G. Willow Wilson continues to knock it out of the park with her fan-favorite Poison Ivy series, and Poison Ivy #17 is one of the series best, ramping up Pamela Isley’s final confrontation with her encroaching zombie children as she reckons with her past and contemplates her future. While the last issue felt very much like a summary and setup for the next arc, Poison Ivy #17 dives right into the meat (…vegetable?) of it all, thrusting Ivy into the next major conflict that will shape her newest era. The talented guest artist for the issue Luana Vecchio is at her absolute best and helps make this an unforgettable issue in the already impressive Poison Ivy series.
WARNING: Contains spoilers ahead!
DC Comics
Poison Ivy #17 seems to have it all: relationship drama, exciting action, emotional revelations, and an epic antihero team-up! Janet from HR continues to be the perfect “normie” foil for Poison Ivy and Harley, and while the beloved Harlivy ship will almost certainly survive their upcoming turbulence, it is disheartening that both women are lying about sleeping with Janet. Of course, the sapphic lovers could both end up being perfectly fine with a polyamorous or open relationship, but the fact that they are keeping their shared dalliance from each other is troubling, and will surely lead to some sort of dramatic confrontation. Plus, Ivy’s side is still hurting, and recent teases have hinted at a Pamela pregnancy… perhaps raising some fungus children is in Harlivy’s future?
Ivy has just woken up from the terrible “dream” she had in Poison Ivy #16, realizing it was not a dream at all but an attempt by the lamia spore hive to contact her, their “mother.” Now, Pamela must prepare for the coming zombie apocalypse, attempting to scale up production on an antidote she created for the lamia infection that is spreading. Ivy hopes that if she can inoculate the population of Gotham against infestation, she can create a human “firewall,” stopping the spread. While the coming zombie invasion is technically Ivy’s fault – and that of Jason Woodrue and FutureGas, of course – she is heroically attempting to stave off the worst of it.
DC Comics
Poison Ivy and Killer Croc’s hilarious and touching friendship continues to delight and pull at your heartstrings, humanizing both antiheroes in a delightful way that proves how skilled and thoughtful a writer Wilson is. Pamela discovers that Croc is immune to the infection, and attempts to draw his blood to use in her cure without his permission. Not only does his rejection make Ivy pause and reflect on her pattern of not getting proper consent and steamrolling those around her, but Croc’s story of why he is terrified of needles is heartbreaking and oddly sweet. Also, Croc’s concern about Ivy’s health is incredibly adorable, and Pam’s perspective on how many “second chances” she has received is eye-opening.
As the fungus zombies begin to attack, Ivy and Croc are forced to battle against an ever-growing army of dead-eyed monsters as they converge on Slaughter Swamp and Pamela’s lab. With Ivy being choked, potentially to near death, the zombie attacking her is suddenly thrown off by none other than… Solomon Grundy! The nursery rhyme-singing villain – and sometimes antihero like Croc and Ivy – is a welcome surprise in the swampy battle royale, and a perfect addition, seeing as Grundy was resurrected from Slaughter Swamp and has intimate connections to the area.
The art in this issue is simply breathtaking. Luana Vecchio’s bold and colorful linework makes every single scene pop, and her use of vibrant color is phenomenal, causing Slaughter Swamp to come alive under her brush. Vecchio impeccably displays a wide range of intense emotions throughout the issue, from Croc’s embarrassment and fear to Ivy’s shame and empathy, with the feelings radiating off the page. The lamia zombies are gross body horror terrors without being overly disgusting, and Ivy’s lamia-empowered suit looks perfectly foreboding and otherwordly under Vecchio. Of course, consistent praise for Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou’s lettering has happened with every issue of Poison Ivy, with the talented letterer deftly differentiating Ivy’s various forms, Croc’s monstrous voice, and the myriad of sticky sounds and zombie screams.
Poison Ivy has come close to death countless times since her adventure started way back in Poison Ivy #1, and now she will need to trust her ally Croc and the uncontrollable Grundy to stand by her as they battle the lamia army to protect Slaughter Swamp and Gotham. Previous issues have teased an appearance by Batman in the coming fight, and it will be fascinating to see how the Dark Knight reacts to what Ivy is doing. Since Pamela needs a quick and easy way to inoculate the population of Gotham against the lamia infection, perhaps Batman will help her put it into the water supply, an antiheroic twist to the classic Joker party trick.
DC Comics
This has definitely been one of my favorite issues of Poison Ivy so far – in a series that I have absolutely loved and reviewed several times – but there are still a few things I wish could have been different. While I know it is a story about Ivy, and should center her (which I have mentioned in past reviews), I do wish Harley played a slightly bigger role in the narrative. Pamela has been going through it, and it feels like Harley would be doing whatever she can to be by her love’s side, even if it’s just standing watch in Slaughter Swamp while she brews her concoctions. Also, the whole Chuck story from Poison Ivy #16 felt like it didn’t pan out much, only getting a brief moment when the lamia zombies attacked. It felt like a bit of a wasted opportunity for some internal Ivy dialogue, which Wilson is so great at, but perhaps that will come in later issues.
As always, G. Willow Wilson continues to impress, perfectly capturing the complexities of Poison Ivy’s tragic past and hopeful future, as Pamela works to hold herself accountable while fixing her mistakes in any way she can. Luana Vecchio’s art is stunning, vibrant, and full of life, even when depicting the rotting and deceased. While Poison Ivy’s journey of redemption and growth may never end, Poison Ivy #17 is utterly successful at ushering in the final battle of Ivy’s “Lamia Era,” which will potentially define the hero’s journey for years to come.
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