Fresh off of killing the Bog Venus in Poison Ivy #38, Poison Ivy and her ally Janet are finally able to enjoy a moment of peace after a hectic series of issues that culminated in Ivy discovering that Janet was the one who revealed Ivy’s location to the Gotham City Police Department. Upon discovering that the Bog Venus had manipulated Janet into betraying Ivy, the two friends put aside their differences to vanquish the duplicitous Bog Venus. Now that the Bog Venus has been dealt with, Ivy can properly deal with Janet and her rapidly deteriorating fungal infection that was brought on by the Bog Venus tampering with Janet’s immune system.
Poison Ivy #39 opens with Ivy preparing a meal for Janet. Ivy thinks about balance as she prepares the dish. Ivy’s narration reads, “To make antivenin or a vaccine, you need the components of the poison itself. You cut into the thing that hurt you in order to make yourself well again. That is natural balance. It’s balance on the edge of a knife.” On the surface, this quote appears to be about poisons and what is required to cure someone who has been poisoned, but on a metaphorical level, it also speaks to Ivy’s ongoing struggle to achieve balance between her benevolent and malevolent natures.
Within her, Ivy has the potential to be both good and evil, and has at times committed good deeds that help others and wicked deeds that have caused harm to others. In the case of Janet, Ivy has been a protector of Janet and has also caused considerable harm to Janet, at times through direct action and others through indirect action caused by Ivy’s neglect of Janet’s well-being. This fatal error even resulted in Janet’s life being put into jeopardy. The threat to Janet’s safety has made her realize that in order for Ivy to preserve her friendship with Janet, she must make a considerable effort in order to prioritize Janet’s wellbeing instead of treating her like she is disposable.
Ivy reflects on Janet’s circumstances and is prepared to do what is necessary to try and help Janet. Credit: DC Comics
As Ivy and Janet sit down to share the meal that Ivy prepared for them both, we learn through Ivy’s narration that the dish was prepared with phytotoxin, a chemical produced by plants that deters insects and other predators. The naturally occurring chemical is both a poison and potentially the cure for Janet’s fungal infection. Ivy’s decision to deliberately poison Janet without knowing if the cure will be effective speaks to Ivy’s desperation to save her friend, as she has run out of viable options and must now go all in on a risky gamble that could kill both her and Janet. It also speaks to Ivy’s faith in nature and her willingness to put all of her belief into nature. It is her love and respect of nature that allows her to put blind trust in nature and be fairly confident that the result will be positive with both her and Janet. With bite after bite, the reader waits with bated breath to see if Janet will be cured of her infection, or if both Ivy and Janet will be overcome by the poisonous effects of the phytotoxin.
While Ivy and Janet are sharing a meal together, one of Ivy’s allies, Peter Undine, learns that the Seattle authorities are planning a raid on their camp. Undine instructs Ivy’s followers to clear out before they arrive as he formulates a plan in response. He determines that the best course of action is for Ivy to return to Gotham City, and departs, saying he is going to find someone who he believes can talk some sense into Ivy, and returns with Ivy’s longstanding girlfriend, the anti-hero Harley Quinn. When Harley arrives in Seattle, she walks in on Ivy in an awkward situation. Harley nonchalantly brushes off what she walked in on and tells Ivy that it is time for her to go back to Gotham City. With Ivy being a wanted criminal and all, returning to Gotham City won’t exactly be easy for her.
Poison Ivy #39 neatly closes the circle on an ongoing drama that revolves around tensions between Ivy and Janet, which has put tremendous difficulty on their friendship. In this issue, we see Ivy and Janet’s relationship spinning in a direction that creates complications for Ivy’s relationship with Harley Quinn. As the book continues, it will be interesting to see what new developments emerge in the Ivy-Janet relationship and how those developments will impact the dynamic between Ivy and Harley moving forward. The issue also sets up an interesting ripple for Ivy’s already thorny life as she has no choice but to return to the place where numerous warrants are out for her arrest. Ivy’s return to Gotham sets up a new arc that puts her on a collision course with Commissioner Vandal Savage and possibly other familiar faces in Gotham City. After being on the run for so long, can Ivy integrate back into her old stomping grounds, and what new challenges and problems will she face once she is back in Gotham?
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