Harleen Quinzel is undeniably DC’s most colorful and chaotic antihero. She’s a confetti canon-wielding, hyena owning, bisexual baddass--and her big screen debut in Birds of Prey delivers just the explosive and entertaining introduction she deserves. Add a diverse, female-fronted cast and the genius of Margot Robbie and you get an empowering, action-packed comedy that is easily one of the funnest films to see this year.

Can we talk about how rad it is that Birds of Prey features queerness? Sister films like Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, and Thor: Ragnarok have all included characters that are canonically queer in their comics, but Birds of Prey is the first movie to openly confirm multiple leading queer characters within the same universe. Both Harley Quinn and Detective Renee Montoya, two powerhouse characters in the film, are portrayed with respect to their bisexual and lesbian identities established in the comic book universe of Gotham City. Although Birds of Prey doesn’t explicitly mention either woman’s sexuality, the film confirms their identities through an exploration into each of the characters’ past.

Birds of Prey (Mashable India) — Birds of Prey (*Mashable India*)

In an opening animated sequence of the Birds of Prey, Harley Quinn humorously laments a string of messy heartbreaks. (Been there, girl.) Her bisexual identity is immediately established when she confides to the audience that she’s had her heart broken many times over — by both men and women! Though it’s a “blink and you might miss it” moment, this is deeply important representation for a character who has historically been portrayed as a bisexual character in the Detective Comics series.

DC Comics (Injustice – Ground Zero #21) — DC Comics *(Injustice – Ground Zero #21)*

In comic book canon, Harley has had intense romantic relationships with both her partners in crime, the weirdo Joker and entangling temptress Poison Ivy. In 2015, DC even confirmed that Harley and Poison Ivy were “girlfriends without the jealousy of monogamy,” which is notably progressive for any series in the comic book industry as a whole. ” Three years later, Harley and Poison Ivy were married in Injustice 2 #70, and in true impulsive Harley fashion, the ceremony was performed by an Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas. The marriage was unfortunately in a parallel universe and didn’t last, but the relationship between these two badass bombshells still continues within the mainstream DC universe.

Black Canary and Harley Quinn - Birds of Prey (Warner Bros) — Black Canary and Harley Quinn - *Birds of Prey (Warner Bros)*

In the Gotham Central comic series, Detective Renee Montoya is outed as a lesbian by Two-Face, a creepy crime boss who is also most certainly a Gemini. Birds of Prey holds true to the comics by representing her sexuality on screen through her relationship with her ex-girlfriend and Assistant District Attorney Ellen Yee. Not that I’m here to choose sides in this breakup, but are you telling me that Gotham City has had an ADA this whole time?! And this lady is responsible for prosecuting criminals? Girl, where have you been?! This city is home to a thieving Catwoman, a literal psychopath called the Joker who parades around in a clown’s face committing violent crimes, multiple escapees from Arkham Asylum, drug lords, murderers, a villain who is literally called “Crazy Quilt” and countless other wild whack jobs. Get out there and do your job!

Anyway, now that I have divulged that I am 100% Team Montoya in this breakup, back to my review. Though the queer representation of Birds of Prey is the greatest victory of the film, there are also other wins to celebrate. Birds of Prey at long last gives Harley Quinn the opportunity to reclaim her identity outside of her relationship with the Joker — empowering her in her own badassery, strength and freedom. “The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn” is a revelation as Harley spends the film realizing that she’s more than just a harlequin - she’s Harley Freakin’ Quinn! She’s done with that lowlife clown the Joker! She’s a woman capable of blowing shit up and taking names all on her own. This representation of Harley is a breath of fresh air and a thousand steps up from her tired and toxic obsession with the Joker we saw in Suicide Squad. She’s here. She’s queer. And she’s assembled a team of women who are done with men’s bullshit. Are they villains? Heroes? Who cares! They’re fabulous.

Huntress - Birds of Prey (Warner Bros) — Huntress - *Birds of Prey (Warner Bros)*

Another win to celebrate from the film is the POC representation, especially its casting of Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary, a superhero who has previously been portrayed as white throughout all television and movie appearances. Not only did she slay as a Bird of Prey, but she looked damn good while doing it. Birds of Prey is also responsible for giving the LGBTQ community its newest femme fatale to stan, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress. There’s just something about black leather and a crossbow that just sends women loving women into an absolute frenzy.

Which brings me to my next takeaway from Birds of Prey — the epic, absolutely explosive, adrenaline-inducing fight scenes. Watching these scenes made me feel like I, too, suffered the plight of a bag of stimulants exploding into tiny particles of dust around me to be instantly inhaled into my bloodstream. FINALLY we have a superhero movie that actually cares about the aesthetic of action sequences! The sets are vibrant! The choreography is spectacular! And so are Black Canary’s biceps! From glitter guns to beard burns, confetti canons to smoke bombs, motorcycle chases to merry-go-round battle royales, these fight scenes are thrilling, playful, and just an all around damn good time. But the true gem of the fight scene execution comes during a moment when the women stop mid-fun-house frenzy to exchange a hair tie. This subtle exchange is exactly the kind of queer woman representation I needed on the big cinema screen, and the type of easter egg that could only come from having a champion woman director (Cathy Yan) leading the film.

Before I conclude on how awesome these fight scenes are, I definitely have to touch on just how fantastically Birds of Prey honors each of these comic book characters and brings them to life with respect to their individual personalities in the film. We get to see roller derby Harley complete with massive mallet in tow! Black Canary’s famous Canary Cry and Huntress’ manic motorcycle maneuvering! Crazed, chemical-loving Harley taking on a group of goons! Not to mention, Harley and a Hyena sharing a twizzler. (Okay, that wasn’t something from the comics but it was still classic quirky Quinn.) Seeing these birds of prey portrayed with such authenticity on the big screen was a love-letter to their comic book characters, and a real nod to any fan of the Detective Comics series.

Though the LGBTQ representation and women-centered cast in Birds of Prey is a significant victory through the lens of modern superhero movies, we can still hope that a sequel to Birds of Prey expands on the queerness of its characters—possibly an exploration of the intimate relationship between Harley and Poison Ivy. Margot Robbie has already expressed interest in portraying their relationship on screen, so here’s hoping they give the people, and most importantly the queers, what they want. Fingers crossed!