swim through the fires to stay in this world

She's a really fun, interesting character; Poison Ivy and Catwoman are still my favorites of the Batman bad girls, particularly Ivy (how could I not love a brilliant mad scientist who's also a classic femme fatale, with a wardrobe of poisonous and mind-control lipsticks?), but Harley's a fine addition to the team and particularly amusing in her on-and-off, so-blatant-it's-practically-text, partnership with Ivy. Her relationship with the Joker is a little disturbing at times -- she's very, very obsessed with him and takes a fair bit of verbal abuse -- but what keeps it from being total uncomfortable doormat territory for me is that the relationship is clearly being shown as messed up and dysfunctional rather than something to be admired; and since the Joker is just as crazy and abusive to his male henchmen, and Harley at times gets bossed around and belittled by Ivy as well, it doesn't wind up reading that the dynamic is that way because he's the man and she's the woman and that's the way it's supposed to be. Plus as noted earlier, she does have enough of a spine to talk back or even walk out when he goes too far; she has a mind of her own and a personality beyond just "Joker's crazy girlfriend".