Harley Quinn Officially Calls Out the #1 Problem with Every Superhero in History

Warning: Contains spoilers for Harley Quinn #42!

Sometimes, people can forget that Harley Quinn has a PhD. Before she was the Clown Princess of Crime — and well before she became a Bat-Family member — Harleen Quinzel was an Arkham Asylum psychiatrist. During her career, she saw all sorts of psychological issues in both heroes and villains, and she’s finally come to the conclusion that every cape desperately needs one thing: therapy.

In Harley Quinn #42by Tini Howard and Sweeney Boo, Harley Quinn is trying to use her psychological knowledge to help people after all the bad she’s done — including Batman’s third Robin, Tim Drake. As Harley and Robin team up to deal with the problem of Mr. Freeze, Harley illustrates their disparate methods of coping with the life of a superhero.

Harley tries to have a heart-to-heart with Tim, but Robin, taking after his own father, would rather talk about their plan than his feelings. Harley doesn’t waste any breath, quickly pointing out this one weakness common to every superhero in comic history: the inability to deal with their problems in a healthy way. As she says herself, “I can’t believe that you’d actually literally rather fight a super-villain than go to therapy.”

Harley Quinn Is the Clown Princess of Talk Therapy

Harley Laughs Away Her Trauma

Harley Quinn knows what she’s talking about. Even beyond her background as a psychiatrist, she has worked through some of the worst traumas after her sick romance with the Joker. She has made admirable strides back into being a hero and removing herself from an abusive relationship — and she isn’t doing it like Batman. She’s doing it in her own lighthearted, joking style. If there is anyone who should be trusted when it comes to the realm of overcoming past pain, it’s Harley Quinn.

As a trusted member of the Bat-Family (thanks to this Robin team-up), she has a new perspective that allows her to have some fun poking at the grimness of the Bat himself. Instead of dealing with his own tragedy in a healthy way, Batman has decided to punch other people with similar tragic pasts. With this one comment, Harley shatters the super-serious mood of every superhero. She seems to say that the world would be a much better place if every cape just talked through their feelings instead of talking with their fists.

Harley Quinn Is the Therapist the DCU Needs

Harley Talks Through Her Feelings in Heroes in Crisis

Harley Quinn was there when the what seems like the entire DC Universe tried to talk out their feelings for the first time. In Heroes in Crisis by Tom King and Clay Mann, Batman creates Sanctuary, a safe place for heroes to work through their PTSD. But after a crisis ending with several dead heroes, superheroes have been much too wary to get vulnerable again. Punching seems to be the only way to show emotion, especially for the Bat-Family. To combat this, Harley’s reaction is to make a joke of how seriously superheroes take themselves.

Superman’s weakness is kryptonite, and Harley Quinn knows Batman’s secret weakness: therapy. She is the antithesis of Batman, with his dark, brooding persona, and stands as his joyful opposite. Like a good therapist, however, she knows she cannot control other people’s feelings. It’s astounding just how emotionally intelligent Harley Quinn is, considering she dresses in a silly suit and beats villains with a giant mallet. But maybe that’s the point. She has made peace with her silly self through her therapeutic work. Every other DC hero could take a few notes from Harley Quinn.

Harley Quinn #42 is available now from DC Comics!