Harley Quinn has become incredibly popular after Margot Robbie's interpretation of the character in Suicide Squad, but before that version of the character, she has had a long history in comics and animated series alike. Unlike many other popular comic-book characters, Harley Quinn wasn't even created in a comic.
Harley Quinn's first-ever appearance was in Batman: The Animated Series as the Joker's sidekick. Many fans loved the character and since then, she was brought into the comics and has become a classic Batman villain. She's become a staple of the Gotham verse in shows, comics, games, and now even movies. There are many Harley Quinn comics to get into, but Reddit users gave their opinions on the best ones.
Harleen
Harleen follows Harley Quinn during her days as a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum. This comic is a rewriting of her origin story and shows how working at the asylum slowly led to her insanity, and it also shows the beginning of her relationship with The Joker.
Reddit user Harleys_ commented, "Harleen is deemed as the best retelling of her origin story and is somewhat a character study. If you only read one comic make sure it’s this." Harleen is also mentioned by plenty of other uses on different forums asking for the best Harley Quinn stories, so it's sure to be a good one.
Gotham City Sirens
Gotham City Sirens follows Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy as the trio figure out how to work together to get whatever they want in Gotham City. Each of the three is also recovering from past traumas, and Harley is still very much in love with the Joker in this story.
Reddit user Harleys_ commented about Gotham City Sirens, "The first arc written by Paul Dini (her creator) is a must-read and the final arc as well." Considering Gotham City Sirens follows some of the best Batman comic villains with Harley Quinn included, it's no surprise many fans have been mentioning this one on Reddit.
Harley Quinn, Volume 1: Hot in the City
Hot in the City is the first volume in her solo run for the New 52. After she's finished some jobs for the Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn decides she needs a fresh start. Harley begins looking for a new job, joins a roller derby team, and embarks on new adventures in Hot in the City.
Redditor Winter_Coyote discussed the New 52 run, "It's really fun. It starts with Harley right after her split from the Joker. The roller derby for the movie comes from that run." It's easy to see why this would be a popular story. Harley Quinn was one of the best DC comic book sidekicks, but it seems she really becomes her own person in the New 52 run.
Batman: No Man's Land
Batman: No Man's Land follows Batman and his villains after a massive earthquake caused destruction in Gotham City. After the earthquake, Gotham has been closed off to the rest of the world and many of Gotham's villains started a turf war to take over the streets of Gotham.
Reddit user jurassicbond commented, "She was introduced to the main continuity about halfway through the Batman: No Man's Land event and is featured fairly regularly throughout that." Even though Harley Quinn is a character who first appeared in Batman: The Animated Series, No Man's Land did an excellent job of introducing her character to the comic books, which makes this essential reading.
Mad Love
Mad Love is Harley Quinn's true origin story in DC Comics, which follows her as she falls in love with the Joker and even shows the true nature of their toxic relationship. Mad Love shows Harley Quinn the way she was intended to be, as a true villain with hardly any redeeming factors.
Redditor thevulcansuperhero expressed their love for Mad Love, "It's easily one of the best Batman books ever written, and it's defining for the character of Harley." One reason why Mad Love is so great might be because the creator of Harley Quinn for Batman: The Animated Series, Paul Dini, also wrote Mad Love.
Harley's Little Black Book
Harley's Little Black Book follows Harley Quinn on more silly adventures teaming up with different superheroes in an attempt to eventually become Wonder Woman's sidekick. She often annoys each hero and finds herself getting into very wacky situations.
Lelianadelrey commented, "Harley's Little Black Book is fun. She teams up with a different hero for each issue and gets into wacky situations. I think so far it's been with Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Zatanna." Harley's Little Black Book is undoubtedly a perfect comic for fans who love the silly side of Harley Quinn.
Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass
Breaking Glass follows teenage Harley Quinn in an alternate universe, living in an apartment above a cabaret after her parents divorced. Harley Quinn gets upset about the gentrification of the neighborhood and has to choose to team up with either Poison Ivy or the Joker to make a difference in Gotham.
Reddit user JustALittleWeird mentioned, "Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass has a lot more sociopolitical commentary, a re-imagining of her as a teenager, but still fun and worth checking out if you like the character and enjoy Young Adult stories."
Harley Quinn: No Good Deed
No Good Deed follows Harley Quinn on her return to Gotham, once again trying to start a new life by becoming a hero. Following the events of The Joker War, Harley decides to help fix Gotham City and those affected by what happened.
Redditor Harleys_ commented, "(It's) her current run where she’s playing a big part in Gotham again. IMO this arc is building up to a shift in her character arc which is exciting." Harley Quinn has a long and at times problematic history, but No Good Deed does a good job redeeming the character, while still keeping her wild personality.
Suicide Squad: Kicked In The Teeth
After the Suicide Squad has been arrested for their crimes, each member of the team faces an interrogation to reveal who was the mastermind behind their plans. Each member has to escape their imprisonment, while also avoiding breaking down and revealing the truth.
JGarrickFlash briefly suggested Suicide Squad, commenting, "Suicide Squad: Kicked in the Teeth is a good start." For those new to both Harley Quinn and the Suicide Squad, Kicked in the Teeth is the perfect comic to pick up, as it introduces new readers to Suicide Squad facts only comic fans would know.
Batman: Harley And Ivy
Batman: Harley and Ivy follow the duo as they decide to finally take down Batman. Harley Quinn has to influence Poison Ivy to team up with her by convincing her she's capable of being a great villain. Harley and Ivy are equally as comedic as they are fun and adventurous.
Many users on Reddit praised the Harley & Ivy miniseries, with plenty of users mentioning it as one of their favorite Harley Quinn stories. There's no surprise here since Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy have a lot of history and have one of the best relationships in Batman comics.