Harley Quinn and the Joker: Sound Mind
4.4/5
Critic Rating
We’ve heard Harley Quinn’s origin story -- the one where she was manipulated into being The Joker’s doting, mad lover. But what if there’s more to it? What if there’s a Gotham City where Harley let The Joker believe she loved him, to get what she needed? When we meet Dr. Harleen Quinzel, she’s fresh out of grad school, a new psychologist at Arkham Asylum, determined to help the patients her colleagues have written off. But her dad is sick, and in need of an expensive, life-saving operation she can’t afford. Pushed to her breaking point, Harleen is tired of playing by the rules. So when she meets “Patient J,” a magnetic inmate able to manipulate everyone but her, Harleen makes a fateful decision: to use her relationship with The Joker to get what she wants, leading both of them down a dangerous path that will change them, Bruce Wayne, and Gotham City forever. Harley Quinn and The Joker: Sound Mind is created by Eli Horowitz and stars Christina Ricci, Billy Magnussen, and Justin Hartley.
Critic Reviews
Score: 5
Ximena Smith • Stuff NZ • Feb 4, 2023
"...Sound Mind has no such problems: the writing is sharp, the sound design is well-crafted and Ricci’s voice-acting is absolutely flawless. I happily binged through this one in a day..."
Score: 4.9
Ricardo Serrano Denis • Comics Beat • Feb 3, 2023
"...the spotlight falls on Ricci, and she rises to the occasion to give fans one of the most fascinating and multifaceted interpretations of Harley in any medium. Magnussen’s Joker deserves special mention for not trying to ape previous iterations of the iconic villain. Much the same applies to Hartley’s Bruce Wayne/Batman. The rich playboy persona comes through perfectly during the bits he’s in, which aren’t that many. the realization that Christina Ricci now stands as one of the most impressive Harleys we’ve had in the character’s history. It’s reason enough to flirt with the madness contained within Sound Mind."
Score: 4
Jackson Luken • Batman-News.com • Jan 31, 2023
"In many ways this series is a very feminist work. With a new sense of agency also comes empowerment. The series pulls no punches about other characters all treating Quinzel like someone not deserving of respect. Christina Ricci as Harley Quinn does a wonderful job of making the audience empathize with the constant hardships...It eschews the characterization of a gullible psychiatrist manipulated by the Joker and turns it on its head. Dr. Quinzel is the one controlling things as we see her journey in discovering her own way to fight against a system that tosses people like her aside. Excellently acted and engrossing to listen to, this series offers a new perspective for what it’s like for those on the other side of Arkham’s walls."
Score: 4.25
Michael Bergonzi • Audio Drama Reviews • Jan 31, 2023
"The story combines practically every interpretation of the character and her relationship with the Joker, even the ones that contradict each other like Telltale’s reversal of the duo’s dynamic in their video game. Somehow, it just works."
Score: 5
Brian Jones • Pop Culture • Jan 30, 2023
"Ricci as Quinzel makes you wonder how she would look as a live-action Harley Quinn since she has a strong presence and makes you believe that she really is the troubled doctor. Ricci is compassionate but also aggressive, which are notable traits of Quinzel/Quinn. Billy Magnussen voices the Joker and has a presence that's more of Joaquin Phoenix's version of the villain in the 2019 film Joker, which is not a bad thing in this case....the series moves fast and never has a dull moment. And with the way Harley Quinn and the Joker: Sound Mind ends, it's a series that could continue for a few more seasons and will not disappoint."
Score: 3
Nicole Drum • Comic Book Resources (CBR) • Jan 30, 2023
"...while the series has an intriguing premise as well as a solid vocal cast, it's not without its issues that require, perhaps, a bit of extra evaluation. The episodes flow and are very well-paced, giving listeners just the right amount of suspense, action, and world-building each episode to draw them deeper into the world and keep them hooked, while also prompting them to think about where the next episode will take them. Truthfully, the real standout performance in the series is one that we don't get much of at all: Amy Sedaris as Harleen's Aunt Rose, who is infuriating in her brief, but important, appearance. It's an easy listen, one that makes some strong points about Gotham...Unfortunately, it does still have a lot of work to do in terms of telling a sound origin for Harley breaking bad on her own accord. This is one case that could use a little bit of reevaluation."
