Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Art & Colors: Luana Vecchio
Letters: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Cover: Jessica Fong
Variant Covers: David Nakayama; Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson; Skylar Partridge; Trung Le Nguyen
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: 3.99
Release Date: December 5, 2023
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the Poison Ivy #17 Review.
The Dispatch
It’s time for Ivy to clean up her mess. Or try to. That’s the story at the heart of POISON IVY #17. Unfortunately her efforts meet with about as much success as this issue. An uneven story combines with a poorly suited guest artist to deliver a troubled comic. Ivy wakes up from a dream in POISON IVY #17–either the one she had in the previous issue or another very much like it. She, Harley, and Janet go through their morning routine (though perhaps not a normal one since there is a love triangle at work), before Ivy sets off for her and Croc’s cabin in Slaughter Swamp. Ivy knows that lamia zombies, created as a result of her neglect, are headed for Gotham. She’s searching for a cure. Croc, it turns out, is immune. Ivy hopes to use some of his blood to make an antidote. It’s something Croc resists because of a childhood fear of needles. Before the two can resolve their disagreement, though, two lamia zombies attack. Solomon Grundy makes a sudden appearance as well. And this is only the beginning.
POISON IVY #17 is one of the few entries in the series, maybe the first, that doesn’t feel like it knows what it wants to accomplish. Is it about Ivy’s turmoil? Or maybe incorporating Croc into the cast? Perhaps a zombie attack? The opening scene with Ivy, Harley, and Janet is nice. Their complicated personal relationship gets only sporadic attention, but the dynamic is fun and these moments are always entertaining. Wilson doesn’t stay with the three women for very long, but it’s a good beginning. Everything after this feels like it’s competing for attention, though. Croc’s childhood anecdote justifying his fear of needles has a generic quality even though it is tweaked toward the extreme as befits Croc. Wilson seems to be using it to make Croc extra sympathetic so when Ivy goes to take his blood anyway, it underscores her selfishness and disregard for others. But this isn’t anything particularly new for Ivy. Wilson has made Ivy more reflective when it comes to her actions over the course of the series, but she remains unchanged at the core. Ultimately this is a shallow exchange that wants to be more than it is.
The lamia zombie attack that follows is perfunctory. The two zombies create some tension, but it doesn’t last. The first attack isn’t followed by more zombies and a cliffhanger, but by Solomon Grundy. The tension dissipates and the issue’s pacing takes a big hit here as Grundy is incorporated into the situation. POISON IVY #17 doesn’t recover either of those before it comes to its cliffhanger ending.
The Art and Letters
Vecchio is an unfortunate mismatch for POISON IVY #17. She mostly employs curves and rounded corners in her art. Even teeth and claws don’t look particularly sharp. The lack of harsh angles undermines any sense of danger the zombies might offer. It also robs Ivy of any appearance of strength. The overgrown spores that cover Ivy and serve as both armor and weapon look more like a green body glove than a living organism. The art similarly hinders the dialogue exchanges between Ivy and Croc. Croc has almost no emotional range. He has little more than a generic hangdog look as he relates the story from his childhood. And Ivy’s expression comes off as disinterest. Maybe that was intentional. But it creates a strange dynamic for a scene that already feels out of place.
Likewise, the color palette isn’t particularly dynamic. Vecchio doesn’t employ much variety in hues when it comes to her color choices. She attempts a psychedelic look once in a panel from Ivy’s point of view, but it comes off more like an Easter egg dyed in pastels. Otsmane-Elhaou’s lettering is responsible for much of the energy in the fight sequences near the end. His sound effects are large–bigger than the characters in multiple instances. The sound effects also have the violent quality the fight at times lacks. They are scratchy, have harsh angles, and emphasize impacts.
Final Thoughts
There have been very few missteps in POISON IVY. To be sure, there are comparatively weaker issues. But POISON IVY #17 is the first one that doesn’t work on multiple levels. If it didn’t appear to be key to the ongoing story arc, it would be worth skipping.