In the comic book story Harleen Stjepan Šejić (2020), the narrative’s primary focus is tracing the transformation of the eponymous heroine from an early career scientist struggling to secure traction to investigate her theories about trauma, empathy and sociopathy, to ultimately becoming a sociopath herself and joining the Joker. As such, it provides a detailed account of her transformation, one containing rich insights into her background and motivations and how these changed through her complex, burgeoning relationship with the Joker. In this article, we closely analyse this transformation, and demonstrate the significance of science – its assumptions, logics and practices – to Dr. Harleen Quinzel’s identity.

You can read the article online in the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics!