Poison Ivy returns to Batman-News with the cigarettes and milk in a brand new review. Let’s catch up! Pamela Isley is on a mildly homicidal redemption arc and is taking residence in Gotham’s Slaughter Swamp with her friends. Unfortunately, due to her misguided actions, a war reignites between the forces of the Green and Grey. More recently, the cursed town of Marshview simultaneously resurrects and mutates it’s final resident to kill it’s newest tenants. Now, it’s up to Ivy and a bunch of people she drags into this, to put an end to the misery.
Incapable Hands
Within the confines of G.Willow Wilson’s solo series, Poison Ivy continuously wrestles with the burden of heroism. Ironically, the character has spent the majority of the run violently breaking bad in a sociopathic mid-life crisis of sorts. Her recent change of heart, after happily killing children and innocent people, comes as a result of her understanding the broader consequences of her actions and inactions. One in particular consists of an active terrorist group called The Green Knight worshiping Ivy as their god. Of course, this is all instigated by her former friend, lover, and savior Bella “The Gardener” Garten. More importantly, this concurrent, unresolved storyline fuels the war between the Green and Grey and seeds a need for Marshview as a home away from home.
Over the course of the past few issues, the mystery and importance of Marshview begins to come to the forefront. Although the swamp revives Ivy with the added benefit of teleporting anywhere she requires, it hides a deadly secret. As seen in issue #31, the mystical swamp systematically destroys the small town as revenge for its unwanted colonization. However, the persistent graveyard of human souls mutate over time into the body of it’s sole remaining resident, Ed Cooper. Visually, this blackened, menacing creature takes on a multiheaded form reminicent of Teen Titans: Trouble In Tokyo (2006)‘s Brushōgun. Essentially, Cooper mindlessly stalks and kills indiscriminately, totally assimilated into his environment like Tetsuo, The Iron Man (1989). In another story, heroic exorcists like Xanthe Zhao or Constantine could find a peaceful end to his suffering, but Ed is sadly up against a supervillain with a lot to lose.
Domestic Violence
An extraordinarily large portion of this book is primarily a long fight sequence. With Solomon Grundy and Killer Croc nowhere in sight, Ivy fights off the powerful foe alongside another one of her new rogues, Peter Undine. First appearing in Poison Ivy #14, the blue mystique orchid faced businessman uses his acidic touch and plant manipulation to give Ivy an advantage. Additionally, Ivy uses her typical transformation and limited ability to fend off the monster the best she can. Yet, the surprisingly powerful monster manages to resist most of their techniques and manhandle them panel after panel. Brian Level reaches deep into his horror bag and delivers a fluid battle of vines, sinew, and surprisingly plastic-looking blood. This is all supplemented by the use of deep mysterious shadows, bombastic spreads, and exaggerated expressions and action poses.
Throughout the series, Ivy has built a polyamorous harem of frenemies around herself. Unique among the creatures and clowns, the so-called “Karen, from HR” has somehow become “best girl.” Due to her alarming normality and innocent curiosity, Ivy has kept her around for a good portion of the book as a grounding element. Most of the characters see the generally forthcoming Karen as non-threatening, with Harley even calling her “side quest.” In spite of this, Karen has begun keeping more secrets, and subtly evolving in proximity to Ivy. Whether Ivy realizes or not, the previously innocuous Karen is becoming an tool for the Green to meddle in Ivy’s life. Meanwhile, envoys of the Green and Grey appoint Ivy as a go-between among the salad-faced Parliament of Trees and the recently awakened “Xylon.”
Recommended If…
- You’ve been following Poison Ivy thus far!
- Light horror comics don’t bother you.
- Needing something different in your pull list (Especially with Jessica Fong’s attractive cover art)
Overall
With all respects, G.Willow Wilson’s Poison Ivy reads like a pretty good CW drama like Supernatural. If CW is a curse word for you, so be it, but it has built a decent but melodramatic supporting cast of friends and foes around Ivy. While the dynamics of the interpersonal relationships and the insistence of Ivy’s redemption are tedious elements, at least the book retains consistency. The monster of the week is more than just a detour, but long payoff to Wilson’s foreshadowing. Still, it isn’t very satisfying overall. Ivy is a frustratingly selfish protagonist and her journey is more than hard to empathize with. Nonetheless, this issue builds upon it’s current lore and forges ahead toward whatever resolution is coming for this psycho.
Score: 7/10
DC Comics have provided advance copies of books for review.
COMMENTS
