Harley Quinn Returns to Her ORIGINAL Costume, Severing Its Connection to Joker

Warning: Spoilers for Harley Quinn #38 ahead!

Summary Harley Quinn embraces her classic harlequin outfit to reignite her passion for criminal psychology, shedding toxic ties to the Joker.

Harley's costume evolution reflects her journey from Joker's sidekick to reclaiming her identity and intellectual aspirations.

The return to Harley's classic look symbolizes her triumph over past influences and her growth into her own person.

As one of DC's marquee characters, Harley Quinn is favored with a wide array of striking outfits and costumes that are just as outspoken as her personality. But there's no beating the classics, and Harley's birthday celebration sees her donning her old harlequin getup once more: the costume she once wore as the Joker's right-hand henchwoman. Except this time, she's making that costume entirely her own.

Harley Quinn #38 by Tini Howard and Natacha Bustos sees Harley Quinn struggling with her life goals during a date night heist with Poison Ivy. After a heart-to-heart, Harley resolves to reignite her passion for criminal psychology by becoming a ride-along consultant for villains, using her old outfit to set costumed criminals at ease: "an agreement, between them and me, and we both benefit! And of course — the costume is what convinces 'em."

Harley's costumed test run with the lightly villainous Body Doubles is an instant success: not only does she feel reinvigorated, but Mr. Freeze promptly requests to be her next client. The costume — whose origins are as old as Harley herself — is on full display throughout the issue.

Harley Quinn — and her jester costume — debuted in the 1992 Batman: The Animated Series episode "Joker's Favor."

Related Harley Quinn's New Team Gives Her the Role She Was Always Meant to Have The often-underestimated Harley Quinn was trained as a psychologist to be the voice of reason, and now she uses the skill with the Birds of Prey.

Harley Quinn Reclaims Her Costume from the Joker's Legacy

Harley Isn't the Joker's Sidekick Anymore

The return to Harley's classic costume is more than just embracing a retro look, as the outfit is heavily linked to Harley's days as the Joker's doting henchwoman. When she finally ditched her toxic relationship with the clown, Harley Quinn's outfits soon changed to downplay her affiliation to the Joker. Modern depictions either lean into her "roller derby" style attire or the more casual hot pants and t-shirt ensemble she sports in the film Suicide Squad (2016) and a number of Suicide Squad comic-book titles.

In a triumphant act of healing, Harley has turned what was once a symbol of the Joker corrupting her away from her intellectual aspirations into a way for her to embrace those selfsame passions once again.

By making her old clown outfit her new "working uniform," Harley reclaims her classic look while simultaneously removing its toxic connection to the Joker. The issue makes a clear point to emphasize this, with Harley cheerfully taking down a goon who dares to suggest that the return to her harlequin suit implies that she's "sidekickin' again." In a triumphant act of healing, Harley has turned what was once a symbol of the Joker corrupting her away from her intellectual aspirations into a way for her to embrace those selfsame passions once again.

Harley Quinn's Costume Has Come Full Circle

Harley's Costumes Often Define Her Shifts in Perspective

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Even more so than most, Harley Quinn's costume is an expression of identity: shackled at first to the look and aesthetic of her abuser, her costume then changes as Harley struggles to relearn who she is without the Joker's influence. Now, Harley has grown to the point where she can safely embrace her original costume completely for her own purposes and make it a symbol of her own passions. It's been a long journey, but Harley Quinn has finally come out on top, making her original costume all her own.

Harley Quinn #38 is available now from DC Comics.