Harley & Ivy is a 2004 mini-series based off the Batman: The Animated Series. It consists of three issues and has been bundled into a compilation volume.
Harley & Ivy revolves around the quirky adventures of villains Poison Ivy and her best friend Harley Quinn.
Being a comic, it's allowed to get away with more than cartoons thanks to different censorship regulations. Despite that, it's still mostly kid-friendly.
Compare to The Batman Adventures, another tie-in comic to Batman: The Animated Series. If you're thinking of that scene where Batgirl thinks Ivy and Harley are "more than friends", that happened in Batgirl Adventures, not here.
Harley & Ivy contains examples of:
- Absurdly Spacious Sewer: What Ivy uses during her escape from prison.
- Answer Cut: On the first page of issue number two, a journalist gives exposition for the setting the story is taking place, and describes the concerns taking place about the rainforest being endangered. Then it's said that the place needs heroes to help them with this, but that where they'll come from, no one will say. Cut to a page-wide panel of Poison Ivy being smacked down on the floor in nothing but her underwear.
- Censor Steam: The shower scene in the first issue makes use of conveniently located steam to cover up Harley and Ivy's genitals.
- Censor Suds: A scene in the first issue of Harley and Ivy in the Arkham showers has soap bubbles obscure their private parts.
- Company Cross References: The third issue has Harley engrossed in watching a cartoon called Acromegliacs, which is an obvious pastiche of Animaniacs, a cartoon by DC Comics' parent company Warner Bros.. While we never actually see the cartoon on-panel, the main characters are named Yucko, Rondo and Splat in reference to the Warner Siblings' names of Yakko, Wakko and Dot. The theme song is even a clear parody of the one for Animaniacs.It's time for Acromegliacs
And we're ugly to the max
We kinda look like cows with big lumps on our brows
We're Acromegliaaacs! - Curse Cut Short: The first issue has Harley end up falling down and cut off before saying a bad word.Harley: We got your weed, so quit your bi...IIIIEEEEE!!
- Corrupt Politician: President Juan Ceballos of Costa Verde. Of course, he will protect the environment, though only because he's paid a large sum. When some are offering more to not do it, he obliges.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Harley Quinn. Apparently The Ditz and with a tendency to say too much, but can ultimately show quite some wit, and kick ass.
- Everyone Is Christian at Christmas: Harley is Jewish but she loves Christmas trees because they're sparkly.
- Fanservice: A significant portion of the miniseries depicts Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy in states of undress.
- Frankenstein's Monster: Poison Ivy has a nightmare where Harley appears as a Frankenstein monster and throws her to her doom.
- Forgiven, but Not Forgotten: At the end of the first issue, Ivy forgives Harley for her actions, by taking the girl with her on the ship she's travelling with... but is implied to let Harley being dragged after the ship in the water. It is never mentioned afterwards.
- Glowing Eyes of Doom: Although downplayed a little here, when Ivy gives these to Harley after the latter screwed up big time by throwing the plant Ivy wanted so much against Batman's head in a last resort, you can tell she's pissed.
- Godiva Hair: Poison Ivy appears in the first panel of the shower scene sulking while portions of her hair cover up her breasts.
- Gonky Femme: The female guards at the Costa Verde prison aren't very attractive and look borderline masculine.
- Hero Antagonist: Batman, as expected, appears as an antagonist, since the miniseries is from Harley and Ivy's perspective and it's his obligation to thwart whatever criminal schemes anyone in his rogues gallery is attempting.
- Hotter and Sexier: It's more risqué than BTAS thanks to the perspective that it offers on the inside of the girls bedroom and general personal space.
- Manly Gay: Slash and Burn are overly macho and strongly implied to be gay, since Slash wears an earring and they snicker to each other in response to Harley trying to use her feminine wiles to convince them to spare her and Ivy.Harley: Y'know what, Red? I think they don't like girls!
Ivy: Nothing gets by you, does it? - Mind-Control Device: Throughout the series, Poison Ivy plans on getting the "zombie root" with the help of Harley, which she wants to use to turn people into her slaves.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Zany and kinda ditzy Harley is the Red Oni to Ivy's more serious and goal-oriented Blue Oni.
- Scenery Censor: The miniseries features some instances of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy naked, with their breasts and genitalia covered up by conveniently placed objects, such as the limbs of the guards who rush over to break it up when Ivy tries to beat Harley in the showers.
- Shower Scene: Harley tries to cheer Ivy up by taking a shower with her (no, not like that, get your mind out of the gutter). It comes with a little bit of Censor Steam and Censor Suds. Although it was meant to be nice and relaxing, Ivy later snaps at Harley anyway.
- So Bad, It's Good: Invoked in-universe with the Batman movie Harley and Ivy hijack. They had no plans to ever release the film - Ivy wanted the money that was in the production budget, Harley was having fun blowing up the different Batman actors. The movie studio has no choice but to release the movie due to how much cash was sunk into it. It ends up being universally hailed as a masterpiece parody of overblown action movies, netting Harley her own Oscar (which she accepts with multiple police escorts on stage).
- Speech-Bubble Censoring: The first issue has a panel where a naked Harley has one of her breasts obscured by her own speech bubble.
- Villain Episode: The entire mini-series is a Perspective Flip based around Harley and Ivy.
- Would Hit a Girl: The woodchopping mercenaries Slash and Burn aren't bothered at all by the idea of fighting girls. The former gives Harley a hard backhand to her jaw.
