Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Art: Marcio Takara and Arif Prianto
Letters: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: July 5th, 2022

In Poison Ivy #2, Poison Ivy, fed up with the Earth dying from human trash and pollutants, is obsessed with ridding nature of the disease of mankind.  And this time she may succeed, as she quietly travels the West coast, spreading spores that turn humans into hideous mushroom-covered corpses from which new plants can bloom.  But do the spores REALLY kill people, or is she leaving a trail of monstrous zombies in her wake?

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The Story

The mark of a good book is that it creates some kind of feeling within you, whether it’s anger, elation, or even sadness.  I had conflicting feelings while reading Poison Ivy #2.  On one hand, being a firm believer in the global warming crisis, I felt myself cheering on Poison Ivy in her quest to do something to fight it.  But on the other hand, I was horrified that she’s totally lost it and she’s reached a point where she truly doesn’t care who she kills to accomplish her goal, and there’s nothing more formidable than someone who has nothing left to lose.

There’s a small nugget of emotion, specifically love, left in Poison Ivy, as occasionally throughout the issue, she reflects back on her love affair with Harley Quinn.  But Harley’s betrayal of her (back in Batman #41- #43) still stings, and she’s abandoned Harley to go on her quest alone.
It’s chilling watching this coldly logical version of Poison Ivy traveling through America, periodically decimating a farmer here, an annoying guy in a bar there, basically turning them into fertilizer in a matter of seconds.

The most fascinating scene in this issue takes place about midway through the book when she stops at a diner to grab a bite to eat, and a young poet suddenly sits in her booth, having nowhere else to sit.  The two converse, and for a moment, the girl (combined with the jovial owner of the diner) seem to be getting to Poison Ivy, causing her to lower her guard a bit.  It’s a great look into Poison Ivy’s psyche and her thoughts, as well as her growing disassociation from humanity.  She’s becoming more plant than person, and the scene takes a dark turn when two police officers show up.

I never cared for Poison Ivy as a villain in the past, she just seemed like a second-rate love interest for Batman, and despite the fact she has the power to control plants, she never seemed like a formidable nemesis to Batman or any other hero.  But I’m loving this version of her, this is truly a disturbing character who has become as insane as the Joker.  But where the Joker is ultimately a feckless villain obsessed with anarchy without purpose, Poison Ivy has a purpose, and she’s being methodical and brilliant with it.  She wants to wipe out humanity and she’s doing it in a way that neither Batman nor any other hero will figure it out until it’s too late.

It looks like the story may be leading into a “Walking Dead” type scenario, which I hope it avoids because we’ve been overloaded with zombie books and films.   You can throw a rock in any direction these days and hit a zombie comic book, video game, or magazine. The horror in this comic comes 100% from Poison Ivy herself, there’s no need for anything else, and if she continues to be portrayed this wonderfully, it’s going to be a great ride.

The Art

Marcio Takara’s art on Poison Ivy #2 has a watercolor-style painted look that’s reminiscent of a looser version of Stephen Bissette’s work.  Marcio draws Poison Ivy in a variety of ways.  When she’s entrancing someone, she appears beautiful, but when she’s attacking, her visage appears sinister, the pupils of her eyes disappearing and her hair whipping like a Medusa about her shoulders.

In one huge panel, as she’s destroying a farmer, her body seems to sprout thorny branches, and the spores rain from her like a blizzard. The western terrain is captured beautifully and the corpses left by Poison Ivy are drawn in a sickeningly grotesque fashion.

Final Thoughts

Poison Ivy #2 continues Poison Ivy’s quest to destroy mankind, and gives us a better look into her psyche than any story is provided before.  Though it looks like it’s dangerously close to devolving into another zombie epic, hopefully, G. Willow Wilson will avoid that and continue making Poison Ivy so fascinating that Batman fans will be saying “Joker who?” in the future.

8.8/10