Harley & Ivy: Life & Crimes

by Erica Henderson

Issues 1-6

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Queer, LGBT, Young Adult

152 pages, Paperback

Published August 18, 2026

About the author

Erica Henderson is an illustrator and animator hailing from the Big Apple.
She is graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design and has since moved north to the cold shores of Boston.

Reviews

[Eva B. · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

The thing is, I like HarlIvy way more in theory than in reality. Poison Ivy is my favorite villain (who, let's be real, is objectively right about everything), but I am not really a fan of modern Harley Quinn, where she's become DC's Deadpool with all the zany (read: unfunny) quips and chaos. That being said, this is a good introduction to the two of them as a couple as Harley leaves the Joker (although honestly I prefer the route where she stays with him a bit longer despite Ivy's efforts; in reality, abusive relationships aren't always as easy to leave as just walking away one day and never looking back) and return to Harley's Brooklyn roots to visit Ma Hunkel! A Golden Age heroine who's been showing up all over lately, not that I'm complaining.
I prefer the Ivy solo series but if you want a jumping off point for Harley/Ivy in DC comics, this is a good starting spot. Also, cute art that hearkens back to Batman: The Animated Series.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I could have hoped for for a Harley and Ivy origin story

[Saimi Korhonen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“But it’s like I lived two different lives, y’know? One before you and one after you.” – “Maybe one before your chemical bath.” – “I don’t know where I’d be without you.”

Harley & Ivy: Life and Crimes tells the wild, explosive and romantic story of how Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy were forced to team up against the Joker, Harley's violent ex, and fell in love in the process. It's the origin story of their romance, and it is as cute, as funny and as action-packed as you'd expect.

I picked up this book without knowing anything about it simply because I love Harley and Ivy and wanted a fun miniseries to cheer me up (I have a cold and I feel like shit). Turns out, it was one of the best comics I've read in a while. It's genuinely funny and sweet, the art is incredible and the characters are written perfectly. I also loved the way the story is structured, with Harley and Ivy recounting how they first met and how they fell in love. Because we see what they wanna share and how they remember everything, it's not an objective truth, but their truth. Sometimes Harley or Ivy misremembers something and the other corrects them, and sometimes they try to skip over embarrassing moments (such as having to run away from the cops in the nude and having a childish argument cause they completely misread each other in a convo earlier). I liked this kind of unreliability a lot, and it also fits well for the character of Harley especially, who is known for seeing the world in her own peculiar way. Erica Henderson also does a great job tying this story to other famous DC tales while also making it accessible to less experienced readers who might just want to read a cute story about DC's most famous sapphic couple.

Let's start with my girl, Harley. I love her I love her I love her, and Henderson did a wonderful job capturing her vulnerability, her outlandish sense of humor, her mischievous side and her lovergirl nature. She also showcased how Harley, though she is a bit mad and people think she is just Joker's girl, is actually really goddamn clever – as Harley puts it, eloquent as ever: “I’m crazy, not stupid.” She might rush headfirst into danger and not always plan things ahead, but she is smart and is good at reading people and understanding their emotions, which makes her a great counterpart to the emotionally constipated Ivy. The glimpses we get into Harley's youth were cool and I liked the idea of young teenage Harley helping Ma Hunkel run her unofficial home for orphaned and runaway kids, tutoring them and so on, not because she wanted anything but because she thought she could help. It was a great way of showing how big a heart Harley has, despite her criminal tendencies. Another great example of this was her, in the end, offering to get something from the jewellery store they're gonna rob to the nice wedding dress shop lady whose been listening to their story all this time and shown them dresses, thinking they were getting married and not staking out a target. Also, the lady asking for sapphires (and getting them) was fun.

Another side of Harley that I wanna talk a bit about was the depiction of her toxic, abusive relationship with the Joker. The origin story of Harlivy starts as Harley and Ivy run into each other at Ace Chemicals, where Harley is lamenting her relationship with the Joker and wondering if she should just go back to him cause, as she says (in a scene that made me so sad for her): “Who else is gonna want me?" You can see, in that scene, in that small quote, how the Joker has made her feel small, unlovable, unwanted and someone no one else could ever handle, and it broke my heart. This story is, while also being her love story with Ivy, also the tale of how Harley finally breaks free from the Joker's clutches for good, and it was really cathartic to see her outwit him and use his assumptions about her against him. When Harley pretends to have fallen for his words, yet again, the Joker believes her cause he thinks she is nothing without him. It was wonderful, seeing Harley take down the Joker with Ivy and, in doing so, demonstrate to herself, to Ivy, to the reader, that she is no longer in the Joker's thrall. But I also appreciated that Henderson showcased how it is not simple to get out of a relationship like that, one of both toxicity and mad love. When Harley sees a grotesque love heart made for her by the Joker, she wavers and says, when Ivy berates her for it: “I’m good! There ain’t just an off switch fer this, okay?”

Now, Ivy. I love her so much too, and Henderson did a brilliant job writing her as well. You get to marvel at her awesome powers, chuckle a little bit at her social inaptitude and feel intensely for her in the moments when she finally does open up to Harley and admit that she sucks at relationships and has had such bad experiences with people that she always expects the worst. While Harley has been made to think she couldn't be wanted by anyone, Ivy believes everything she touches turns to shit. I liked Ivy's dry wit, especially when paired with Harley's own brand of humor, and I liked seeing the solitary, misanthropic Poison Ivy slowly fall for Harley Quinn, chaos personified, without even, at first, realising it herself. Also, I loved this quote of hers, after Harley, angry, asks her what she wants: “Just for everyone to stop poisoning the only planet we have.” Oh, Pammy, you legend.

Harley and Ivy are my fave DC couple and this story did them and their romance justice. It was a pretty perfect origin story for them and it was great seeing them be thrown together, forced to team up and then begin to fall in love as they run from the cops, blow shit up and end up framed by the Joker. It was as chaotic as you'd expect their story to be – I mean, them reuniting at Ace Chemicals, fighting over whether Ivy should blow it up, accidentally causing it to blow up and angering the Joker in the process was perfect for them.. Henderson wrote them as these two messed up, lonely and mistreated women who find each other and find a healthy, supportive, healing love in one another, and it was so goddamn beautiful. One of my fave quotes from the whole book was narrator Harley pausing the story and saying: Hey, I wanna be real for a sec. I know we said you saved me earlier, but I think this was the moment, really. Nobody’d ever believed in me before, ya know?” I am a sucker for stories about damaged people falling in love and helping each other heal from their wounds, and Harlivy is a prime example of this. They are also just really fucking funny. They are, in so many ways, polar opposites and that causes delightful friction and is a wonderful source of humor. Harley telling Ivy that while Ivy deals with getting hurt by pushing people away, it won't work with her because Harley won't let Ivy cut her out made me chuckle, as did them bonding over the horror that is the US university student loan. Them having to run away from the cops in the nude cause they were found just after they had sex was peak chaos, as was Harley trying to blow off the dandelion bra Ivy fashioned for herself cause of course she would do that. Also, Henderson pausing the comic and skipping over the sex was hilarious, as was this note from her and the rest of the team: “Please excuse us at this time. Nobody told Harley and Ivy that this is not a black label book.” I love it when comics mess with the fourth wall a bit. Perhaps my favorite moment between them was at the very end, after they have defeated Clayface who threatened Ma Hunkel and the kids in her care, and Ivy says it might be better for them to not even try to be together. She says: “But come on, who are we kidding? We don’t make sense together.” And it's true, on paper they don't make sense. But then Harley replies in the best, most perfect way possible: “Pfft. Who cares?” I also loved that, in the end, after they get back from telling their story and robbing the jewellery shop, Ivy reveals that she did steal a wedding dress. It doesn't end in proposal or marriage, but the feeling that one day perhaps they might walk down the aisle. I would kill to read that story.

The side characters were really fun. The Joker is genuinely appalling and creepy in this book and not just because of his messed-up face and skin transplant, but also because of the manipulative, cruel way he treats Harley and toys with her. Clayface is such a weird villain, and I kinda like him. At the hands of a good artist (like Henderson), his powers are really fun to look at. I'd never heard of Ma Hunkel, a golden age superhero, so I was happy to get to know this version of her. She is a no-nonsense lady, someone you don't mess with and someone who, despite her tough exterior, has a warm heart. She's tough love personified. It amused me that while the kids she cares for think they are sneaking out, she is actually aware of their shenanigans and is simply happy to have a night to herself.

This was such an enchanting, charming and engaging comic. It's a great story about getting over a shitty relationship and finding a relationship that is actually good for you, even if the life you share is one full of crimes and chaos. I read it online but I will 100% be buying a copy of the book because I desperately need it in my collection. I will be keeping an eye on Henderson and what she does next for DC. I pray it's more Harlivy stuff, though I'm sure she'd do a great job with any character.

[Artemis Crescent · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Harley & Ivy: Life & Crimes' by Erica Henderson - what silly, goofy, cartoony LBGTQIA+ fun! That is also a lot deeper and more introspective than it appears.

It is a standalone Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy comic - there is no specific continuity connecting it to anything; at least, nothing fixed (Joker has his 'New 52 Detective Comics'/'Death of the Family' faceoff phase here, and Ivy's backstory has elements that might have been borrowed from G. Willow Wilson's comic run of her character). Anyone can read it, and get the gist of Harley and Ivy's relationship - from clown henchwoman/ecoterrorist fugitives, to fugitive lovers - without being too confused, or having to worry about reading any preexisting DC material.

The Life and Crimes of Harley and Ivy is pure, cheesy fun. Even including the sexytimes and running-from-the-law-in-complete-nudity scenes, where your mileage my vary on whether they are done tastefully or not. Henderson executes these in funny and creative ways, and along with Joker's appearance they are proof the comic is not for kids. I don't care for the sex, the nudity, and the final issue's ending tongue-kissing, but that's solely due to personal preference.

Gorgeous cover art, though.

Great artwork, great characters, both mains and one-offs (Abigail "Ma" Hunkel is a fantastic addition to the cast), and a funny and entertaining buddy comedy/LBGTQIA+ love story overall, Erica Henderson really outdid herself. She wrote, drew and coloured all of 'Harley & Ivy: Life & Crimes', and it is commendable.

Harley is Harley, and Ivy is Ivy, and as different as they are, they compliment and complete each other.

Once again, we as a comic book and pop culture media audience are reminded that Harley Quinn does not need Joker. She never needed him. That cycle of abuse is ended. It is never coming back into play ever again. Partly - well, mostly - thanks to Harley meeting the right woman, who is also her best friend.

Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn and Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy - doing crimes, destroying the shit out of shitty men via plant vines, and - though it doesn't need to be said nowadays, and certainly not in this comic - being gay/bi.

They are meant to be.

They are the ultimate OTP of DC Comics.

Other recommended Harlivy comics:


'Harley Quinn: The Animated Series, Vol. 1: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour'

'Harley Quinn, Vol. 1: Girl in a Crisis'

'The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley'


Final Score: 3.5/5

[Georgina Power · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There’s nothing broken that can’t be fixed.”

The Life and Crimes of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy was brilliant. Wacky, chaotic, hilarious, and completely ridiculous in the best way, but also surprisingly honest, open and cute.

I loved the way this was told, with modern-day Harley and Ivy recounting their “meet cute” and all the drama, madness and crime that led them to where they are now. The fourth wall breaking worked so well, and it gave the whole thing this fun, self-aware energy that felt very Harley especially. It never took itself too seriously, but still had enough heart underneath all the chaos.

Harley and Ivy’s personalities absolutely scream through the pages. Harley is messy, loud, funny and completely unfiltered, while Ivy has that sharper, calmer, more dangerous edge, and together they just work. Their dynamic is chaotic but sweet, dramatic but soft, and honestly, I ship them so much. They are absolutely bae.

The illustrations were stunning too. The artwork really brought out the energy of both characters, and I loved seeing all the variants included. It made the whole omnibus feel like such a fun celebration of them as a pair, not just as villains or anti-heroes, but as characters with history, chemistry and so much personality.

One of my favourite parts was the fourth-wall comic strip from the group involved in creating the comic, with all the little side notes and the NSFW box basically telling Harley and Ivy to remember this wasn’t a Black Label comic, so things had to be censored. That honestly had me laughing. It was such a clever, playful touch and fitted the tone perfectly.

What I really liked though is that underneath all the madness, this still had heart. It was funny and chaotic, yes, but it also showed the softer side of Harley and Ivy’s relationship. There was this lovely sense of two damaged people finding understanding, acceptance and something worth holding onto in each other.

This was hilarious, cute, bonkers, beautifully illustrated and so much fun to read. I honestly want the next omnibus now.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look back on the beginning of Harley and Ivy's relationship from frenemies to girlfriends.

I enjoyed a lot of this book. The dialogue's clever, some of the jokes are laugh out loud funny, and Erica Henderson manages to make both characters talk about their issues without it feeling like Supervillain Therapy Sessions: The Mini-Series.

I liked the continuity of it all, the way certain events from the past all fit together, and I was certainly never expecting to see the New 52 Joker design back again, but I'm here for it. Plus, any book that manages to rope Ma Hunkel into the action is alright with me.

My only issue is that it felt kind of abrupt at the end. I thought this was going to be like, a series of vignettes from across Harley and Ivy's past up until the present, but it mostly just focuses on the one event, and that comes to a sharp stop, as if Henderson was hoping she'd get more issues but had to wrap everything up in half of issue 6 instead. There's a 'We'll be back!' type message at the end, and I do hope we get more, but I definitely felt like there was more to tell here rather than somewhere else.

[Emile Rudoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Que divertida miniserie. La verdad es que, a diferencia de muchas personas, yo ni soy fan de Harley Quinn (de hecho no entiendo el éxito que ha tenido) ni me gustó que de un momento a otro fuera pareja de Poison Ivy ya que sentía que era algo sacado de la manga (quizás por sus interacciones en la serie animada ya que esa no la he visto en su totalidad).

En esta historia Erica Henderson (a la cual conocíamos por su trabajo al frente de Squirrel Girl) nos muestra como es que Harley e Ivy se conocieron y se enamoraron y la verdad es que lo hace muy bien. Me gustó que buscó integrar detalles de continuidad y hacerlas sentir orgánicas juntando detalles de los 90's (No man's land) y del New 52 (cuando Joker quedó desfigurado).

Creo que, si le tuviera que poner un pero, es que me gustaría que fuera una serie regular, pero al final dice que continuará, así que esperaré con ansias la siguiente miniserie.

Si son fanes de Harley y/o Poison Ivy esta historia es para ustedes. Si no lo son (como yo), también, ya que en verdad está bastante divertida.

[Alex Sarll]

I don't actually know how DC's most adorable psycho sapphic pairing began. But even if I did, at this point who can say what if anything is still in continuity at DC? And certainly there's space, after that particularly inexplicable phase a few years back where the company seemed set on undoing the relationship, for this utterly charming restatement, the duo responding to an unseen third asking how they got together with a suitably madcap saga of demolition, traps and the odd naked getaway. Squirrel Girl's Erica Henderson tackles it solo (seriously, everything bar the lettering), and if it occasionally hits that pitfall of characters who really don't seem the type for it talking about their relationship when they're barely in a relationship yet, I'm prepared to overlook that for the smart layouts, the gags, and above all Henderson's always excellent cartooning; the leads have rarely looked so loveable, nor Harley's terrible ex quite so creepy.

[Luke · Rating 2 out of 5]

A light-hearted book that leans into some honest emotions, but does so in a clunky and inconsistent manner. A lot of the writing isn't the best, with Harley and Ivy at times talking in stilted and unnatural ways. The pace of the book is awkward, especially with issue-conclusions feeling weirdly jarring. And this goes for the end of the book as well, which gave me the impression that this series was cancelled rather than ending in a natural way (which is odd considering the high praise it was receiving). I like seeing these characters interacting and their relationship, but this book just didn't do it for me.

[BugDownloader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giving Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy a "main event" love story all to themselves is not an enviable task, they are two characters with busy lives and chaotic, conflicting histories. Erica Henderson does a good job capturing the relationship without sacrificing the fun villainy and cartoonish antics of the two women.

While I do dislike when Harley Quinn's criminal psychology background is deployed for the sake of general pop-therapy, its small presence here is largely reasonable and even cute.

I also appreciate that Ivy is granted some of her own insecurity without reducing Harley to a manic pixie dreamgirl. The two have compelling chemistry for once thank god.

[Nevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I guess everything by Erica Henderson is going on my reading list now. Wow. I normally don't care about Harley and Ivy, but this brought so much humanity, personality, and fun into the story. Perfect art for silliness, superhero action, and believable relationship moments.

[Adam Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful romp that doesn't overstay its welcome. Looking forward to the follow-up.

[Geo Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cute straightforward story. Great for anyone who wants more content of how they got together !

[Kara Whicker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly? Mid

[Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

j'espère lire absolument tout ce qui existe sur elles

[klau · Rating 5 out of 5]

AAAA FRESH AIR

[Paige Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute, love my girls as usual

[André Habet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story that retells how Poison Ivy and Harley got involved romantically. Henderson is great as always with comedy both on the dialogue and visual front. A few instances where I couldn’t make out the action but that’s alright.

I enjoyed it all the same. Also, I love the very weird choice of making this take place during the Morrison Batman era when Joker cut his face off. It’s great as a way to show how entrenched you can be in a toxic relationship.

[Aidan]

You know a DC comic’s good when it’s cancelled prematurely! They’d be wise not to lose Erica Henderson, she’s a rare sight in superhero comics as a proper cartoonist with skills beyond both most writers AND artists in DC’s stable. Give her a graphic novel or something!

[Jamie King · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

This was a fun read, I have gripes with the execution of the cover (great concept but not a great Ivy side profile) but the interiors are lovely and really suit the book. The story is heartwarming and gives a definitive origin to the most enduring queer relationship in comics.

It was surprisingly heavy at points, really drilling into toxic relationships and the dynamics of abusers and those they abuse. It didn't feel unearned or surface level, it showed those interactions in motion and it resonated with me. It also didn't fall into the trap that the Harley Quinn TAS book fell into of generating baseless conflict constantly. All tension made sense, and it was resolved in a satisfying way.

A very lovely read with more weight to it than I'd initially anticipated.