Punchline is Better Than Harley Quinn, & DC's Villains Know It

Even though Harley Quinn is still superior in the eyes of fans, Punchline has proven herself to be better, and even DC's villains know it to be true.

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Harley Quinn #14

Ever since Punchline hit the scene, fans have compared her to Harley Quinn as she took Harley’s place by the Joker’s side. While Harley Quinn has remained superior to Punchline in every conceivable way in the eyes of fans, the other villains of DC Comics seem to think Punchline is way better, proving that Harley Quinn will never recover from her greatest defeat.

Punchline made her DC Comics debut in Batman #89 byJames Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez. However, she didn’t make a name for herself until four issues later in Batman #93 where she finally faced off against Harley Quinn. While many fans would have picked Harley as the winner of that battle, they would all be dead wrong as Punchline not only destroys Harley’s signature mallet, but she then slit Quinn’s throat, leaving her for dead.

In Harley Quinn #14 by Stephanie Phillips and Riley Rossmo, Harley is still getting that devastating defeat rubbed in her face. In the issue, Harley is in prison for a crime she says she didn’t commit, and while standing in line to receive a meal, some of the other inmates antagonize her, saying that Punchline told them that Harley begged for her life before her throat was cut, and that the only reason she is still alive is because Batman saved her. While Harley Quinn responded with an appropriate level of violence—at least for Harley—the things they were saying were, for the most part, true with only slight embellishments to make her seem weak.

Not only do the other villains of the DC Universe see Punchline as a better version of Harley Quinn, but it seems Punchline is even getting better treatment within the judicial system as well. In the current state of DC Comics, Harley Quinn is rotting in prison for something she didn’t do, meanwhile Punchline was just proven to be not guilty by a jury of her peers for a number of heinous crimes, all of which she absolutely did. Ever since Punchline came around, Harley Quinn hasn’t been able to catch a break. Not only is Punchline known as the ‘Anti-Harley’ for her more severe nature and very real bloodlust, but she proved to be even more effective in battle. Over the years, especially while surviving as a member of the Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn has exhibited her proficiency in combat, using her mental instability as an effective weapon against her enemies.

It seems ‘cool and focused’ beats ‘wild and erratic,’ proven true by Punchline’s victory over Harley Quinn as well as her ability to keep it together in court long enough to pull a ‘not guilty’ verdict. While the overwhelming consensus within the DC Comics fandom is that Harley Quinn is way better than Punchline, within DC continuity, Punchline has proven herself to be superior, and DC’s villains know it.

Next: Harley Quinn's Favorite Superhero Would Even Disgust Deadpool