The death of nuance ruined Harley Quinn.

I find myself coming back to this line of thought regularly. Especially as I try to piece together why exactly I liked Harley Quinn with Joker but can't stand her without. Despite the title this is by no means an objective fact.

If you like how Harley is explored now then cool.

But for me Harley being someone whose love drove her to madness will always be a more enthralling character.

The Harleen comic series is by far one of my favorite takes on not just Harley but the Joker.

The way it plays with perspective and the interplay between what we think we know and what we do know about the characters along with her own doubts and beliefs.

If someone were to say “Joker loves Harley” they're just justifying abuse and don't understand the character. Because you don't hurt someone you love right?

Harley is some Victim that must be saved. But that's the engrossing part Harley didn't want to be saved that was her tragedy her love was self-destructive if you enjoyed that you justified abuse.

The nuance of enjoying something not quite acceptable without justifying it is lost.

If you enjoy berserk you are a fan of Rape and Gore.

You can like villains as long as they are really secretly anti-heroes.

I was looking at panels from the Harleen comic and I loved the way Joker's thoughts aren't revealed but he says things out of character and it makes you wonder if he is truly genuine.

The idea that the Joker can't love is dumb. Joker is human he's a bad one but he's human his entire one bad-day philosophy exists because he's a human insecure to accept that he snapped under pressure and blamed the world.

Bad people can fall in love and that love isn't often pretty. That doesn't justify it but it doesn't erase the fact in the universe that there's no reason for Joker to keep Harley if he wasn't attached. I mean even the cartoon showed this when he tried to replace her but hated all her replacements.

Joker is a bad person but he's attached.

Harley is a victim that refuses to be saved.

It's an ugly mad love. And the death of nuance in media has just turned it to an abuser and the abused when there's a deeper dialogue to be held regarding each facet of the relationship and its implications.