[1] Dini and Timm thought of making Harley a former doctor at Arkham Asylum seduced by the Joker to become his loyal follower and being put "in the role of the long-suffering girlfriend", while taking inspiration from fans of criminals who write them letters stating that they understand and "see the good" in them.
A bemoaning Harley reflects on her current status as a wanted criminal in love with a psychopath who neglects her, concluding that Batman is to blame for their broken relationship.
As time passed, Harleen concluded that the Joker is a misunderstood figure constantly victimized by Batman, and that she had fallen in love with her patient, which she realizes is partly because he "could make [her] laugh again"[5] when she had long felt restricted from "all amusement and fun"[6] by professionalism.
The Joker arrives, infuriated by how Harley would rob him of the privilege of killing Batman, and hits her, ultimately pushing her out a window, where she falls to the ground and is found gravely injured by nearby police officers.
The script was written by Paul Dini, the episode was directed by Butch Lukic, with Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin voicing the roles of Batman, Joker, and Harley Quinn.
[18] Batman: Arkham Origins, the 2013 prequel to Asylum, also utilizes Mad Love's plot in retelling Harley Quinn's first encounter with the Joker, who were now voiced by Tara Strong and Troy Baker.
Paul Dini and Pat Cadigan wrote Harley Quinn: Mad Love as part of Titan Books' series of novelizations of iconic DC comics, such as Alan Moore's The Killing Joke.
[19] The novelization expanded upon the original story by exploring Harley's childhood and family, more of her time with the Joker, and subsequent events, as well as the motivations that led to her transformation, such as her dislike and distrust of authority.
[22] Impulse Gamer's Tony Smith called the novelization a "clever book adaptation", and noted that although the writers took liberties, they "honour the original story and content" while "add[ing] to it that in turn makes for an great read about one of the world’s most popular villainesses".
Smith commended Dini and Cadigan's writing, stating that they "really bring this broken individual to life and they provide an interesting psyche into Harleen Quinzel from her passions to motivations" and praised the "excellent pacing and drama" despite the minimal action.
[23] Brian Clements of AIPT Comics stated that the novel reintroduces Harley Quinn as "a woman with agency", which "makes her an anti-hero for new generations", and listed how the novel gives Harley Quinn a "backstory and actual agency", "makes her a well-rounded, sympathetic character", and clearly shows her transformation from "promising psychologist to sociopathic clown" as positives, while criticizing it for being "very tight" in places, "trying to get the plot through quickly.