Loyalties, relationships, and friendships are tested in Poison Ivy #38 as our titular protagonist comes face-to-face with a traitor whose act of betrayal put Ivy’s entire mission in jeopardy. Will Ivy seek righteous vengeance, or will she find it in her heart to forgive the one who betrayed her?
In the last issue, Ivy discovered that one of her closest allies, Janet Mitchell – or Janet from HR, as she is often referred to in the comic – was the one who betrayed her by exposing the location of Marshview, resulting in a GCPD raid that nearly ended with Ivy being apprehended. Prior to finding out about Janet’s betrayal, Ivy recruited a doctor in Gotham City, Dr. Leslie Thompkins, to help treat Janet’s mysterious, life-threatening fungal infection. When Ivy learned of Janet’s betrayal, she changed her mind about treating Janet’s illness and ordered the return of Dr. Thompkins to Gotham City as she dragged her friend into the Green.
DC Comics
Poison Ivy #38 picks up exactly where #37 leaves off, with the Ivy and Janet conflict that has been brewing for several issues coming to a head now that Ivy finally knows the truth about Janet’s involvement with the raid on Marshview. Janet attempts to explain herself and her actions to Ivy. She tells Ivy that she turned to Bog Venus out of desperation, saying, “I believed Bog Venus would fix me since you didn’t seem to care”. This is a recurring point of contention in Ivy and Janet’s relationship. Janet has often felt neglected, dismissed, and made to feel unimportant by Ivy. She has also questioned the legitimacy of her friendship with Ivy, and has been unsure whether Ivy genuinely cares about her and her well-being, or if Ivy is only using her to Ivy’s own benefit. Many of Ivy’s actions in this run have shown a disregard for Janet’s needs, thus giving reason and validation to Janet’s feelings that Ivy doesn’t care about her. Janet also questions whether Ivy wants to be loved, telling her friend, “I don’t think you like being loved. I think it annoys you”.
One aspect of Poison Ivy that I really appreciate is how G. Willow Wilson characterizes Ivy, specifically the self-awareness that she gives Ivy. For example, in this particular issue, we see Ivy reflecting on her choices and how those decisions have affected others, especially those with whom Ivy has close ties to. Ivy’s narration reads “There’s something wrong with me. I hurt the people I care about the most without even noticing. And even when I do notice, I don’t care”. In this moment of deep personal reflection, Ivy acknowledges her flaws and recognizes that she has a tendency to mistreat those she holds dear. In another moment of honest reflection, Ivy admits to herself, “Maybe I’m not capable of love. Maybe that’s why I’m so bad at it”. It’s moments like this that make Poison Ivy such a compelling character to root for. She may be an eco-terrorist hellbent on saving the planet and is willing to sacrifice all human life if necessary, but when Ivy reveals her humanity and vulnerability, we can’t help but relate to Ivy and her struggles. Not only do we admire her conviction and commitment to her mission, but we also find ourselves rooting for Ivy and her success.
Poison Ivy #38 is a super effective issue in which the interpersonal drama takes center stage, resulting in a deeply meaningful confrontation between the series’ two major lead characters. This conflict has been building across several issues, and now it has finally paid off in a big way, with Wilson delivering us a satisfying resolution to the conflict at hand. With this resolution, we also see major growth in Ivy as a character and her relationship moving forward with Janet. As the series continues, it will be interesting to see further developments in Ivy as she grows and nurtures her personal relationships while trying to balance her ambitions and motivations as the self-appointed protector of Earth and Mother Nature.
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