Better Watch Out, Nature Bites Back! — Reviewing ‘Poison Ivy’ #15

Often, the more beautifully eye-catching something happens to be, especially in nature, the more unassumingly dangerous it might be. All that beauty is ripped aside as something more primal takes over.

This is a concept that Pamela Isley is quite familiar with, especially with where Poison Ivy #15 finds her. A tale of confusion, natural penance, and a kick-ass croc team-up courtesy of G. Willow Wilson, Marcio Takara, Arif Prianto, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

I could spend an entire review just focused on how much I love the version of Croc we’re seeing lately, both in and out of this series. Sure, part of his name is Killer, but come on, the guy is a big loveable brute who is loyal and often stands up for those that society shuns and forgets. As Wilson herself says, he’s a cinnamon roll, who just happens to commit a bit of murder sometimes.

There are more things to talk about here, so I’ll contain myself when it comes to Croc.

No matter how many times I say it in these reviews, this is just a gorgeous series. Dark, spooky, detailed, colorful, shadowy, deep, horror-filled gorgeousness. It’s a series that makes sure to stand out on every single level. Everyone here is pulling out every stop, and then some, to make sure you not only keep picking this series up but won’t forget it any time soon.

Everything about the space that Ivy and Croc find themselves within feels normal to some degree, it is a building after all. Yet, the off-putting nature of this space and the horrific beautiful nature elements are the core of this series. Ecohorror is the name of the game and if it was a sporting game this would be the team that wins all the championships year after year.

Takara captures a fluid energy in every panel, where everything feels vibrant and alive. I feel like I might be yanked into the page any moment and be stuck in that world. It feels so real and tangible on the page. Enhancing that reality is how Prianto approaches the colors.

The palette is toned down in some senses, giving that bit of grounded-ness, and allowing the more fantastical portions to pop into the vibrant space. From the flower that is Undine’s new face, to the various nature bits in Ivy’s alternative form, it all is allowed to breathe and stand out. Having these flashes of colors that feel unnatural, yet still enticing, set against colors that are unassuming is a perfect pairing.

We see and feel that same energy weaving its way through the words on the page. Ivy’s colorful, but muted, caption boxes remain and give us a taste of her, but then there are the bits where even her words bleed out. Otsmane-Elhaou uses every bit of the page to give the letters power and presence. On some pages the captions break right out of the boxes and exist on the blackness, creating a serene yet eerie feeling.

Bubbles and fonts shift in various ways to accommodate the different nature of some characters. Blues and greens and more, with fonts that are sharp or almost lyrical in appearance. It all blends in a way that makes sure we’re following every letter and word with bated breath, voices resonating within our minds.

I’ll just say it here, I love everything about this series and how grand it can be at times. There is something enticing about these issues where Wilson pulls back and narrows the focus. In this one, everything is about Undine, Ivy, and Croc as all other parts of Ivy’s world are shut out for the time being. This makes the random caption where she wonders about how Harley and Janet are getting funnier.

Especially since we know just what those two were getting up to in the last issue (Oh that Janet!).

Undine, as a mirror of sorts to Pam, is very interesting. Especially since it’s not a perfect mirror situation, but even she speaks to the idea of how lonely it is to not have someone else who understands. Clearly, this won’t be the last we see of Undine, but what a solid dynamic. A man who tried to do good only to turn to his baser instincts when things went wrong, cursed by the same poisons he tried to hide.

Okay, I held off long enough, back to Croc talk! (Sorry not sorry, I had to do that).

One of the beautiful things done in this series alongside all the artwork, is the focus on ‘villains’ as human beings. Most of the rogues are not as cut and dry as evil. They are people with issues and traumas who make choices that some might not agree with (sometimes that being like murder or stuff). Ivy has naturally gotten a ton of spotlight and depth digging and Croc gets some of that same treatment, here and elsewhere.

He’s such a natural fit here because of his connections to nature, but also his personality.

Ivy is the sort of mastermind and shady one. Harley is a wild card but also at times Ivy’s voice of reason. Janet might be a sort of conscience, but she’s also a disruptor of Ivy’s life right now. Then there is Croc, who is yes, the muscle and force but something more. He’s a good companion who has a simpler view of life and other things.

Sometimes you need that soul in your world that can be simpler, and help you take things down a notch.

Poison Ivy #15 is now available from DC Comics.