We got a fun special oversized Poison Ivy issue this month featuring four short stories for different authors, tied together with a prologue and epilogue suggesting what could come next for the series.
Beneath the Surface
The first story written by Joanne Starer is basically a brief freudian nightmare. Batman takes on Poison Ivy at an early point in his career, and experiences hallucinations of his mother as he tries to battle his opponent.
Haining’s art is amazing as always, with terrifying compositions of Pamela juxtaposed with dazzling foliage. Colorist Ivan Plascencia also does a great job bringing the panels together with a slightly retro visual palette adorned with purples and reds.
In an era of constant tie-in comics and events, it was quite enjoyable to read an emotionally compelling narrative set in Gotham that managed to clock in at under ten pages.
Mushroom Hunters
The sophomore story in this comic breathes some additional life into G. Willow Wilson’s already impressive run by fleshing-out Ivy’s road trip which took place over the course of the early issues.
Two men discover the mushroom spores that Ivy has been planting to wipe out the human population, and follow their trail in an effort to harness their temporary psychedelic effects. While it kicks-off as a fun road trip that takes them from Wyoming to Montana, it ends with a gruesome encounter with the titular character that leaves the pair dead.
I appreciate that writer Grace Ellis has managed to create an atmosphere of genuine terror around Isley, given that this comic has brought so much warmth to her character. It reminds the reader that no matter how much we’ve come to love Ivy, she still has a deadly edge.
Boots & Handbags
The horror theme continues with a short written by Gretchen Felker-Martin, who took home critical praise for her 2022 novel “Manhunt.”
In a pulpy style enhanced by artist Atagun Ilhan and colorist Deborah Villahoz, Killer Croc torments two crocodile hunters.
This is the kind of story that doesn’t mind throwing in some campy elements, such as the unironic use of the sound “KA-BOOOM” to describe an explosion. While the story basically boils down to ‘croc kills two guys in a swamp,’ it’s the way this story is told that makes it a good time.
The Pyrophyte
While each story in the issue up to this point has been enjoyable, ‘The Pyrophyte’ offers a narrative that seems like it warrants being expanded into an entire arc. A former MI5 counterterrorism agent becomes obsessed with Poison Ivy and cooks up an ecoterrorism plot of his own.
He’s clearly a deeply tortured figure, jaded by working in a broken system to the point of mirroring the unabomber. Artist DaNi reflects that madness with a grimy industrial style reminiscent of the early 2000’s Gotham Central. Colorist Brad Simpon also leans into that stark tone with an unyielding assortment of harsh contrasts.
I won’t spoil how this story goes, because it is worth reading yourself, but I hope that it is the start of a larger narrative that Wilson will pick up.
Recommended if…
- You enjoy a smorgasbord of stories.
- Horror comics are your jam.
- You want to see what lots of great writers can do with an iconic DC villain.
Overall…
After the end of a brilliant arc that I genuinely loved, I’m heartened to see that this comic is still headed in a great direction. While this special issue is mostly comprised of a series of contained stories, it offers just enough hints at an interesting continued narrative to make this more than just a one-off filler issue.
English (US) · 