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Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy Broke up & Fans Are Reeling

Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy Broke up & Fans Are Reeling

Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy Broke up & Fans Are Reeling

But will they get back together?

rachelkiley

LGBTQ+ comic fans are having a hard time after a recent issue of Harley Quinn confirmed the titular character’s split with iconic love interest Poison Ivy.

Harley and Ivy have long been arguably the most visible queer duo in DC, getting together in both the comics and the recent animated series on HBO Max, and regularly inspiring hope that a live-action version of their romance with Margot Robbie’s version of Harley Quinn will eventually hit our screens.

But with both Gotham villains currently headed down different paths of self-discovery in the comics, they quietly called it quits.

“Our story…it’s not over,” Harley tells a teary Ivy in Harley Quinn #10. “But you need to find your own path, too. And I have to let you…because I love you.”

The break-up was controversial with fans for a number of reasons, but perhaps most of all because of how much effort it took to get canonical confirmation that the two were properly dating.

For years, fans relied on subtext and the reassurances of writers that Harley and Ivy were more than just gal pals, despite the ship first gaining traction nearly three decades ago. The first reference of them being girlfriends didn't happen until 2013, and the two shared their first in-continuity kiss in 2017 — and even that was edited.

Other popular DC pairs have enjoyed decades of on-again, off-again relationships, and while the current writing suggests Harley and Ivy may find their way back to each other in the future, fans have still been left nervous and frustrated with the quick break-up.

Some even harassed the issue’s writer, Stephanie Phillips, who herself is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, over the creative decision, prompting other writers to speak out in her defense.

But other fans kept the faith, suggesting that this is only part of a longer journey for our favorite Gotham duo, and actually a sign of them finally being treated like other iconic hetero couples in the DC ‘verse who break up and get back together a million times over.

We’ll have to wait to find out what’s in store for Harley and Ivy in the comics next, but at least we know they’re still together in the animated series, with no plans for a split any time soon.

Now about that live-action version

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Rachel Kiley

Rachel Kiley is presumably a writer and definitely not a terminator. She can usually be found crying over queerbaiting in the Pitch Perfect franchise or on Twitter, if not both.

Rachel Kiley is presumably a writer and definitely not a terminator. She can usually be found crying over queerbaiting in the Pitch Perfect franchise or on Twitter, if not both.