Honestly, if you think Harley Quinn is still just that girl in the jester suit pining after a clown, you've missed about a decade of growth. 2025 has been a weird, loud, and surprisingly cosmic year for Harls. DC Comics didn't just keep her in Gotham; they basically threw her into the deep end of the multiverse and then asked her to fix the plumbing. It’s been chaotic.
The year 2025 kicked off with Harley Quinn #45, where Elliott Kalan and Mindy Lee took over the reins. If you haven't been keeping up, Harley has been working for the "Destruction Agency." It's exactly as messy as it sounds. By the time we hit Harley Quinn #47 in January, she was crashing a "Clayface reunion." Imagine a dinner party where every guest is a different version of a mud monster. It was peak Harley—funny, gross, and weirdly heartfelt.
Why the Harley Quinn Comic 2025 Era Feels Different
There is a specific energy to the Harley Quinn comic 2025 run that feels less like a superhero book and more like a satirical fever dream. People often complain about "Harley fatigue," but the 2025 issues actually addressed the commercialization of her character. In the spring arcs, she was literally taking on property moguls and satirizing modern fine dining while running explosive missions. It’s self-aware.
The Sirens Went to Space (No, Really)
The biggest shake-up happened in July. DC did something risky. They paused the solo books for Harley, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman for a full month. In their place, we got a five-issue weekly event called Gotham City Sirens: Unfit for Orbit.
Leah Williams wrote this one, and Haining handled the art. The premise? The girls decide to rob a space-themed nightclub in Gotham. Typical, right? Except the club turned out to be a literal spaceship owned by the alien despot Despero.
- The Setting: Most of the story takes place in deep space, far from the rainy alleys of Gotham.
- The Stakes: They accidentally ended up having to save the Earth while trying to steal alien tech.
- The Vibe: It was heavy on the "found family" theme, reminding everyone why the Harley-Ivy-Selina trio is the gold standard for DC dynamics.
The Most Controversial Release of the Year
We have to talk about the "Fartacular." Yeah. That happened.
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In March 2025, DC released Harley Quinn Fartacular: Silent Butt Deadly #1. It was an April Fools' themed special written by Joanne Starer with art by Ted Brandt and Ro Stein. Look, some fans absolutely hated it. They thought it was "too much" or just juvenile. But honestly? It’s Harley. The book was a "scratch and sniff" gag that leaned into the 32-year history of the character's gross-out humor. It wasn't meant to be Watchmen. It was meant to be a loud, stupid joke, and it succeeded at that.
Black Label’s Darker Turn
While the main series was busy being goofy, the DC Black Label (the R-rated imprint) gave us something much heavier. Joker/Harley: Malicious Intent launched in October 2025. This was a four-issue sequel to Criminal Sanity.
In this version, Harley is a forensic profiler. No super-powers. No mallet. Just a woman hunting serial killers. This 2025 series saw her hunting a killer who was turning victims into "art," while her old flame Joker sat locked in Arkham. The tension was whether she’d stay a "good guy" or break under the pressure of her own obsession. It’s a stark contrast to the neon-colored space adventures happening in the main continuity.
Where to Start Reading Right Now
If you are looking to jump into the Harley Quinn comic 2025 issues, you don't necessarily need to read 30 years of backstory. You can pretty much pick up at issue #45 or grab the Dawn of DC trade paperbacks.
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- Harley Quinn Vol. 1: Girl in Crisis – This collects the Tini Howard run and introduces the multiverse stakes.
- Harley Quinn Vol. 2: Eye Don't Like Me – This deals with Brother Eye and Harley traveling through different realities.
- Gotham City Sirens: Unfit for Orbit – The best choice if you want a self-contained, high-energy story with Ivy and Catwoman.
The year ended with Harley Quinn #55 in October, which saw her trapped in a jail cell with two kidnappers and getting into a scrap with Fire and Ice. It’s been a relentless pace. The art has stayed consistently vibrant, mostly thanks to Mindy Lee and various guest artists like Elizabeth Torque.
Is It Worth the Hype?
It depends on what you want. If you want a gritty, grounded detective story, stay away from the main title and stick to the Black Label stuff. But if you want a comic that feels like a Saturday morning cartoon for adults—complete with Fourth Wall breaks and weird cameos from characters like Captain Carrot—the 2025 main run is some of the most fun DC is having right now.
To get the most out of your 2025 reading, follow the Gotham City Sirens trade paperback release first, then catch up on the Destruction Agency arc in the main series. This gives you the best balance of the "Sirens" team-up and Harley’s solo evolution.