WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!

How did I not know Bruce Timm (one of Harley Quinn's daddies) was directing a Batman and Harley Quinn animated movie?!

This was announced back in July, and somehow I totally missed it. I am ashamed, but also way to excited to feel ashamed.

Here's the first picture from the movie:

Look at that! It's close to classic DCAU, which gave us the first iteration of Harley, and my favorite Batman, Kevin Conroy.

Favorite Batman. That includes every live action one.

 There doesn't seem to be an IMDB page for this movie yet, so I have no idea who is playing Harley. And as much as I enjoyed Margot Robbie's portrayal, there's only one real animated Harley: Arleen Sorkin.

Ms. Sorkin retired from the role in 2012, though, and her IMDB comes to a stop at the same time. Since then Harley's been voiced by a trying very hard Hynden Walch, the flat Janyse Jaud, the Betty Boopish Meghan Strange, the capable, if grating, Tara Strong, and a host of others that I'm either unaware of, don't care for, or just did it once and not notably at that.

There's rumors of course that Ms. Sorkin may return, and while I'm trying not to get my hopes up...

This is in full effect.

It's too early to be ecstatic, but the art style and Bruce Timm directing are great indicators that the movie will be good, and true to Harley's character.

Even if Ms. Sorking doesn't return, we did just get a really good animated Harley by way of Jenny Slate, so who am I to complain?

Contrary to what you just saw, Ms. Slate is not the worst, and was a good Harley.

So, when I hear more, I'll make another blog. Until then, time to ravenously surf the internet for any tidbits about the movie!

Joker vs. Joker vs. Joker: Apples, oranges, and nuts

For anyone growing up in the nineties, there were two figures you saw as the Joker: The Jack Nicholson Joker from Batman in 1989, and the Mark Hamil Joker from the animated Batman series. Now, as far as interpretation goes, the two are fairly similar: Joker is the classic psychopathic clown from the comics. With the animated Joker, it actually seemed a little darker, since Batman TAS was an overall dark and adult show. Hamil's Joker is usually left by the wayside in favor of the live action interpretations, but it's a valid, creepy, and ultimately faithful version.

Comparing Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger is usually assumed to be a pointless endeavor. The two films are so different in tone, style, and script that its almost a completely different character by necessity. The only real basis you can use is the comicbooks, and even that's tough as Joker's been all over the map from campy sixties clown to uncompromising killer. But, here goes.

Upon recently re-viewing the 1989 Batman and reading some of the comics starring Joker, I came to a conclusion: Nicholson's Joker is superior, because it IS the Joker. Ledger took the character places it hadn't gone before, even in the comics, but by doing so, he made it into something that wasn't the Joker. In The Dark Knight, the Joker really wasn't a psychopathic clown anymore. He was a psychopath who happened to use clown makeup (or 'war paint' if you listen to his henchmen). Compare that to Nicholson, who even when he wasn't wearing the clown makeup (or covered it over), was still every in a psychopathic clown, laughing and joking his way through some incredibly dark crimes. Ledger's Joker shot a lot of people, and his big finish was going to be blowing up the tugboats full of innocent people and hardened criminals. Nicholson's Joker shot a lot of people, but his big finish was to kill everyone with Smylex gas--make 'em die laughing. That's what the Joker is supposed to do: JOKE.

Everyone remembers the Pencil Trick and the Bomb in the stomach, but as far as Jokes go, that's about it. Part of the reason the Joker is so dark is that he mixes humor with his crime. Nicholson does that beautifully, while Ledger's Joker falls somewhat short in the humor department.

The question of where the character will go in the next film is hotly debated. I don't think abandoning the character because Ledger died is the right move: another actor can fill the role, now that it's been set. My preferred method: use another villain in the third installment (Catwoman is a hot contender, but I'd like to see any female villain, really), while having little things happen in the background--sort of like the beginning of TDK, where Joker was playing 2nd fiddle to the mafia storyline. There are flashes of a woman committing the crimes, and taking orders from someone we never see, but hear in a cell. At the end of the movie, Batman finishes the main villain, but the secondary woman, one Dr. Harlene Quinzel, escapes back to Arkham asylum, and reveals the new Joker, setting up for the 4th movie. By the time THAT comes out some of the Ledger hype will have settled, and people will be receptive to a new actor in the role. Not to mention Batman fans have named Harley Quinn as their top pick for the next villain they want to see on screen. Let's hope we get the chance before the franchise dies and needs to be rebooted--again.