Random Happenstance

If I scheduled these right, earlier in the week we mentioned an old issue of Batman Adventures, so now seems like the time to see another one! From 2003, Batman Adventures #3, "My Boyfriend's Back" Written by Ty Templeton, pencils by Rick Burchett, inks by Terry Beatty; and "Breathing Room" Written by Dan Slott, pencils by Ty Templeton, inks by Terry Beatty.

The Joker is not himself today, and driving multiple motorcycles into a vat of tapioca isn't even why: after extensive bouts of multiple therapies at Arkham, he wasn't really sane, but he also wasn't his usual homicidal self, either. He was more lovey-dovey as well, which Harley does not seem to appreciate, which might also be because he wasn't even as funny: the motorcycles were part of a "Harley Pudding," which doesn't even get a pity chuckle out of her. Especially when she finds out the Joker didn't even steal the bikes; he traded the helicopter for them! Which puts Batman on the case, as he roughs up the seller that put it on "eBuy." Harley can't bring herself to try and kill the Joker herself, but figures if someone else did, maybe he'd snap out of it; so she busts one of R'as al Ghul's "shadow assassins" from stir, to let him take a shot at it. Meanwhile, Gordon and Montoya were on their trail: Batman was currently wanted, and Montoya wonders if Gordon would be ready to arrest him. Gordon says sure, if he sees him.

As usual, Batman arrives in time to save the Joker; taking the assassin down with a taser rather than play with him. Harley then makes another play, kissing Batman to make the Joker jealous, which works like a charm. With his taser broken, Batman is slapped around, landing near the Joker's crossbow: he takes the shot, but seemingly misses...cracking the tapioca case, and washing Joker and Harley with a wave of pudding! Swamped, Harley is thrilled to have her Joker back, even if now he was far more interested in killing Batman than her. They're both grabbed by the cops, while Gordon claims not to see Batman leaving, taking the assassin with him: I think he was an issue or two away from another showdown with R'as.

In the next story, with Arkham currently "structurally unstable," both Joker and Harley are taken to Gotham Penitentiary, despite her claim of "special needs." In the yard, Harley sees her pal Ivy, and tries to recall if she was still mad at her, for not mentioning she was turning into a plant-monster: she's not, but Ivy attacks her as a "stinking bag of meat!" Poisonous, Ivy is thrown into solitary in an isolation ward, but then she starts to crash out. Harley fights past the guards in biohazard suits to free Ivy, which saves her: now more plant-like, Ivy was breathing in carbon dioxide, and producing oxygen. She and Harley are made roommates, to Ivy's chagrin and Harley's delight.

I feel like Harley never knows when she's better off...