With 'Birds of Prey,' Harley Quinn set to topple Wonder Woman as DC's most popular female superhero
For decades, DC Comics have upheld Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman as the Trinity - the three iconic pillars of the DC Universe. In recent years, however, there's been a surge in popularity from DC's palest dark horse - Harley Quinn. She's always been a popular character with the fans, but her profile started to rise steadily after her appearance in Rocksteady's 'Arkham Asylum' video game, and truly skyrocketed after Margot Robbie's performance of her in 'Suicide Squad.' If audiences enjoy Friday's 'Birds of Prey' as much as the critcs apparently did, Harley Quinn might just overtake Wonder Woman as DC's most popular female superhero.
It's possibly a little unfair to make comparisons like this. After all, no one is asking whether Iron Man is more popular than Spider-Man, or if Superman appeals to fans more than Batman does, but this is about more than DC's most popular female characters against each other.
The surge in popularity of Harley Quinn is fascinating because of where Harley comes from thematically - from the Joker's moll to an independent anti-hero in her own right. Where Wonder Woman was literally born with her powers, Harley Quinn has had to scrap and fight her way to everything that currently makes her so popular. Her rise in popularity can say a lot about the type of superhero people want to see more of.
It's become apparent in the comics just how popular she's become. It's pretty much impossible to avoid Harley Quinn as a DC Comics fan now. She's the star of her own solo title, in 'Suicide Squad,' the 'Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy' mini-series and the two alternate-universe stories under DC's Black Label - where she's also a major character in Sean Murphy's 'White Knight' series.
She makes cameos in other comics as well, with a frequency that makes you wonder how the DC Universe ever got on without her. She's even gotten herself an unofficial spot at the Justice League recently in a pivotal 'Superman' issue. That last example is particularly telling of how much importance DC's been giving the character, as she's neither had much interaction with either Superman nor ever been a part of the Justice League - it makes no story sense for her to be in a splash page of DC's biggest superheroes, but there she is, nonetheless. DC may have just established Wonder Woman as the DC Universe's first superhero, but she's not getting anywhere near the amount of panel space that Harley Quinn has.
It's not just a phenomenon that's not just exclusive to the comics, either. For every Wonder Woman cosplayer out there, there are a dozen more Harley Quinns, in a variety of the character's many looks. DC's given Harley Quinn her own animated series, while the best Wonder Woman's gotten recently is yet another animated movie rehashing her origins with 'Wonder Woman: Bloodlines."
If it wasn't for the success of the 'Wonder Woman' movie starring Gal Gadot, it's debateable how much staying power Wonder Woman would have had in the public consciousness at all. Yes, Wonder Woman is an iconic part of DC's history and will always be recognizable, but Harley Quinn seems to be the one grabbing all the attention. Harley Quinn is certainly the more relatable hero, if you can ignore all the gleeful murdering she's done as some versions of the character.
It will all really depend on how well 'Birds of Prey' does. 'Birds of Prey,' if it's a hit, may just do wonders not just for Harley Quinn, but for female characters in general - 'Birds of Prey' has some of DC's very best.
It's something new, fresh, exciting and definitely strange. 'Wonder Woman,' at its best, champions DC's more traditional approach to superhero stories - an iconic, noble paragon of virtue, fighting for a clear cut sense of morality. It's possible that Harley Quinn is simply indicative of people's need to see something new from their superhero stories.
Neither Wonder Woman nor Harley Quinn have any other more recognizable DC names to go up against this year - 2020 is their time to shine. The future of what kind of female superhero is more popular with today's fans is in question - and it's a question that's very dependent on the success of 'Birds of Prey.'
'Birds of Prey' releases in theaters on February 7.