A Cure For Her Sins: Reviewing ‘Poison Ivy’ #17

Killer Crocs, awkward triangles, Grundys born on Mondays, mushroom spore-infected hordes. Pamela Isley has a lot on her plate. Dealing with all the stuff should be a real breeze, surely with not a single complication.

Gotham City’s botanical anti-hero continues her quest to deal with the sins of her past in Poison Ivy #17, from G. Willow Wilson, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and new artist Luana Vecchio.

There are so many types of stories out there. Likewise, there are a lot of ways to explore or critically assess those stories, generally in very personal or biased ways, which is natural. One of the marks of a good story is how well it can keep engagement in the quieter, dialogue-heavier moments, often referred to as ‘talking head scenes.’

Series where character development, and investment, are just as paramount as the action, plot, and big moments catch my attention far faster. Especially in these ongoing comics, built-in universes where single issues, supporting casts, and development used to be at the top of the list. Not that those things are gone of course, but some of them have been minimized as story delivery, needs, and goals have shifted for publishers or the market.

Wilson is at the top of the class when it comes to delivering these moments. Making sure we can connect with the characters, whether they are heroic or not so much, is the key. If we feel something for them, it makes the variety of emotional beats or their more personal (awkward in the case of some of these issues) moments hit harder or connect for us. This issue is proof of that matter.

There is a bit of action near the end when the infected and Grundy show up, but most of it is centered on Ivy and Croc again. I love them as a friend duo, and how they are opening up to each other. Yes, Croc has killed and is a criminal (as has Ivy), but there is more beneath the scales. What makes Batman’s Rogues some of the best in superhero comics is that the vast majority (outside of the Joker and such) generally have very sympathetic or tragic origin stories. Often, they were wronged or left behind or harmed by a society and world that can be cruel, uncaring, and dismissive.

Also, I feel you Croc about needles. Just thinking about them has me shivering over here.

Much of this series has been based on eco-horror, leaning into the terror that comes from how Ivy chose to use her powers and now how nature is pushing back. In this issue, there is a bit less of that horror, so a momentary shift in the artwork is a smooth changeover. Vecchio has a lighter-looking style than what Marcio Takara is usually doing for the more horror-tinged stuff. It’s very fitting for an issue that is more about characters airing their issues and bonding, as well as being very vulnerable.

There is a smooth whimsical sort of appeal to it all. Yet, there is also some roughness to the figures, a bit of exaggeration, which keeps it rooted in some of the same appeal of the normal style. Everyone behind this book has done such a solid job at tapping other artists to step in who have complimentary yet unique styles.

Also, this is just such a beautiful art style. All the characters just look so expressive and approachable, even though we know they very much are not. I could stare at images like this all day.

Vecchio handles the colors here as well, and they are where a lot of the lighter feeling comes from. There is still a bit of a heavier feeling in some cases, with darker tones peppered in since this is still a story with fungus corpses by the end. There is a bit of a toned-down nature to the colors, where they are vibrant and stand out but are not so vibrant they take away from the natural elements within the story. It creates an interesting contrast to what is happening in the story. Shedding light on things that are coming from or are often kept in the shadows (our secrets, fears, inadequacies, etc.).

Every bit of this series always allows for fun experimentation and uniqueness within the lettering. Otsmane-Elhaou takes advantage of that through and through. From shifting speech balloon shapes and sizes, to fonts that break out of the confines of boxes and balloons, to sprinkling some color into the affair. It gives everything that added visual flair while also helping set the tone and highlight emotional beats.

Just the differentiated colored and shaped bubbles add so much. There is no mistaking who ways what of course, but it also makes sure that wildly different characters like Ivy, Croc, and Grundy have their own flavor in all artistic capacities.

Poison Ivy #17 is now available from DC Comics.