The single most important Harley Quinn comic is The Batman Adventures #12 (September 1993), her first printed appearance: the documented record sale stands at $4,500, with a CGC 9.8 copy trading at around $3,250 in the regular edition (and approximately $5,280 for the newsstand variant), based on 2024 market data compiled by sellmycomicbooks.com.
Harley Quinn is an entirely modern creation. She was conceived by writer Paul Dini and artist Bruce Timm for Batman: The Animated Series — she first appeared on screen in the episode "Joker's Favor" in September 1992. There are no Golden Age, Silver Age, or Bronze Age Harley Quinn comics; any claim to the contrary would be fiction. Her transition to the printed page came the following year, in the animated series tie-in comic, and every one of her key issues belongs to the modern/copper era — which makes them broadly accessible to a wide range of collectors.
This guide sticks to the verifiable: documented records (sellmycomicbooks.com, pricecharting.com, public CGC sales) and 2024 market data. One important caveat: our eBay estimator tool does not index the Batman Adventures, Harley Quinn, or Suicide Squad series — they are not in the tool's whitelist. No eBay median from our tool is cited in this article; every figure comes from verified web sources and is identified as such.
Harley Quinn key issue rankings (documented values, 2024)
The issues below are ranked by collectible importance. Values are drawn from sellmycomicbooks.com and public CGC sales compiled through 2024; the figures represent real transactions, not theoretical estimates.
| Issue | Significance | Documented record | 2024 CGC market |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Batman Adventures #12 (Sep. 1993) | 1st printed appearance — Dini & Timm creation | $4,500 (all grades) | CGC 9.8: ~$3,250 (regular) / ~$5,280 (newsstand) · CGC 9.6: ~$1,300 · CGC 9.4: ~$840 |
| The Batman Adventures: Mad Love (1994) | Harley Quinn origin (Dr Harleen Quinzel) — Dini & Timm | $550 (all grades) | CGC 9.8: ~$475 (GoCollect FMV) · CGC 9.6: ~$295 |
| Batman: Harley Quinn #1 (1999) | 1st appearance in mainstream DC continuity — Alex Ross cover | $450 (all grades) | Entry-level accessible |
| Harley Quinn vol. 1 #1 (2000) | First solo ongoing series — 38-issue run | $800 (all grades) | Entry-level accessible |
| Suicide Squad #1 (2011, New 52) | Iconic red-and-black costume — new DC continuity | $360 (all grades) | Accessible in lower grades |
The Batman Adventures #12 (1993): the key that started it all
Published in September 1993, The Batman Adventures #12 is the first printed comic to feature Harley Quinn — one year after her television debut in Batman: The Animated Series. The script is by Kelley Puckett, but the character herself is a creation of Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. The cover features both Harley Quinn and Batgirl, and the issue also marks Batgirl's first appearance in the series. As a tie-in comic aimed at an all-ages audience and set in the animated universe rather than mainstream DC continuity, it might seem an unlikely collectible grail — yet it has become one of the most sought-after modern keys on the market.
The all-grades record stands at $4,500. In the 2024 CGC market, pricing is well structured: a regular CGC 9.8 trades at around $3,250, while the newsstand variant reaches approximately $5,280 at the same grade — a meaningful premium driven by scarcity. CGC has certified roughly 9,000 copies, which means the book is relatively available in lower and mid-grades. From CGC 9.4 (around $840) downward, copies are within reach for serious collectors, and ungraded copies in solid condition circulate well below those levels.
Batman Adventures: Mad Love (1994): the origin of Harleen Quinzel
Published in 1994 in prestige format (48 pages, card cover, cover price $3.95), The Batman Adventures: Mad Love is written by Paul Dini and drawn by Bruce Timm — the two original creators of the character. It tells the story of psychiatrist Harleen Quinzel, who falls in love with the Joker during her residency at Arkham Asylum and spirals into madness alongside him. It is the foundational text of Harley Quinn's identity, the work that transformed a scene-stealing supporting character into a pop-culture icon. It won the 1994 Eisner Award for Best Single Issue.
Documented CGC sales place a CGC 9.8 copy at around $475 and a CGC 9.6 at around $295. The all-grades record is $550 according to sellmycomicbooks.com. Copies signed by Bruce Timm in CGC Signature Series have been seen at higher prices. The prestige format has been reprinted several times, keeping reading copies very affordable; it is the original 1994 first printing in high grade that constitutes the real collectible key.
From Batman: Harley Quinn #1 (1999) to the New 52: the character's second act
In 1999, DC officially brought Harley Quinn into its mainstream continuity with Batman: Harley Quinn #1, a one-shot written by Paul Dini with a painted cover by Alex Ross — a rare format and a pairing of talents that alone justify its key-issue status. The documented record stands at $450. The following year, Harley Quinn vol. 1 #1 (2000) launched the character's first solo ongoing series, which ran for 38 issues through 2004; its record is $800. The 2011 New 52 relaunch (Suicide Squad #1) gave her a now-iconic red-and-black costume, with a documented record of $360 — an accessible level for a relatively recent key.
On screen, Margot Robbie played Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad (2016, $749 million worldwide), Birds of Prey (2020), and The Suicide Squad (2021). The animated series Harley Quinn (2019, voiced by Kaley Cuoco) on DC Universe further expanded the character's reach with new audiences. These cultural milestones help explain the sustained collector demand for early keys — with Batman Adventures #12 firmly at the top of the list.
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