Batman and Harley Quinn

This article is written from the Real World perspective

Batman and Harley Quinn
Abbreviation	BaHQ
Written by	Bruce Timm Jim Krieg
Directed by	Sam Liu
Animation by	Warner Bros. Animation DC Entertainment
Air date(s)	August 14, 2017

Batman and Harley Quinn is a direct-to-video movie featuring Batman and Harley Quinn. It was released in 2017 as part of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line. The movie used the animation models of The New Batman Adventures, whilst Kevin Conroy and Loren Lester reprised their roles from the series. DC and Bruce Timm claim this movie takes place in the DCAU.

Plot

Poison Ivy and Floronic Man learned of a formula created by a scientist named Alec Holland. Holland was a scientist in Louisiana who was working on a bio-restorative formula, which would stimulate hormonal growth in plant life. At some point, an accident occurred that caused him to be doused with the formula and go up in flames. He jumped into the bayou to try to douse the fire, but the chemical reacted with the minerals in the bayou and turned him into Swamp Thing, a hybrid of human and plant.

Poison Ivy and Floronic Man broke into S.T.A.R. Labs to steal Alec Holland's work and his DNA. They sought to turn Holland's formula into a virus that would turn the world's population into human plant hybrids. Since neither Poison Ivy nor Floronic Man were fully human, they hypnotized a scientist named Harold Goldblum to force him to utilize Holland's formula using his DNA to create the virus.

Batman and Nightwing form an uneasy alliance with Harley Quinn to stop Poison Ivy and Floronic Man from transforming people into plants. This alliance was necessary due to the fact that Harvey was a former accomplice of Poison Ivy, and had connections with criminals who could know where they could find Poison Ivy and Floronic Man.

When Batman, Nightwing, and Harley Quinn reached their destination, the resulting fight caused a fire, and Dr. Goldblum recovered from his hypnosis. Floronic Man stabbed him in the heart, as he had already told them what they needed to complete the formula. With his dying breath, Dr. Goldblum told Harley Quinn that they needed swamp water from the exact Louisiana bayou that created Swamp Thing.

At the bayou, Poison Ivy ultimately turns on the Floronic Man after Harley convinces her, pointing out how even if they got even the tiniest detail wrong in their plan, they could easily kill off all life on the planet. However, he managed to best Poison Ivy, as well as Batman, Nightwing and Harley Quinn in a fight. As Floronic Man was about to complete the virus, Swamp Thing emerged from the bayou and told him that though his cause was just, as the Earth had been mistreated by mankind, his method was not the way to go about rectifying things. However, he stated that he was not there to judge, and receded back into the swamp. All hope seemed lost, but Harley Quinn then suggested simply setting the Floronic Man on fire, since he is made out of plants (Floronic Man is shown running around screaming after being set on fire in the middle of the end credits).

The threat was neutralized, and Harley Quinn returned to civilian life, hosting a television show titled "Ask Dr. Quinn", which contained a disclaimer about the fact that she was not currently a licensed psychiatrist.

Continuity

• Batman states that neither Poison Ivy nor Floronic Man were fully human to begin with. This would seem to indicate that the real Poison Ivy never returned to Gotham City after she left a clone of herself behind in "House & Garden".
• Batman drove the second Batmobile and the first Batwing, however the events took place during the time period in which he usually drove the third Batmobile and the second Batwing. This isn't unusual, as older models of both vehicles were present when Terry McGinnis discovered the Batcave years later.
• Harley Quinn hosts a pop psychology television series, fulfilling her original goal of using her psychology degree to cash in on her involvement with the Arkham Asylum inmates, as was stated in "Mad Love".

Background information

Production Notes

Bruce Timm has stated in interviews that Batman and Harley Quinn is intended to be set in the classic universe of Batman: The Animated Series, however whether it's strictly canon by letter of the law is unclear.

In a featurette released by Warner Brothers, co-writer Jim Krieg stated that Batman and Harley Quinn exists as it's own separate entity, despite being drawn in a similar fashion to the classic animation models from The New Batman Adventures.

Trivia

• Many people familiar to Batman were at the Bludhaven bar, including Min and Max, Captain Clown, Randa Duane, Ubu, Candice, Maven, an Ice Maiden, one of the Penguin's henchwomen, Lar and Cur, Rocco, Henshaw, Snap, Numbers, Germs and Emmylou Brown.
• Two of the men in the Bludhaven bar are Catwoman's henchmen from the 1960's Batman television series. The fight scene in the bar is also modeled after the fight scenes from that show.
• The outfit that Harley Quinn wears when working as a waitress is her second outfit from the New 52 comics.
• Batman leaves a message for help with the Justice League. Booster Gold returns the call, from the Watchtower, but most of the League is either dealing with a threat near Rigel, or at a christening ceremony in Atlantis.

Cast

• Kevin Conroy as Batman / Bruce Wayne
• Loren Lester as Nightwing / Dick Grayson
• Melissa Rauch as Harley Quinn / Dr. Harleen Quinzel
• Paget Brewster as Poison Ivy / Pamela Isley
• Kevin Michael Richardson as Floronic Man / Jason Woodrue
• John DiMaggio as Swamp Thing / Alec Holland, Sarge Steel
• Eric Bauza as Wesley
• Robin Atkin Downes as Charles "Rhino" Daily
• Trevor Devall as Bobby Liebowitz
• Rob Paulsen as Harold Goldblum, Min and Max
• Mindy Sterling as Project Supervisor
• Bruce Timm as Booster Gold / Michael J. Carter