Why is Harley Quinn so popular?

[CEOjo]

She even exceeds WONDER WOMAN of all people to an extent in terms of DC females. Why is this the case?

My thoughts on why I think this is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeWOLByoDfc

[FlictsLantern]

Very good analysis. I agree with you with the herd effect. Lots of people like her, so it makes even more people to know her and become a fan. I think she has the vantage of being a fresh character. Most of us saw her first appearance, we follow her growth... Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, are all great characters, but are not, for the lack of a better term, "ours" they were created in another time, with other people in mind. Now, Harley, harley is the "little baby" we follow every step of.
That said, I was a big fan of her in Batman Animated, but did not liked her books on the New 52. They turned the fun psicho in yet another blood-for-blood-sake character. This does not seem to change in the Rebirth era, so... I am not as amused with her anymore.

[Trey Strain]

I don't know, but when something like that happens the company just has to go with it.

[Nite-Wing]

She was presented to an audience outside of the comics fans with the arkham games and basically became DC's most popular female character

[Icefalcon]

It's a bit of an odd question in the fact that why is anything popular? Because a lot of people like it. Popular doesn't have to be good, or even morally acceptable it just needs a large fan base.

A similar thing happened with Wolverine in the 90's. A surly occasionally blood thirsty anti hero became the poster boy for Marvel and he's still fairly up there sales and recognition wise although I think Spidey has clawed back the top spot

[codystarbuck]

She was presented to an audience outside of the comics fans with the arkham games and basically became DC's most popular female character

Her popularity began with the animated series, which reached far more people than the video games. A lot is down to Paul Dini's writing, the character design, and Arlene Sorkin's wonderful vocal performance. Everything else follows from that. Quite frankly, the comics don't capture what made her great in the cartoon.

[Doctor Know]

Probably the same reason the Joker and Deadpool are popular. People like the unconventional characters. They can be more genuine in a sense.

[Kolimar]

Her popularity began with the animated series, which reached far more people than the video games. A lot is down to Paul Dini's writing, the character design, and Arlene Sorkin's wonderful vocal performance. Everything else follows from that.

What he said.

[Trey Strain]

I used to ask girls why they idolized Madonna, and about all I could get out of them was, "She does what she wants to."

Maybe it;s something like that.

[unholyrevenger72]

For the ladies it's because being in an abusive relationship is very relatable... sadly and her indomitable spirit.

For the strait guys every one wants to stick their dick in crazy at least once.

[Atlanta96]

I think it's because she stands out among all the other women in comics as a crazy, goofy, mentally troubled villain/antihero. She's a rare kind of female character that grabs people's attention, and is interesting enough for people to get invested in.

[cgh]

I used to ask girls why they isolized Madonna, and about all I could get out of them was, "She does what she wants to."

Maybe it;s something like that.

Yeah, rebellious, slightly transgressive, annoys parents everywhere, etc. Teenage stuff and in retrospect updating Harley to Tank Girl status seems obvious.

[TsukiSentinel]

I don't know, but it pisses me off. Not because I hate Harley, but because Selina/Catwoman is spat on left and right by DC.

Though, Harley's true character doesn't exist anymore. She ended with the cartoon. The Arkham games did her character justice as well.

[Atlanta96]

I don't know, but it pisses me off. Not because I hate Harley, but because Selina/Catwoman is spat on left and right by DC.

Though, Harley's true character doesn't exist anymore. She ended with the cartoon. The Arkham games did her character justice as well.

It sucks that DC has no idea what to do with Catwoman. Her series at the start of the New 52 was closer in tone to how the character should be, but suffered from bad writing and a few cringeworthy scenes. Then they went for the opposite extreme and made her so modest and inoffensive that it ran her series into the ground.