In Poison Ivy #20, Pamela Isley continues her fated fall into villainy in this second of a three-part Poison Ivy origin story.
Poison Ivy #20
Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Marcio Takara
Colors: Arif Prianto
Letters: Hassan Otsamne-Elhaou
Cover: Jessica Fong
Variant Cover Artists: Yanick Paquette, Dave McCaig, David Nakayama
Release Date: March 3, 2024
This comic book review contains spoilers
Main cover to Poison Ivy #20 by (Image credit: DC Comics)
The Story
Opening a Poison Ivy comic, you might expect a story set in Gotham City. But you’d be wrong. Since starting this run, G. Willow Wilson has used every excuse to bring in her current hometown of Seattle, Washington. While Ivy’s choice to embark on a road trip to Washington in the series’ opening story might have seemed a bit arbitrary, the last issue revealed Seattle to be the location of Ivy’s alma mater. In fact, it turns out a lot of plant-related DC cronies spent some time there early in life.
Picking up from last month, a young Pamela Isley is starting to feel a distance from her teacher-turned-lover: Jason Woodrue. His behavior is more erratic now and his attention is usurped by a brilliant and beautiful new student named Bella Garten. Many readers noted Garten’s absence last issue considering her key role in Ivy’s history. Those fans need not worry, as she returns this issue to spice things up. Woodrue immediately attempts to pit Garten against Isley in a jealous rivalry. It works… at first. Until, during the climax of a heated argument, their emotions get the better of them and they fall into a passionate kiss. Isley justifies this act by intoning that she hated Garten so much that she ended up “wanting” her. This night of passion develops into a real relationship between the two.
All of this is kept secret from Woodrue who we learn has used the plant-animal DNA splicing technology to mutate his own genes, turning him into a kind of plant monster. A “floronic man,” if you will. One night, the mutated Woodrue confronts Isley and Garten in the lab and offers to share this new connection with the “Green.” Garten is horrified but her partner feels differently. In a moment of life altering consequence, Isly turns away from Garten and accepts Woodrue’s offer.
Bella Garten and the Changing Dynamics of the Story
Last month I offered some cautious feedback on the direction of the story as I understood it. I felt that Jason Woodrue pushing Pamela into the role of Poison Ivy veered uncomfortably close to Mad Love (Paul Dini’s Eisner winning Harley Quinn origin tale). The addition of Bella Garten throws a slight wrench into that dynamic, but I’m not sure if it’s for the better. Garten is pulled into the story for what initially seems to be a love-triangle plot, until she is repositioned as a love interest for Isley herself. After Isley initially misinterprets their relationship, Garten and Woodrue come to represent a kind of angel and devil on her shoulder. Garten and Woodrue represent the two things Isley has always struggled to reconcile in her life: the want for love and the want for power. Ultimately she chooses the latter.
As for the actual presentation of Isley and Garten’s relationship, I didn’t completely buy it. I was not familiar with Bella Garten prior to this run, so beyond being told of her genius and Isley’s infatuation with her, there’s very little to latch onto here. Even the heated mid-argument kiss felt like a bad deleted scene from a David O’Russell film.
(Image courtesy of DC Comics)
Isley’s final decision is a surprising subversion even knowing this is where we were headed. Her inner monologue presents the choice as a vindication for her feelings of inadequacy compared to Bella: “I saw an opportunity to finally do something better than Bella.” This rings a little hollow since Pamela’s feelings of jealousy originally seemed to disappear once their relationship began. A hint that Isley’s jealousy was still simmering under the surface would have helped to justify this final twist. What works better is Bella’s systematic dismantling of Isley’s idealized image of Woodrue right before his reappearance at the end: “You really think Woodrue does all this to help humanity? He’s in it for himself. Fame, money, power– that’s what he wants.” This realization makes Isley’s ultimate decision to join him and abandon Bella all the more tragic.
The Art
The art is of the quality fans have come to expect from Poison Ivy. Marcio Takara continues his incredible streak and while this issue might not showcase the best this series can offer, it’s still a great looking book with a strong focus on character expression. Woodrue’s design in particular becomes more and more abstract as his DNA breaks down and mutates throughout the story. Arif Prianto also gets to dip his toes into some of the more psychedelic colors seen earlier in the run with a faded tie dye background when Isley and Garten are kissing. And again towards the end, when chaos ensues and even the comic panels themselves seem to shuffle and slide across the page.
Hassan Otsamne-Elhaou also deserves a shout out for his lettering. He has Woodrue’s speech grow greener and more animalistic as he succumbs to his fate. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see the same happen to Ivy’s next issue.
Editor’s Note: DC Comics provided TBU with an advanced copy of this comic for review purposes. You can find this comic and help support TBU in the process by purchasing this issue digitally on Amazon or a physical copy of the title through Things From Another World.
