One thread that really took off was Ivy developing plant/human hybrid babies. But I promise that the focus on the titular character is never lost. Even Swamp Thing drops by, whom Chu made a wise decision including because pairing him with Pam always feels so natural. Luisa is the best apple of the bunch but shares the same fate as an extra found in Central Park in the opening five minutes of any given episode of Law & Order.Īs Ivy gets to the bottom of things, expect to see guest appearances by femme fatales such as Harley Quinn and Catwoman. Their staff is quite eclectic: Every man aside from her sort of love interest Darshan (whom I didn’t care for in the slightest) is either a sleazeball or an analog for Mr. Pamela Isley’s new status quo sees her land a job at Gotham Botanical Gardens, a place that apparently doesn’t run background checks or pay attention to who the city’s most notorious criminals are it requires a suspension of disbelief worthy of an episode of Batman ’66. Or you could take the gloves off and play to their vile nature like in Lex Luthor: Man of Steel or Joker, both of which are stories that I enjoyed to a higher degree. I understand that when it comes to writing for Ivy or Slade Wilson, you may want to paint them as morally grey, which is certainly one viable way to do it. Much like Deathstroke, she still murders people in cold blood and that may turn off some casual readers. What puts you on a slippery slope, however, is setting her as the protagonist. I won’t deny that writer Amy Chu has a firm understanding of the Poison Ivy character she’s undeniably written to perfection.

I must confess I have some mixed feelings regarding this tale and I’m not expecting everyone to agree with me.

Many fans were hoping this mini-series would force DC to turn over a new leaf and award her an ongoing, which won’t blossom anytime soon. Her first headlining venture hits the ground running and charts new territory that is anything but garden variety. There are reasons why Poison Ivy has endured for 50 years: She’s not only beautiful and deadly, but has found as many ways to confound Batman as she has been given backstories. Collects Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death #1-6

Poison Ivy by Amy Chu