DC Comics Confirms A Brand New Batman Event With A Poison Ivy Twist

8 hours ago 1

Published May 18, 2026, 2:55 PM EDT

Patrik Walker is an Emmy Award–winning writer who covers all things Comics & Superheroes. His work can also be found at the Dallas Cowboys, The Sporting News, and CBS Sports, among other outlets. One of the most respected names in his field, he is also a diehard enthusiast of all things comics, anime, gaming and movies — thriving in spaces where discussions involving those or similar topics reign supreme.

More Batman — always more. Bruce Wayne has been having one hell of a ride lately thanks to Absolute Batman and the Absolute Universe that it helped create for DC Comics, and that appears to be the tip of the iceberg. With the next live-action Gotham event, Matt Reeves' The Batman Part II, on the way with plenty of big names in tow and, oh by the way, Clayface ready to change the horror genre entirely, what a time it is to be alive.

For all of those reasons and many more, it's all DC Comics fans can do to contain their enthusiasm over Bats, but here's one more thing to add to their glorious struggle: Bad Seeds, an all-new Batman event that focuses on Poison Ivy doing what many would deem impossible.

Dr. Pamela Isley, after discovering a sudden tonal shift in how Gotham City views her after one of her latest violent acts, wants to run for mayor — something Batman won't take kindly to.

Poison Ivy Is Gotham's Mayor In Bad Seeds Batman Event

Per the official release, via BleedingCool: "DC closed its publishing announcements with a first look at BAD SEEDS, a Gotham City event arriving in Q3 2026. Gotham City police commissioner Vandal Savage has declared war on the Bat-Family and flooded the streets with his private, para-militarized police army.

It continued: "Gotham's new mayor, Pamela Isley, deserted by her allies both political and arcane, is about to make a last-ditch power play that will leave all of Gotham decimated by daylight. These events converge in BAD SEEDS, spanning a long, dark night in Gotham that threatens to turn the entire city into a primeval world of hostile plant life unlike anything on Earth for millennia, at a time when its greatest heroes are hunted and in hiding. More details on BAD SEEDS will be shared in the months ahead."

Maybe Bruce Wayne could reach across the aisle and ask Matthew Murdock how to handle such a situation, though it's not exactly as if Daredevil ever truly figured it out shy of revealing his secret identity to oust Kingpin, and Bruce would never (but it's fun to imagine/compare notes).

Absolute Batman Isn't The Only Gotham Party In Town

Stoked about the premise and, ultimately, the potential of Poison Ivy's deeds in Bad Seeds is Matt Keller, Director of Specialty Sales for DC Comics, who acknowledges Absolute Batman's insane run but also points out there are other storylines feeding Batman fans as well.

"We talked about the success of Absolute Batman, but I don't think you can understate how incredible the regular Batman title has been selling, just killing it," he said, speaking at ComicsPRO in Glendale, AZ. "Every single issue is amazing. I'm not sure if you've read the date night issue with Bruce Wayne, that issue is unbelievably fun. It is just great, and when you talk about the last page cliffhanger, I read that book, I was like, 'Oh my God, where is the next one? I can't wait to read it.' "So we are gonna be having a Gotham event called Bad Seeds."

He continued: "It's a Gotham event, and it's basically Pamela Isely is now the mayor of a city devouring bloom, and Vandal Savage declares war, as the Batfamily fight to survive and save Gotham City across one long dark night. So we've had a history of amazing Batman events, and this is gonna follow right in line with all the rest of them, but what those guys are doing with this book is amazing, and their vision for this is gonna be outstanding. So, I think it's gonna build about all the success you're already having with Batman."

Plenty more information is on the way for those eagerly anticipating its release, so be sure to stay tuned to CBR for the latest as we receive it and, until then, may your Batarangs stay sharp.