There’s been talk about Harley Quinn’s redesign since the second it debuted, both good and bad, but I don’t think anyone really expected her origin to be really altered, or for the look to be a part of it. That changed in Suicide Squad this week.
Harley’s origin is, for the most part, unchanged. She was a doctor at Arkham who developed a crush on the Joker, went insane, and became his girl. That much is still there. But in the old canon it was really left at that, they left Arkham, she put on a costume and some face paint, and Harley Quinn was born. Not so much in the New 52.
Because now her skin and hair are explained as her getting dunked in the same acid that turned the Joker into…well, the Joker. It wouldn’t grant her any powers, but it does put her on a different level than what we were used to for her. Now she’s straight up Joker crazy.
