The queer ‘Thelma and Louise’ comic book you didn’t know you needed

Whether you consider her a villain or an antihero, Harley Quinn has been an icon since her first appearance on Batman: The Animated Series in 1992. Initially, Quinn was little more than a punching bag for the Joker—literally and figuratively. But as audiences fell in love with the character’s rambunctious personality, her fame rose, and she eventually got her own television show, 2019’s Harley Quinn: The Animated Series. With author Tee Franklin’s latest comic series, Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour, the character steps even further into the spotlight.

Picking up right after the animated show’s second season—which saw Harley and Poison Ivy leave their partners, Joker and Kite Man, respectively, and fall in love with each other—Franklin says the new six-issue comic series is the “queer Thelma and Louise” that you didn’t know you needed. It explores the growing relationship between the queer superheroes as they embark on a road trip and try to stay ahead of Commissioner Gordon and Gotham PD. 

Currently, only the first three issues are available: issue one, “Journey to Love,” and issue two, “Pussy(Cat) Galore,” are available digitally and in physical copies (the print version of issue two came out on Oct. 14). Issue three, “Straight Outta Gotham,” was released digitally earlier this month and will be in print later this year.

Xtra recently caught up with Franklin to discuss her experience penning the series, how her bestselling comic, Bingo Love, set the stage for the Harley Quinn series and the importance of having marginalized voices involved in the telling of queer superhero narratives. 

What about working on this comic excited you? Why did you say “yes”?

Besides saying yes because this is a DC project, I love Harley Quinn the animated series. It’s so much fun! Patrick Shumacker, Justin Halpern, Dean Lorey, Kaley Cuoco, Lake Bell and all the cast, writers and crew did the damn thing on this show. Congrats on your Hollywood Critics Association’s TV award!

Being able to tell a story about these two iconic characters was something that I couldn’t say no to. The main reason why I said “yes” is that Black, disabled, queer, autistic women are barely given any chances and I wanted to show DC Comics—and everyone else—just what I was capable of; that, given the right accommodations, I could create something amazing. I am proud to say that I’m the first Black woman to write Harley Quinn, as well as Poison Ivy. I’m beyond proud of the fact that something I wrote ended up going to print.

I’m hoping that the doors will open for other BIPOC disabled comic creators. We are ridiculously talented and if you give us an opportunity, we’ll show you just exactly what we can do.

So representation and us telling our own stories—and even those of superheroes—is important to you?

Beyond important. Folks love to say, “As long as it’s a good story, who cares.” I’m here to tell you that marginalized people care. Films have been around since forever and still exclude BIPOC, disabled and LGBTQIA communities. The default for everything has been straight, white and able-bodied for so long. And when we get representation, if you wanna call it that, it’s horrible. Black people are thugs, crackheads, prostitutes, thieves. Indigenous people are being slaughtered and the white cowboy comes in to “save the day.” Disabled people are helpless or villains hellbent on taking over the world and LGBTQIA folks? Well, they’re killed to further the protagonist’s story. I could go on and on and on about the ways marginalized people are portrayed in media. It’s entirely played out and these harmful narratives and stereotypes must stop. So we need to tell our stories the right—not white—way.

How does it feel to write not only a DC comic but a comic that centres a pair of iconic queer women?

If I’m completely honest, I feel as if this is happening to Earth-2’s Tee and not me. It’s extremely surreal. I never thought that I would be writing for DC Comics in the first place, but for it to be Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy? I’m still pinching myself to make sure that it’s real.

“I feel as if this is happening to Earth-2’s Tee and not me. It’s extremely surreal. I never thought that I would be writing for DC Comics.”

And how was it working with cartoonist Max Sarin? 

I friggin adore Max! Max is such a phenomenal artist; every single page they turn in has me feeling some type of emotions. Max’s facial expressions are something that I can never ever ever tire of. There are so many memeable panels. I just adore them. 

Same for the rest of the team. Taylor Esposito on letters! The care that Taylor takes to create these beautiful word balloons—the captions and road signs are my absolute favourite. Taylor is so dope and that’s cuz he’s from Jersey like me. Marissa Louise’s colours are so vivid and beautiful. It’s like Marissa syphoned the colours from the animated series and then turned them up by 10. And Katie Kubert, editor supreme; normally, I hate (despise) edits, but Katie always seems to pull more out of me to make the comic shine.

You wrote Bingo Love, a story about two Black teens in love who are separated during their youth and reunite in their 60s. Did that experience make it easier to write about Harley and Ivy?

Absolutely! Along with the fact that your girl is queer as hell, too. Hazel and Mari from Bingo Love and Harley and Ivy from Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour are the same. Four women who love each other and just want to be with their true love. All four have had relationships before with men, but their hearts and souls are intertwined with these women that they’ve known forever. It’s so beautiful and love sappy and so queer!

Did you find it more challenging to write already established characters like Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy as opposed to the ones you created?

Not so much as challenging as it is different. Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy have such a massive history with each other—and without. Most of the material from this series is based on the Harley Quinn animated series. There are tons of Easter eggs from various movies, TV shows and, of course, the comics, sprinkled throughout the series. 

I had so much fun searching the mythos of these two characters and “digging through the crates”—or should I say, long boxes.

In what ways have your lived experiences influenced what’s on the page in these issues?

Harley and Ivy have both dealt with tons of trauma and abuse—as have I, unfortunately. My crappy traumatic abusive experiences certainly drew me to Harley’s character back when she was first created. Which is why I’m absolutely over the friggin’ moon to have Harley and Ivy together as a couple! The struggles that they both deal with are very familiar to many and I hope that the readers can see themselves and maybe allow them to start having conversations about trauma and seek professional help if they need it. 

What makes a great comic to you? 

Simple: marginalized voices. Think back to the older comics. Black male superheroes usually have afros or are bald, while the Black women have afros or something that resembles braids. A Black artist will take care to be sure the hair on the characters represent Black people, that their bodies are drawn how Black people look and not just a white body coloured in dark.

For fun, between Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Ivy’s friend Catwoman/Selina Kyle, who do you feel is closer to your own personality and experiences?

Honestly… all three of the ladies. We have Harley’s ADHD—my girl is all over the place, like me!—Ivy’s non-chalantness and, besides Selina’s Blackness, her antisocial ways. Selina would rather be with her cats than humans. Now, though I’m allergic to cats, I feel exactly where she’s coming from.

What can audiences expect in the issues to come?

A lot of eating, banging and killing! Tons of queer love, surprise guest stars and more eating, banging and killing.

And I have to know, please settle this debate. Would you say Harley Quinn is a villain or an antihero?

I can only speak for this series, but I see Harley Quinn as an antihero and her boo-thang, Ivy, is a self-proclaimed eco-terrorist.

This story is published with support from the Ken Popert Media Fellowship program.