Mindy Kaling will provide the voice for Velma as she gets her own animated series
Back in July 2020, we commented on news that orange shirt, black-rimmed spectacle, Velma was finally coming out as gay (see: Velma “officially” a lesbian in Scooby-Doo is relevant to the show … how?). At the time, we were reviewing the original 1969 Scooby-Doo Where Are You? first season episode as part of our Saturday morning TV cartoon. What is interesting here is we thought at the time that a spinoff show could be the place to explore Velma’s personal life in more detail.
Well, that appears to be exactly what HBO Max is going to provide, announcing earlier this month the new series is in development.
HBO Max announced Wednesday that Mindy Kaling will executive produce and voice the lead in Velma, a comedic origin story about the “unsung and underappreciated brains” of the iconic mystery-solving squad.
Velma is described as “an original and humorous spin that unmasks the complex and colorful past of one of America’s most beloved mystery solvers.”
What is particularly fascinating is Harley Quinn, the animated series, is in a lesbian relationship with her friend Poison Ivy and that excellent series is also greenlit for a new season. That show almost certainly will explore the relationship between the two comic book antiheroes.
Here is the question: is there any possibility that both animated series will cross over? What if Velma comes into the Harley Quinn universe? Is this too far-fetched?
Sometimes the different animated universes collide. This happens in the comic books somewhat frequently. At least for one episode it would be cool to see Velma and Harley Quinn and company together in a mystery of some sort to solve.
Before saying this idea is completely implausible, just think how many thought we’d ever get a standlalone animated series featuring Velma?
After seeing the somewhat disappointing Harley Quinn Birds of Prey movie, I wondered why Warner Bros. didn’t just make a live action version of the brilliant adult animated TV series?
Now, I’m reading a rumor that this might be currently under consideration:
…tipster Mikey Sutton claims that the studio haven’t given up on the idea of Harley as a marketable commodity just yet, and WB are rumored to be developing a solo movie for the fan favorite, which will be influenced by the acclaimed R-rated animated series that can currently be found on HBO Max. Given Margot Robbie’s A-list status and the enduring popularity of the comic book character, it wouldn’t be surprising in the slightest for the DCEU to mount another attempt at turning Harley Quinn into the star of her own franchise, but for now, we’ll just have to wait and see what they have planned.
If this does happen, then they better not wimp out on the production. I’m talking lay out the graphic violence, language and some (not too gratuitous) lesbian sex scenes between Poison Ivy and Harley. If Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan can do the horizontal mambo in Ammonite, then Harley & Ivy can make names for somebody (Margot Robbie and ___ insert your favorite Poison Ivy actress).
If they don’t go almost all the way to an X-rating, then the live action version will be lame. A good part of what makes the animated series so alluring is how over the top it is.
Hope this is true and hope they go all in. Even if they have to cut down some of the sex, drugs, violence and rock and roll to keep it R-rated, just go as far as they can.
Meanwhile, Season 3 of Harley Quinn is underway. Can’t wait for that to hit HBO Max. That won’t arrive until late 2021 or sometime in 2022 most likely. No official release date has been announced as of this writing.
You may not see a deal this good again anytime very soon: $29.99 to $6.99 (76% OFF)
Money is tight right now, which makes it even more important to point out good deals for those interested. There are no affiliate links in this post, this is a personal recommendation. You can navigate to the Google Play book store and type in “Harleen” and find the deal pictured above on 10/27/2020.
I’m certain this is a very LIMITED time offer, so if when reading this you see the price higher, perhaps add it to your wishlist and check back, as I’ve been doing until the price drops down to what you’re willing to pay for it.
I’ve bought precisely one graphic novel at the local independent store in the last year: HARLEEN.
Stjepan Šejić is the rare comic book creator that straddles the various kingdoms of the comics industry with ease. He has long been a fan-favorite creator in the webcomics world, from his days of releasing his romance/erotica/BDSM series Sunstone on DeviantArt for free to now, as he begins to serialize comics on social media.
The cover and jacket artwork was so beautiful that I couldn’t open the plastic and read it, instead focusing on the digital version to get through the first part. I’ve been waiting for the price to come down on my Google Play wishlist so I could buy the rest of the novel and it’s currently sitting at $6.99 USD, which is the lowest price I’ve ever seen.
Can it go much lower? Someday, maybe, but hey, I bought it, despite owning the book version that I might never open.
I can’t pronounce the artist’s name, but can appreciate his work. He worked on art for a companion book called ISLEY, that hasn’t been published yet. No idea based on him “leaving for-hire comics” if that will ever be published by DC, but I buy that, too, if it was available. Maybe in book form and digital as I’ve done now with HARLEEN.
tomorrow i complete my last pages in the standard comic industry, and then moving my ass into the glorious world of webcomics. i'll still publish my stuff in print once done through top cow of course, but i think i'll spend the last few creative decades of my life having fun 🙂 pic.twitter.com/5DjA7DajJ8
— stjepan sejic/ nebezial/ shiniez (@stjepansejic) June 4, 2020
Passing this along to fellow Harley Quinn fans and readers. Enjoy!
Once renewed, the questions turn to: when will we be able to see it? Production on an animated series is a little easier than a live action movie, because you aren’t dealing with setting logistics and voice talent can be recorded remotely. It’s a little like a band making music in 2020 using Pro Tools. If you google it, you’ll find plenty of artists talking about how the way music is recorded has changed. It’s not in a studio.
Back to the “when” question. Harley Quinn showrunners Justin Halpern and Patrick Shoemacher are giving us some ideas in an interview of when possibly it could appear, and the answer is “optimistically” no early than a year or so from now: the end of 2021. Of course they won’t decide on release dates, that will be up to HBO Max. My guess is HBO Max will want that new content ASAP, so there aren’t a lot of reasons to speculate that it will be delayed that long into 2022, assuming the episodes are completed of course.
Now, let’s dig into what Season 3 will be about. The showrunners are teasing it will have (much) more to do with Poison Ivy.
“We spent two years digging into Harley, and Ivy was her own character, but her stories were told mostly in relation to Harley. So, I think in this third season, it’d be interesting to flip that, and dig deeper into Ivy and her life, and tell some stories through her point of view,” said Halpern. “So, we’re excited to be able to do that because it feels completely new—somewhere to go that we haven’t gone, that isn’t going to make the audience feel like, “We saw two seasons of that. What the f**k is this?””
This seems like a creative direction to take the show. We want to learn more about what Harles and Ive will be up to. Are they going on a Gotham road trek? What will happen to the crew? So many questions to explore. Can we just fast forward to 2021 and 2022? Somebody get Marty McFly’s time traveling Delorean!
Harley Quinn, from showrunners Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker, has picked up steam since its first two seasons arrived on HBO Max. Sources say the renewal, which came early Thursday, followed a round of negotiations that hinged on a new budget for the series. That process had been stalled by the major executive shake-up at the streamer that saw senior leaders Bob Greenblatt and Kevin Reilly pushed out and oversight of the platform given to HBO’s Casey Bloys. That all of the original scripted and library offerings on DC Universe would move to HBO Max comes as little surprise.
So happy to see this renewal. It was a ray of sunshine this past year for adult animated series (see: All 26 Harley Quinn Episodes Ranked and Reviewed from first two seasons). If you haven’t binged the first two seasons, my goodness, we suggest putting on your watchlist ASAP. You watch in 4K at DCU. At HBO Max both seasons are available to stream, also.
We’re going to be able to see more of this criminally cool adult animated duo
The less positive news, also widely telegraphed, is that DC Universe is going to be comics-only officially effective January 21, 2021:
Current subscribers won’t need to touch anything on their accounts, they’ll simply see the name of the service change January 21, 2021, and find all the video content missing. But if you really, really love comics it won’t be the worst thing in the world. For $8 a month, or $75 a year, you’ll get access to nearly all of DC Comic’s back catalog, and new issues six months after they hit store shelves. And, unlike DC Universe as it stands right now, the comics-subscription service will begin rolling out internationally in 2021.
For comic books fans, the good news is they are reducing the comics to be available on the service from a year to six months and international audiences will be able to gain access. Will they add additional imprints like the very good Black Label comics? That would be good to see.
Bad news, no price change, although if compared straight up with Marvel’s unlimited comics plan DC Universe Infinite, as it will soon be called, the price is still less expensive at $7.99/month.
We’ve been enjoying a special discounted rate of $5.99/month for DCU that became available around Black Friday 2019. Since my eyes are getting lousier, making reading comics less enjoyable than I wish they would be and Kara has zero interest in comics, we’ll probably be dropping our DCU subscription soon. Then again, maybe we’ll hold on to see what other goodies DC Universe Infinite might bring in January. Doubtful there will be as much relevance to this site, as it’s not going to be a streaming service much longer.
Hurry up and binge Wonder Woman 1975 with Lynda Carter, since we will have no WW1984 until Christmas. Both the classic TV seasons are still on DCU, but it sounds like those will be gone in the new few months, so last chance to see them there. Will they move over to HBO Max? Perhaps, as most everything else movie and TV-related there sounds like it’s moving.
Would like to hear what other DCU subscribers think? If you were thinking of subscribing to the service, you better love reading comics digitally, otherwise, probably want to focus on HBO Max or other streamers.
One of those panels, unfortunately, has been delayed to a second DC FanDome event on September 12. There is speculation this is when we’ll find out of if the awesome adult animated show will be greenlit for a third season, but nothing has been confirmed.
If fans are going to get that information, it’ll be during the panel, now marked for Sept. 12 and 13 at 12 p.m. CST. The guests scheduled to speak on that panel include Kaley Cuoco (Harley), Lake Bell (Poison Ivy), Ron Funches (King Shark), Matt Oberg (Kite Man) and Alan Tudyk (Joker and Clayface) along with executive producers Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, Dean Lorey and supervising producer Jennifer Coyle.
As a huge fan of this adult animated show — I put it up there with the best ever created — a season 3 must happen. I think it’s probably something like a 95% certainty that season 3 and probably 4 will both be greenlit. I don’t know and haven’t read anything official, that’s pure speculation on my part, but just on buzz, reviews, the show quality, the fact that the creators want to do more seasons and the fact that it covers a central character that isn’t a man, in 2020 that seems to cover it all.
But even if we throw out all the reasons that point to a renewal, the most important thing is there is more story to tell. What will happen to Harley and Ivy? We need to know where these characters are going, what they will do in Gotham city and beyond.
So, my guess — again, only that — is September 12 or perhaps leaked sooner than that, we’ll find out new seasons will be coming. I don’t know if they can turn around an animated series in a year, but I’ve read the Zoom meeting for shows under production are all the rage during the pandemic, so something tells me as soon as WarnerMedia/DC says: “go!” that the creative team will go full throttle on more seasons.
Again, when might we see season 3? Late 2021, early to mid 2022, is an educated guess. They released Season 1 in 2019 and Season 2 in 2020. It couldn’t have come at a better time with theaters going down.
Or maybe we learn nothing at FanDome #2 September 12. That would be more newsworthy. September is when DC Universe is ending their rewards program, so something tells me we find the fate of DC Universe at Fandome #1, there is the negative news cycle, then follow up with FanDome #2 where we receive positive news and buzz.
Perhaps too much speculation here, but time will tell how close to the mark it is. What do you think? Do you want to see Season 3 of Harley Quinn? Are you attending the DC FanDome? Interested/not?
If you were hoping for a sequel, then you might need to wait longer.
WarnerMedia lately seems to be as inconsistent and impulsive with their decision making as the character Harley Quinn with her manical ex-boyfriend Joker.
At any rate there was some talk about possible BOP sequel, but that now appears dead.
There had been plans in the works to make Birds of Prey 2, but they’ve reportedly been scrapped and everyone has moved on. Our source tells us, “Warners no longer believes in the concept or in the creative team behind the movie.”
Is this coming from a credible source? No clue. But I agree it doesn’t deserve a sequel. Instead they should do like they did with Joker, just make a single name movie, Harley (or Harley Quinn). That’s the film people more wanted most to see. Margot Robbie can come back. The question is who would play Poison Ivy? I don’t think a broad audience cared that much about Birds of Prey 2.
Then again there is a camp that believes Harley Quinn is over-saturated, so maybe WarnerMedia would be wise to put Harley on ice and bring some other characters to the forefront for awhile? I think after the success of her adult animated show, she’s still a viable character in live action, but not mixed with Birds of Prey or some other group. Just tell a cool story with Poison Ivy and her out kicking butt.
It’s been a fun, entertaining journey following, watching and reviewing weekly releases of episodes for every new Harley Quinn adult animated TV show on DC Universe.
Those reading have already seen the reviews and during season 1 I ranked the episodes each week. In season 2 I decided to wait until the season was over and rank them all at one time along with season 1, sharing the episodes I enjoyed best. There were no terrible episodes, but a few that I thought missed the mark and could be safely skipped and not miss much. Only 3 out of the 26 episodes are not recommended.
With 9 of 26 episodes (34.6%!) having 4.5 or 5 stars just shows the overall strength and entertainment value in this series. If you haven’t seen this show yet and have any interest in watching adult animated shows, make plans to do so. It packs a real punch in 22 minutes and was my favorite TV show of 2019 (just slightly ahead of The Mandalorian, which I also loved) and so far my #2 favorite of 2020 for season 2.
I suspect this show will be renewed for at least one more season (probably two) and rightly so.
Where it goes from the end of season 2 is already under discussion by the showrunners.
… you’ve been warned, SPOILERS ahead …
And if we’re lucky enough to get a Season 3, and we truly don’t know yet, but if we are we’re not going to walk it back. They’re a couple. Any stakes that we want to build into the season moving forward are not going to involve [the question of] “Will they be able to stay in a relationship?” They’re going to be a couple.
Would be interesting to see the dynamic of their relationship together as a couple explored. Also, what happens to Gotham now that the Justice League are back? Will Harley & Ivy continue to be villains or become heroes, helping the Justice League as they did a few times in the first two seasons.
Season 2 DC Universe exclusive June 26, 2020 Season 2 finale!
Episode 13 – “The Runaway Bridesmaid”
Here we arrive at wedding day and Harley, Riddler and Dr. Psycho are locked up in Arkham while the Justice League are being awarded medals for saving the city. Just as Commissioner Gordon believes he’s about to receive the key to the city, it’s awarded to someone else. Gordon is now committed to avenging this decision and proving he can take down Ivy’s wedding with some undercover cops.
Clayface and King Shark break Harley out so she can join the wedding where she’s still maid of honor. The Cobb Squad resists, but Harley is determined to save Ivy and Kite Man’s special day from Commissioner Gordon ruining the event.
Does Ivy marry Kite Man? Is Commissioner Gordon’s plan to lock up everybody successful? Will Clayface sing for his idol director Tim Burton?
These questions and more are answered on the season two finale of Harley Quinn.
Summary
Time and again this show has proved what can be done in 22 minutes. We’ve been consistently impressed with how much story, deep cut characters, side stories, adventures and action are jammed into this relatively short run time.
Unfortunately, — and this is the one episode not to have this happen — I think this finale episode comes off as a bit too rushed. It’s one of very few that this applies in the entire 26 episode run (13 episodes each season). There are just too many emotions, characters, subcharacters and plot arcs and story ideas that must be wrapped up and the comedy — the humor which is so well written — somewhat suffers.
That criticism aside, it was still a good episode.
It was fun and entertaining how they chose to close this show. If this is to be the last episode ever, and I hope it’s not, viewers are not left with some lame cliffhanger. For that reason alone I’m leaving this one as 4 stars, when I felt it was more a three-star episode comparing to so many others. Greedy perhaps, but I wanted to have a 5-star episode to close this amazing adult animated series, but that was probably asking for too much considering how much build-up. I’m OK with what we were left with, but if only they could have finished with a 2-part final episode.
Harley escapes from the mind-controlled Poison Ivy thanks to Kite Man flying over. He explains what happened to Ivy and that Ivy and his wedding is tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Dr. Psycho is focusing on killing the Justice League and Harley & team. Sy Borgman’s eye gives helpful info to Harley and Kite Man about an anti-mind control technology.
Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman face off against mind-controlled Ivy (pictured top). Soon, Darkseid joins Dr. Psycho to watch his evil plan being hatched and to recover Harley.
Will Ivy be turned back by the anti-mind control device courtesy of “Soldering Man” (loved that line, hell yeah!)? Will the Justice League take down mind-control Ivy? Will Harley confront Ivy with feelings of love?
All these questions and more answered in episode #12.
Summary
Similar to the first season, the episode before the season finale is almost 100% pure action. We get to see the Justice League squaring off against a mind-controlled Ivy, Harley and Kite Man working together on a solution with the deceased Sy Borgman to save Ivy and Darkseid watching over the carnage. Yeah, this episode has it all.
I can’t believe we only get one more episode of this series. My guess as to where it leads? The final episode will revolve around Kite Man and Ivy’s wedding. Will they get married or will Harley and Ivy get together? It’s kind of a soap opera in very adult animated form. If you haven’t watched an episode of this show yet, give ones like this a try and see what you think.
Movies, Movies, Movies 