DC Comics’ artist Chad Hardin has revealed the publisher edited the first in-continuity kiss between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. In newly released unedited art, the watershed moment between two of DC’s most important queer characters was unfortunately watered down, as a kiss on the lips became a kiss on the cheek. The edited comic, published in 2017, reveals how much things have changed in a short amount of time.
Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy have become one of the most beloved couples in comics, as their friendship, beginning in Batman: The Animated Series, has evolved into a fun and exciting romance. In recent years, DC Comics has made it a priority to feature more stories headlined by LGBTQ+ heroes and villains, with Poison Ivy even starring in her own queer coming-of-age YA graphic novel. Ongoing titles such as Crush and Lobo, Harley Quinn, and Infinite Frontier have prominently featured queer characters. DC’s recent excellent Pride celebration anthology also showcased their LBGTQ+ stars. However, a recent image shared by DC artist Chad Hardin showed how far the company’s come in just a few years.
In response to a great article on queer coding in DC Comics published on DC’s official website, artist Chad Hardin shared his own moment where a character’s queerness was toned down on the page. In response to the main image featuring Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy’s first in-continuity kiss in Harley Quinn #25 by Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Alex Sinclair, Corey Breen, and Hardin, the artist shared the unedited version of the art. In the original drawing, Harley and Poison Ivy lock lips, as they tenderly embrace for a passionate kiss. The image is notably different from the art that made it into the comic, as the pair’s kiss is on the cheek, not the lips.
It’s pretty clear the creative team’s original intent was to make the kiss much more meaningful, with Hardin making it clear the art was then edited before publication. It’s a shame, because it’s a beautiful moment between two characters that means a lot to queer readers, but ultimately ended up downplaying their first kiss in mainstream continuity. The original kiss is so much more impactful. The fact that the original art was altered for the 2017 issue shows an obvious reticence to depict queer romance, but it also shows how much things have changed since. DC Comics queer representation isn’t perfect and has ways to go yet, but Marie Javins tenure as editor-in-chief has seen a real effort to boost queer voices and stories.
Still, knowing DC Comics intentionally edited such an important moment is disappointing. Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy’s first kiss was robbed of even more passion and meaning. Thankfully, DC Comics is now publishing explicitly queer stories, such as ones featuring Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, but the original art shows even in recent comics, queer erasure is very much a real thing, even altering the original intent of the artists who have managed to bring comic characters as far as they’ve come.
Source: Chad Hardin