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Mad Love (comic)
Encyclopedia
The Batman Adventures: Mad Love is a one-shot comic book
written by Paul Dini
(writer on Batman: The Animated Series
and Batman Beyond
) and Bruce Timm
(executive producer on The New Batman/Superman Adventures
and the co-creator of Batman: The Animated Series). Set in the continuity of The Batman Animated Series, it won an Eisner Award
for "Best Single Story" in 1994. It was later adapted (with minor alterations for pacing) as an episode of the animated series The New Batman Adventures
.
's sidekick Harley Quinn
. Once psychiatrist
Dr. Harleen Quinzel, she falls in love with the Joker after spending time with him inside Arkham Asylum
. She develops an obsession with him, and turns to crime just to win his love.
Time passes, and the Joker still remains fixated on Batman's elimination, rebuffing Quinn's advances and kicking her out of their hideout. Quinn decides that the only way to make The Joker love her is to kill Batman, which she attempts to do by feeding him to a school of piranha
s. She nearly succeeds, but Batman distracts her by laughing at Harley's plan and explaining that the Joker's tales about his unhappy childhood were lies, citing several different accounts the Joker told others.
When she insists that the Joker really loves her, Batman convinces her to call the Joker so that he will know she accomplished her goal (as otherwise, the piranhas would leave no evidence).
The Joker, upon arrival, however, is infuriated that Harley would try to kill Batman herself; Harley explains her plan to him, but this only angers the Joker further, roaring, "If you have to explain a joke, there is no joke!"
The Joker strikes Quinn with a plastic swordfish
, causing her to fall out a window; Renee Montoya
saves her from death. The Joker decides nonetheless to use the opportunity to finally kill Batman, apparently taking Harley's earlier idea of "just shooting him" instead of a complicated plan, to which the Joker screamed back that Batman's death had to totally humiliate him.
This escalates into a wild chase ending atop a moving subway-train, where Batman confronts his nemesis, taunting him, "I have to admit she came a lot closer to killing me than you ever did..." Then mockingly sneers, "Puddin'". The Joker attacks him, but after a vicious fight, Batman sends the Joker plunging into a burning smokestack.
Back in Arkham, a heavily injured Quinn decides that the Joker had merely used her, and renounces him forever, wanting nothing more than to heal and leave Arkham for good. Joan Leland, the head therapist at Arkham shows up to mock Harley for having trusted the Joker. But a moment later, she finds flowers sent by her clownish beau with a "get well soon" card and soon falls in love with him again.
la in 1998 (ISBN 1563892448) And in 2009 the story was collected – alongside a number of others by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini – in a hardcover collection named Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories (ISBN 9781401222451).
Comics said that "Mad Love is everything a comic book should be" and called it "one Batman book everyone should read".
The website ranked Mad Love #12 on a list of the 25 greatest Batman graphic novels.
In 2008 the story was adapted as part of DC Comics' motion comics line, available for download through digital outlets such as iTunes
and Xbox Live
. Subscribers can download each chapter separately from Xbox Live, but iTunes groups the seven chapters into three downloads (Chapters 1 & 2, Chapters 3, 4, & 5, and Chapters 6 & 7).
Batman: Arkham Asylum
lifts much of its dialogue from Harley Quinn's patient interviews from Mad Love.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
written by Paul Dini
Paul Dini
Paul Dini is an American writer and producer who works in the television and comic book industries. He is best known as a producer and writer for several Warner Bros./DC Comics animated series, including Star Wars: Ewoks, Tiny Toon Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated...
(writer on Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
and Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
) and Bruce Timm
Bruce Timm
Bruce Walter Timm is an American character designer, animator and producer. He is also a writer and artist working in comics, and is known for his contributions building the modern DC Comics animated franchise, the DC animated universe.-Animation:Timm's early career in animation was varied; he...
(executive producer on The New Batman/Superman Adventures
The New Batman/Superman Adventures
The New Batman/Superman Adventures is a name given to a rerun package series that combined Superman: The Animated Series with The New Batman Adventures produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It aired from 1997-2000 on Kids' WB...
and the co-creator of Batman: The Animated Series). Set in the continuity of The Batman Animated Series, it won an Eisner Award
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
for "Best Single Story" in 1994. It was later adapted (with minor alterations for pacing) as an episode of the animated series The New Batman Adventures
The New Batman Adventures
The New Batman Adventures is the successor to Batman: The Animated Series produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Although bearing different character designs and animation styles, both shows take place in the same continuity, with TNBA set two years after BTAS. The series aired on The WB from...
.
Plot summary
The story revolves around The JokerJoker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
's sidekick Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn was first introduced as a villain on September 11, 1992, in the animated series Batman: The Animated Series, later adapted into DC Comics' Batman comic books. As suggested by her name , she is clad in the manner of a traditional harlequin jester...
. Once psychiatrist
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
Dr. Harleen Quinzel, she falls in love with the Joker after spending time with him inside Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, commonly referred to simply as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital in the DC Comics Universe, usually appearing in stories featuring Batman...
. She develops an obsession with him, and turns to crime just to win his love.
Time passes, and the Joker still remains fixated on Batman's elimination, rebuffing Quinn's advances and kicking her out of their hideout. Quinn decides that the only way to make The Joker love her is to kill Batman, which she attempts to do by feeding him to a school of piranha
Piranha
A piranha or piraña is a member of family Characidae in order Characiformes, an omnivorous freshwater fish that inhabits South American rivers. In Venezuela, they are called caribes...
s. She nearly succeeds, but Batman distracts her by laughing at Harley's plan and explaining that the Joker's tales about his unhappy childhood were lies, citing several different accounts the Joker told others.
When she insists that the Joker really loves her, Batman convinces her to call the Joker so that he will know she accomplished her goal (as otherwise, the piranhas would leave no evidence).
The Joker, upon arrival, however, is infuriated that Harley would try to kill Batman herself; Harley explains her plan to him, but this only angers the Joker further, roaring, "If you have to explain a joke, there is no joke!"
The Joker strikes Quinn with a plastic swordfish
Swordfish
Swordfish , also known as broadbill in some countries, are large, highly migratory, predatory fish characterized by a long, flat bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfish are elongated, round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood...
, causing her to fall out a window; Renee Montoya
Renee Montoya
Renee Montoya is a fictional comic book character published by DC Comics. The character was initially created for Batman: The Animated Series, and was preemptively introduced into mainstream comics before the airing of her animated debut in 1992....
saves her from death. The Joker decides nonetheless to use the opportunity to finally kill Batman, apparently taking Harley's earlier idea of "just shooting him" instead of a complicated plan, to which the Joker screamed back that Batman's death had to totally humiliate him.
This escalates into a wild chase ending atop a moving subway-train, where Batman confronts his nemesis, taunting him, "I have to admit she came a lot closer to killing me than you ever did..." Then mockingly sneers, "Puddin'". The Joker attacks him, but after a vicious fight, Batman sends the Joker plunging into a burning smokestack.
Back in Arkham, a heavily injured Quinn decides that the Joker had merely used her, and renounces him forever, wanting nothing more than to heal and leave Arkham for good. Joan Leland, the head therapist at Arkham shows up to mock Harley for having trusted the Joker. But a moment later, she finds flowers sent by her clownish beau with a "get well soon" card and soon falls in love with him again.
Reprints
Mad Love was reprinted as a graphic novelGraphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
la in 1998 (ISBN 1563892448) And in 2009 the story was collected – alongside a number of others by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini – in a hardcover collection named Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories (ISBN 9781401222451).
Critical reaction
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
Comics said that "Mad Love is everything a comic book should be" and called it "one Batman book everyone should read".
The website ranked Mad Love #12 on a list of the 25 greatest Batman graphic novels.
Awards
- 1994:
- Won "Best Single Issue" Eisner AwardEisner AwardThe Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
- Bruce Timm was nominated for "Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller-Inker Team" Eisner Award, for his work on Mad Love
- Won "Best Single Issue" Eisner Award
Other media
An animated adaptation of the issue, nearly identical in script and design to the original comic, originally aired on the WB Network on January 16, 1999, as a part of The New Batman Adventures. The script was written by Paul Dini, and the episode was directed by Butch Lukic. Perhaps the only contrasts to the comic over the episode were the revamped character designs and the removal of minor scenes for pacing and time concerns.In 2008 the story was adapted as part of DC Comics' motion comics line, available for download through digital outlets such as iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
. Subscribers can download each chapter separately from Xbox Live, but iTunes groups the seven chapters into three downloads (Chapters 1 & 2, Chapters 3, 4, & 5, and Chapters 6 & 7).
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a 2009 action-adventure stealth video game based on DC Comics' Batman developed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment...
lifts much of its dialogue from Harley Quinn's patient interviews from Mad Love.