Written by: Amy Chu
Art by: Clay Mann, Seth Mann, and Ulises Arreola
Publisher: DC Comics
Poison Ivy has long been one the most popular Batman villains, but she has never taken center stage…until now. Comic writer Amy Chu is writing a miniseries that focuses purely on the plant-based villainess and tries to paint her in a different light. At first, this concept may seem strange given Ivy’s history with Bats, but the plan is executed beautifully.
Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death finds Ivy in a much different state than what we have come to expect after other appearances in various media. This version of Ivy is a laid back and professional scientist, more focused on sustaining life than wanton destruction. Ivy’s quest to save rare plants takes her all over the world, fighting bandits and changing the landscape. Unfortunately, Ivy also has to deal with the scariest foes around—students. One of the more entertaining moments of the comic may or may not involve Ivy trying to explain her work to a bunch of irritating teenagers.
As expected, Ivy’s quest doesn’t sit well with some of her seedier friends, leading to one interesting subplot. Not all can be revealed about this plot, but Harley Quinn does appear to break up the serious tone. This appearance is enjoyable, given the difference between this Quinn and some of her other versions. Harley isn’t excruciatingly irritating, so hopefully she will show up again in the future.
One thing that sets Poison Ivy #1 apart from other versions of the character is the art. Clay Mann, the popular comic artist associated with both Marvel and DC, completely changes how Ivy is portrayed. Instead of leaning into the sex appeal like almost every other version of Ivy, Mann chooses to dress her in clothing that an actual human being would wear. It’s a nice change after seeing Ivy mostly in the Arkham video games. Mann does such a fantastic job with the style that even Harley Quinn’s crazy outfit makes sense in the universe. Props to Mann.
Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death starts out very well, lags a little in the middle, but finishes very strongly. Amy Chu’s first foray with Poison Ivy is one fantastic comic, and it lays the groundwork for an exceptional miniseries. The appearance by Harley Quinn makes this issue more entertaining, and there are rumors that Selina Kyle could appear as well. Hopefully this is true.
