacing of events is are excessive just to fit within the eight-pages a month.

Are we sure Harper is being used as a prop here? We're talking "what if"s, but in a way like it's already happened.

That's a fair argument; because of the wait time between chapters there is a lot of speculation on my (and our) part about what could happen.

Unless Harper had snuck in some tech in her teeth or something that recorded Punchline's confession through her gloating, to be used later to expose her.

Up until Harper hit Punchline I thought the tattoos were some kind of wearable tech.

The eight-page length of the stories (but ultimately 4 this month due to splitting with Cullen’s story) doesn’t help matters, too.

I really wish the story got a bit of breathing room by utilizing the Joker Annual the same way the Ghost-Maker backup is getting resolved in the Batman Annual.

[Stars & Stripes]

Like, the story could ultimately end with Bluebird winning in the end, but how the story has gone down makes her look kinda incompetent.

[Westbats]

Like, the story could ultimately end with Bluebird winning in the end, but how the story has gone down makes her look kinda incompetent.

It'll certainly be a difficult task to resolve this story fully by April; as long as Punchline stays out of Arkham, she wins. I agree with you about Harper appearing incompetent; it certainly hasn't done many favours.

[Stars & Stripes]

It'll certainly be a difficult task to resolve this story fully by April; as long as Punchline stays out of Arkham, she wins. I agree with you about Harper appearing incompetent; it certainly hasn't done many favours.

There was certainly a better way to do this without diminishing anyone, by just having the stories be separate:

- Bluebird investigates Punchline's past and so on while on the outside and gathers leads instead of being outsmarted by one guy and then deciding to go to the prison

- Punchline rises to becoming the queen of the prison concurrent to Bluebird's investigation

Then you can converge them at some point. Though, I understand the eight-page backup format doesn't necessarily lend itself well to this kind of storytelling.

[Stars & Stripes]

Joker #7

spoilers:

I guess it's a minor mercy that 'ol Blue wasn't written as stupid as she was last issue, as she found the girl she was looking for?

end of spoilers

[Stars & Stripes]

Turns out she's also in Future State: Gotham #5, too.

spoilers:

She's seen in one panel helping Batwoman defeat Orca, which is kinda funny given that Orca's in the Punchline backups.

end of spoilers

[Caivu]

Turns out she's also in Future State: Gotham #5, too.

spoilers:

She's seen in one panel helping Batwoman defeat Orca, which is kinda funny given that Orca's in the Punchline backups.

end of spoilers

It also means she got her wish from Batman Eternal #52.

[Stars & Stripes]

It also means she got her wish from Batman Eternal #52.

It only feeds my desire to see Harper in season 3 of Batwoman.

[Westbats]

I read Punchline Chapter 7 over the weekend, definitely felt like a 180 from the previous instalment. It showcased Harper's resourcefulness and Friday's solicits show the story will move a lot in the next couple of issues.

Feels like the Punchline and The Royal Flush Gang storyline will continue into 2022, I wonder who will take writing duties?

Seeing her in Future State: Gotham was a pleasant surprise. Despite my initial fears, Harper is still a hero.

[Zorkel567]

I read Punchline Chapter 7 over the weekend, definitely felt like a 180 from the previous instalment. It showcased Harper's resourcefulness and Friday's solicits show the story will move a lot in the next couple of issues.

Feels like the Punchline and The Royal Flush Gang storyline will continue into 2022, I wonder who will take writing duties?

Tynion said in one of his newsletters, that he will be remaining on The Joker through issue 14, and that the Punchline story will continue all the way through, before wrapping in #14 as well.

[Will Evans]

Any word if Harper will appear in the new Webtoon?

Also, while I’m glad Cass is getting new exposure in the upcoming Batman Hot Wheels cartoon. I can’t help but feel with the “techie” background, the Batgirl should have been Harper.



(Yes, I know Harper has never been Batgirl, but Technically Duke hasn’t been the main Robin either.)

[Konja7]

Any word if Harper will appear in the new Webtoon?

Also, while I’m glad Cass is getting new exposure in the upcoming Batman Hot Wheels cartoon. I can’t help but feel with the “techie” background, the Batgirl should have been Harper.



(Yes, I know Harper has never been Batgirl, but Technically Duke hasn’t been the main Robin either.)

If they wanted a "white" Batgirl, they would have used Barbara and give her a "techie" background. In fact, many adaptations give Barbara tech abilities.

They choose Cassandra, because they want diversity in the characters.