7 days ago
Review – Poison Ivy #35: Blood in the Garden
Poison Ivy #36 cover, via DC Comics.
Ray: One of the most impressive things that G. Willow Wilson has done over this extended run is how she's expanded Ivy's world. She's gone from a criminal with a minimal supporting cast to a cosmic antihero with deep ties to the Green, several key friends and frenemies around Gotham, and several lovers and ex-lovers. But now, it's all crashing down. The authorities have captured Killer Croc, her old flame Bella Garten is leading the Order of the Green Knight and perverting her message, and Janet is dying of a mysterious illness. The Gardener is by far the most pressing threat, and Ivy knows she has to confront her directly – but first she seeks out help from Harley, who is busy with her own business in Throatcutter Hill. I'm not quite a fan of the whole open relationship thing Ivy and Harley have going on, but every time they're on screen together it's clear why these two are one of DC's most dynamic couples. Desperate measures. Via DC Comics.
And speaking of dynamic, Pamela and Bella are just as interesting – because whatever the two of them have has curdled into hate over the years. Ivy will never forgive Bella for manipulating her and altering her against her will back in the first major story they shared, and Bella resents Ivy for abandoning her and abandoning their cause. The face-off between the two of them almost feels Shakespearean at times, as they try to sort out if there can ever be a partnership between them again – but then Ivy does something truly shocking that pretty much reminds us that she truly is a villain at her core when she needs to be. Wilson has always gone back and forth with just how far Ivy is willing to go, and that ambiguity is part of why this series works so well. Its Ivy is deeply unpredictable, and her enemies truly have something to fear from her. Very interested to see what the next act looks like.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
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