REVIEW: ‘Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy,’ Issue #4 (of 6)

DC Comics’ six-issue mini-series Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy has been a romp that focuses on the titular pair’s relationship after the events of Heroes in Crisis. Last issue the pair had to fight for freedom after the Mad Hatter reveals that he’s not only working with the Floronic Man but looking to make Harley his through some mind control. Now, in Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy #4, the two are doing their very best Thelma and Louise road trip to an abandoned dinosaur theme park they hit.

Written by Jody Houser, with pencils from Adriana Melo, inks by Mark Morales & Wade VonGrawbadger, letters from Gabriela Downie, and colors by Hi-Fi, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy #4 is a cheerful issue in this series that brings the fun and the camp, more-so than other issues we’ve seen so far. But this issue doesn’t just lean into the camp, it also pulls a nice horrific twist at the end that leads to Harley needing to go to extreme means to save her Pammy.

As with the other issues, Houser nails the relationship between Harley and Ivy, dancing between platonic girlfriends and romantic ones. While their friendship is one of the best out of DC Comics, their relationship is something that many fans including myself love to see solidified. That being said the love they have for each other is palpable and the audience can read it either way. Their want to see each other happy and how they fight for each other is such a good lift to the spirits.

Additionally, Melo’s work on their appearances is extremely well done. As I’ve commented before, the infamous sirens both maintain their own sexual appeal without venturing into hypersexualization. Additionally, the fight scene in Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy #4 does well to differentiate their styles from each other and show movement on the page. Downie’s colors are also perfect; they’re vibrant, so much so that they punch from the page and feel truly like the characters.

Now, Houser’s dialogue is a little uneven in the middle of the issue as she balances the absurdity of the story of two women visiting a dinosaur theme park only to have it taken over by a woman who thinks she’s a dinosaur while running from the Floronic Man with the charm that keeps it grounded. Truthfully, while the Floronic Man ties each issue together, they all also feel like one-shots, small monsters of the week that don’t do much to propel an overall narrative.

While this doesn’t mean that Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy #4 is bad, it does leave me wanting a more cohesive story with more character development for our leads and the villain chasing them across the country. Overall, this issue is fun, but not much else.

Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy #4 is available wherever physical comics are sold.