REVIEW: ‘Poison Ivy,’ Issue #2

Poison Ivy #2 is a dystopian story with horror elements written by G. Willow Wilson and drawn by Marcio Takara, colored by Arif Prianto, and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Poison Ivy #2 is published by DC Comics.

When issue one ended, Ivy was already on her cross-country journey, spreading as many lamia spores as she can before she dies.  Poison Ivy #2 picks up with her next stop, at a nondescript diner, somewhere in the Midwest.  But first, a flashback so she can expand on her mission plan.

While killing an agave farmer, Ivy monologues about veganism and how it isn’t the perfect solution to all of the world’s environmental problems. To make the vegan-friendly agave sweetener, farmers grow lots of the crop that doesn’t flower, which kills off the pollinators that relied on those flowers for food.  The natural balance is upset, and with the constant demand for more products, the scale only becomes more imbalanced; not in favor of nature.

These are the injustices Ivy wants to cure by wiping out all of humanity. But at the diner, Ivy gets to know another traveler; a poet who seems to appreciate nature as well.  And then there’s the kind cook, and the family she sees getting ready for the next leg of their journey.  Ivy struggles with the decision to kill them. They’re not bad people, they aren’t directly contributing to the rapid destruction of the earth. They’re merely doing the best they can to get through each day.

Despite her moral struggles, Ivy holds firm in her belief that she’s saving the people she kills. By infecting them with the lamia spores, she believes she’s giving them a relatively peaceful death. Granting them mercy instead of leaving them alive only to be killed later by one of the catastrophic natural disasters facing a deeply broken world.

There’s something off about Ivy in Poison Ivy #2. The same thing that was off with her in issue 1;  she’s always loved nature more than anything, but not to the point of wanting to destroy herself. Not to the point of wanting to destroy Harley Quinn. It’s clear that her experiences during the Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy miniseries have deeply affected Ivy’s mental health. I thoroughly enjoy the fact that Wilson has continued to use these events to influence the ongoing series. Not only does this help the current run feel more connected to the larger DC Universe, but it’s fascinating to see how Ivy’s handling all of the traumatic things she’s gone through in a relatively short period of time. It’s also very nice to see Harley and Ivy together romantically, even if it’s only in flashbacks.

Takara and Prianto once again do a wonderful job of blending the normal world with the monstrous botanical horrors Ivy inflicts. With lush colors and soft, sweeping lines, each page of Poison Ivy #2 is a work of art.

This is the perfect time for a Poison Ivy tale, especially this one. With all of the awful things happening in the world it’s difficult to not feel overwhelmed by anger and despair. Poison Ivy provides cathartic escapism as she wreaks destruction of her own, trying to save the world, albeit in a misguided way.

Poison Ivy #2 is as much a thrilling story of Ivy’s final plan as it is a timely reminder of the very real environmental catastrophe the world is facing.

Poison Ivy #2 is available now wherever comics are sold.