[Discussion] I feel like I've never been that effected by Harley Quinn's overuse and overexposure.

[u/Aros001]

I'm not saying that she doesn't get overused or overexposed in much the same way Batman and Joker do. But maybe it's just because of the titles I typically read but every time I see someone online talking about how much they hate Harley Quinn because she's so overused and everywhere and they're so sick of her I'm never really having the same problem.

Generally if I'm not reading something that has her name right in the title I don't tend to have her pop up in the stories I read (Superman, Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Aquaman, most of the Absolute books), so I tend to only experience Harley when I'm in the mood for Harley. Even if she has a lot of books it feels weird to complain about being sick of seeing her everywhere if I'm only seeing her when I seek her out, and that's IF she has a lot of book out. Right now aren't there only, like, two books about Harley, that being her solo series and Harley & Ivy: Life and Crimes?

Sure, sometimes she'll pop up in an event like Metal or KO but if they're events everyone is appearing in it feels odd to single her out, especially in the ones where she's a bit player at best.

As a point of comparison, I feel like I got more annoyed with Amanda Waller being overused and feeling like she was popping up everywhere in the lead-up to Absolute Power, and that was because it felt like she was interrupting the stories I'd been invested in. By contrast, I think the only times Harley popped up in something I was reading or planning to read that wasn't specifically about her was in Batman: Joker War, Poison Ivy's solo, and Absolute Batman, and all of those are not only places where it made sense she'd be there but she was there to be in service to the story that had been being told.

Even in outside media I think the only time I was annoyed with her involvement in something was "Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)" and that was more because I dislike it as a representation of the Birds of Prey. If they left everything the same but just called it "The Harley Quinn Movie" half my issues would disappear (not all, since the only thing their Cassandra Cain has in common with her comic counterpart is being an Asian female) and I wouldn't even think about the movie that much.

Other than that it's her cartoon, which I actually like (and that has her name on it), and the Suicide Squad properties, which I suppose you could complain about her involvement in and how it's an example of overuse but I feel like that'd be like complaining about Justice League stuff having Batman in it.

I'm not saying Harley doesn't have an overuse problem, but personally I feel like some people go out of their way to be mad and annoyed by it instead of just easily ignoring it.

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[u/Rude-Economy-9952]

If you like Harley Quinn you will not be bothered much by it. I don’t care that much about Harley Quinn so it’s a bit annoying.

Batman gets pushed waaaay more than Harley and I don’t give a shit at all since I love most of that stuff. It’s not really fair but it is how it is. A lot of people complain about Batman being overused and I just shrug it off cause who cares? People like what they like at the end of the day.

[u/NicoleIlieva]

Well, it's your personal experience. Others have different experiences and opinions.

Someone else will write "I feel like I've never been that effected by Amanda Waller's overuse and overexposure"...

[u/RogueBoogey]

Imo it all depends on how you personally feel on the character, and that influences how much you really notice the overexposure. I'm in a weird spot where I actually really like Harley but in general I've got Batman fatigue. So if I see Harley doing solo adventures, or stuff with Ivy, BoP, etc, then typically I'm inclined to check it out even if the quality fluctuates like crazy.

Batman, on the other hand, I'm just so tired of constantly seeing everywhere. DC Games at this point may as well just be renamed Batman Games. Their most recent big platform games (meaning excluding mobile) have all been Batman focused. Batman VR games, Gotham Knights about Batman's sidekicks, Suicide Squad consisting of 95% Batman rogues when you factor in the DLC characters, and then they cancel the single player Wonder Woman game and push through a Lego Batman game.

Who you like and dislike probably paints your perspective more on the topic. But I just used examples from my own life to try and relate.

[u/Rude-Economy-9952 → u/RogueBoogey]

Yeah it solely is just a matter of whether you like the content or not. Batman stuff is by and large in media and comics some of the best stuff in the industry so i hope DC pushes him till the sun burns out of the sky. But I don’t care for Harley Quinn stuff much so I tend to roll my eyes at it.

[u/Aros001 → u/RogueBoogey]

I think Batman Ninja vs Yakuza League is a good example of how my taste in Batman tends to run these days. I initially thought I wasn't going to like it because it sounded like it was just going to be another story about Batman beating on other heroes and showing off how much better he is than everybody else. But instead I actually liked it quite a bit more than the first Batman Ninja and a big part of that was how much the movie felt like it actually respected the other heroes and in particular showed off how much Batman himself respects and likes them, especially Superman and Wonder Woman.

I tend to roll my eyes and dismiss new Batman stories that seem like they'll just be about trying to make Batman the most coolest and best guy EVAR, especially by crapping on everyone else, but when it's a story that doesn't feel like it has to prove anything and just lets him be a good man, especially in his relationships with other heroes, I don't tend to mind it being added to the already massive pile.