Review – Poison Ivy #33: Dying of the Light
Poison Ivy #33 cover, via DC Comics.
Ray: Characters aren't the only thing that makes a great title – settings matter too, and this title has a hell of one in Marshview, the creepy Gotham ghost town that emerged after Ivy's final showdown with Woodrue in #25. Now, after exorcising its demons and saving Janet's life via a pact with an ancient being, Ivy has set out to transform Marshview with the help of Peter Undine – turning it from a ruin into a thriving place where the natural and human world coexist, still shaded from prying eyes. But not all is bright here – Janet's body has been healed, but she seems to be getting sicker and sicker. Undine reveals that it's the fungus in her lungs – a normal human simply isn't supposed to be spending so much time around these spores – and she doesn't have much time yet. Ivy decides not to tell Janet about this while she figures out her next move – a potentially fatal mistake for the entire cast. Surreal world. Via DC Comics.
As we know, Janet has already made a deal with the Bog Venus, the ancient avatar of the Green who views Ivy as a threat. While Ivy works with the mysterious Xylem, Janet gets drawn deeper and deeper into the orbit of this potentially villainous figure, and this issue may just give her the one thing she needs to strike deeply at Ivy. It's interesting just how much great work this title is doing with characters who you wouldn't expect to be at the emotional core of a story – neither Janet nor Undine were initially fan favorites, that's for sure, but they've become an essential part of this title's ecosystem. That's the thing about this story – we know it's not going to end well, and we can see the terrible decisions everyone is making to get there, but it doesn't make the impact any less. It's impressive just how long this title has kept itself fresh, and it doesn't seem like it's slowing down any time soon.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
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