After reaching the crescendo of G. Willow Wilson’s new Ivy origin arc, we’re diving into a new narrative that moves Pamela away from existential musings into a more traditional conflict.
The Green Knight movement foreshadowed in last month’s issue is committing acts of terror across Gotham, and the media is quick to attribute the attacks to Ivy. It’s an interesting set-up. Wilson is at her best when she’s exploring some sort of mysterious political intrigue, and the Green Knights certainly provide her an opportunity to weave together a fascinating arc.
While these acts of explosive violence inspire fear in Gotham and nearly kill Janet, Ivy also finds an abandoned town that her final confrontation with Woodrue seems to have unearthed. She calls it “like some kind of Norman Rockwell-type theme park,” a cozily kitsch description.
Marcio Takara’s art style is a slightly inconsistent mix of realistic composition mixed with less defined sketches, and while it was a little jarring at points, it contributes nicely to the sense of slightly heightened reality Wilson seems to be going for. The colors by Arif Prianto really bring out the best in Takara’s work, and after several issues of very saturated primary color palettes, the relative subtlety of #26 is a welcome shift.
There’s not a lot to evaluate here narratively, given that we’re just jumping into a new arc. I liked how the movement was established in #25, and this month fleshes that concept out a little, but it really still feels like we’re waiting to get started.
I don’t mind that though, because with how far we are into this series, I just love spending time with these characters. There’s a really great scene with Janet having an eco-conscious crisis in the middle of an overpriced ‘health market,’ and Killer Croc seems to have become buddies with Janet as well, which is hilarious.
I think some folks who want to see a very consistent commitment to continuity in the DC Universe may find these aberrations frustrating, but to be honest the older I get as a comic book reader the more I just want to enjoy the world an individual writer has built rather than getting stuck in the forced linearity of cohesive universes.
If there’s one complaint I have about this issue, it’s that the reader still hasn’t been given much resolution on how Janet, Ivy and Harley are supposed to relate to each other. Quinn isn’t even in this issue, and it seems like Janet has fallen right back into her awkward third-wheel status which has defined her character up to this point. I’m sure Wilson has plans for all this, but she admittedly demands a lot of patience in watching this all unfold.
Recommended if…
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You are looking for a good starting point for this series and don’t want to start from the beginning (shame on you, go back and read it all!)
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You enjoy Killer Croc being a silly little goose.
Overall…
What can I say? I live in a region where the leaves are rapidly turning amber and scarlet, and reading this comic alongside a cup of tea puts me in a cozy mood. I’m looking forward to this new arc and don’t have many complaints about where we’re going.
English (US) · 