“New Gotham” is episode one of season two of Harley Quinn.
The president is addressing the nation. Harley and her crew are watching. With Gotham levelled in the season one finale, “The Final Joke”, the president has decided it’s beyond saving and is no longer part of the United States. Harley is pleased.
Gotham is a mess and Harley is having fun. She returns to the mall with steaks for her hyenas and a man for her crew. Not to eat; he’s a Michelin-starred sushi chef. Ivy thinks it’s time to wrap this party up. It’s three weeks since Harley took down the Joker. There’s no Legion of Doom and no Batman. Gotham is Harley’s for the taking.
Harley is having a blast, though. She has everything she always wanted; sushi and anarchy. Ivy thinks they could have had better sushi when Gotham had refrigeration and free trade with the rest of the world. And that Harley will end up kicking herself if she doesn’t take charge. Harley thinks the best part about a post-apocalyptic wasteland is no-one is in charge.
Then two of Penguin’s goons enter. Penguin has called dibs. Harley goes off on one and tells them to go back to Penguin. Well, one of them; King Shark bit the head off the other. Ivy says that all the villains have an army of goons they will keep sending. Harley thinks Ivy is catastrophising. Then Two-Face’s goons show up. Harley will deal with it. Which she does by telling the goons to become their own villains, and not work for others.
Two-Face, Riddler, Penguin, Bane and Mr Freeze are having a meeting. They need to get their goons back, and get Harley onboard. Bane thinks that they should perhaps have invited Harley in that case.
Jim Gordon is drinking by the Bat Signal, waiting for Batman. Who shows up. Except it’s Robin in the Batsuit. Robin says Batman has been missing since Joker’s tower fell and hasn’t been heard from since. Robin will take up the mantle. Robin is not convincing.
Ivy wants a word with Harley. That word won’t be congratulations. Harley has blown her chance to control the city. Instead of five major villains, she now has thousands of small ones. Harley thinks Ivy worries too much. Ivy thinks she worries the right amount. Then an invite is delivered from the Injustice League.
Harley heads to see them and finds out Penguin and the others are the Injustice League. Harley has forced them to band together to control he criminal underworld. They’ve divided the city up between them. Harley has a piece. A not very good or large piece. Harley is not interested. And gets frozen.
Ivy must sometimes feel she’s the Only Sane Woman on Harley’s crew sometimes.