Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and Ivy’s crown is full of thorns that might bleed her dry. Fresh off her breakup with longtime girlfriend Harley Quinn, Pamela Isley’s personal life is coming into conflict with her lofty ambitions as Mayor of Gotham City. Unwilling to jeopardize her position as Mayor, no matter the cost, Ivy chose to end her relationship with Harley in a move that is sure to upset “Harlivy” shippers. While this decision may prove to be decisive in the fandom, it is an effective story that illustrates how much Ivy has been consumed by her reign of power, and who, or what, she is willing to sacrifice in order to ensure that her idealistic plans for Gotham come to fruition.
To make matters worse, Ivy received a visit from a talking hill that came as a representative of the Parliament of Trees. Turns out they are not happy with Ivy for killing and eating Bog Venus back in Poison Ivy #38. Despite the talking hill warning Ivy that she needs to apologize, Ivy refuses to negotiate or try to make amends with the Parliament of Trees. Peter Undine also tries to convince Ivy to reconsider attempting to smooth things over with the Parliament of Trees, but she is unwilling to listen to reason. Undine tells Ivy, “This hubris will be your downfall”, and pleads with her to resolve the conflict before hostilities escalate beyond repair.
SPOILERS AHEAD for Poison Ivy #44!
The Parliament of Trees is not the only enemy that Ivy has made recently. In addition to her ongoing feud with Commissioner Vandal Savage and the GCPD, Ivy has also upset many Gotham City councilors, who are displeased with her handling of their government. After Ivy learns that City Hall has cut the budget for the parks department, Ivy takes it upon herself to restore the budget without going through the proper channels. This provokes the ire of a furious councilor who cautions Ivy that while she has the support of the people, they can turn on her when she least expects it.
Ivy is not happy when she learns that the budget for the parks has been cut. (DC Comics)
This scene demonstrates that Ivy lacks the necessary tact that often comes with working within the political system, and her unwillingness to compromise with those who do not share her passion and love for the environment. Ivy views anyone who presents any kind of threat or resistance to her goals as an enemy and an obstacle that must be removed in order for Ivy to carry out her mission unobstructed and undeterred. During her time as Mayor, Ivy has opted to “take care of things” herself, and an unconventional and often hasty approach has her allies nervous that Ivy may not be thinking clearly and considering the possible consequences of her actions.
Not only does Ivy have her dissidents on the council, but Ivy’s questionable moves as Mayor have caught the attention of the press as well. A new article in a local newspaper named The Den launches a scathing indictment of Ivy and her performance as Mayor. Ivy fumes as she reads excerpts from the article, such as “Mayor Isley diverts funds in sickening executive overreach” and “threatens city council into compliance”. Now Ivy can add the press to her long and growing list of enemies. Negative publicity like this in the press spells bad news for Ivy as it could lead to the people of Gotham losing confidence in Ivy, and result in a loss of support from the same people who voted her into office in the first place.
Ivy vows to take care of the issue of the press herself, to which Janet says, “This isn’t how government works, Ivy…a Mayor is not a one-woman wrecking ball”. Ever since taking office, Ivy has treated her position as Mayor as a weapon that can be used to enforce her will. This Machiavellian approach to politics is in line with how Ivy conducted herself as an ecoterrorist, but it’s not how one conducts themselves if they are hoping to endear others to their cause. As an idealist, Ivy is learning firsthand the difficulties of working within the system to advance her noble goals and ambitions. Ivy was elected because of her ability to appeal to the people of Gotham who were tired of a broken system that did not work for them, and believed that Ivy could offer hope and relief in the form of real systematic changes that could bring some much needed good to Gotham. However, Ivy’s failure to deliver on her many campaign promises may indeed cause those supporters to lose faith in her and her radical green agenda.
Ivy goes off to confront the writer of The Den piece and learns that their owner and publisher, Ned Crannack, was close with Marie Henley, the GCPD’s Crime Prevention Tech Czar, whom Ivy murdered at the end of Poison Ivy #40. Crannack represents a group of elites and institutions that are in opposition to Ivy and want to get rid of her at the most opportune opportunity. As the writer tells Ivy, “They want you to walk yourself off a cliff. And if you hesitate when you get to the edge, they’re gonna push you”. The rich, the powerful, and the corrupt are the true rulers of Gotham, operating behind the scenes and in the shadows, using their money and status to secretly pull the strings and influence Gotham and bend the city to their whims. That is what Ivy is up against, and it may be a colossal force that is powerless against.
The issue ends with Ivy confronting Crannack at his home, where the two have a tense conversation about money and power in Gotham. Crannack tells Ivy that people like him keep Gotham on its feet, to which Ivy replies: “It only needs you because you and your friends have been holding it hostage. The government, the press…once you’re gone, Gotham will be free for the first time in its history”. Meanwhile, Batman visits Janet at home to get her to try and convince Ivy to resign as Mayor, promising to let her leave the city as a free woman if she does. However, Ivy’s actions in this issue prove that she is not willing to back down anytime soon and is gearing up for the fight of her life.
Poison Ivy #44 is a meaty issue with a lot of major story beats happening all at once, each one creating a captivating narrative about the nature of power and corrupt political systems that benefit the elites over everyday common folk. You have Ivy clashing with everyone: the Parliament of the Trees, the press, the Gotham City council, and even her own allies. Ivy’s tenuous grip on power appears to be slipping, and her time as Mayor might soon run out. With multiple conflicts and actors working behind the scenes, it will be intriguing to watch events play out once these ongoing conflicts and individual actors conspiring against Ivy all converge at once.
You must be logged in to post a comment.