Time To Celebrate, Slaughter Swamp Style: Reviewing ‘Poison Ivy’ #25

What does one do after defeating their ex-boyfriend and fungus offspring (of sorts) zombies? Family swamp cleanup day, that’s what!

Year three (time flies!) is ready to kick off as Poison Ivy #25 gathers tons of creators for the celebratory milestone issue. The issue includes a wraparound story from the regular creative team of G. Willow Wilson, Marcio Takara, Arif Prianto, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. In-between there are stories from Joanne Starer, Haining, Ivan Plascencia, Grace Ellis, Brian Level, Gretchen Felkner-Martin, Atagun Ilhan, Deborah Villahoz, Dan Watters, DaNi, and Brad Simpson.

Otsmane-Elhaou pulls full duty across the book, lettering every single piece of the story.

I love the way that this issue is set up. Rather than just a bevy of guest stories around the character with maybe a tease of the main creative team, it all flows so well together.

As noted, the regular team brings the opening and closing beats of the issue. Where we see Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, Janet from HR, and Solomon Grundy in the aftermath of the aforementioned fungal zombie attack. There are chores to be done (chiefly cleaning up the zombie body issue) and Ivy is practically glowing in her newfound lease on life and her little found family.

In just the few pages there is all the magic of the regular issues. From Wilson’s top notch character work to the rough, smooth, whimsical but detailed work that Takara always delivers. Full of all the colors from Prianto’s palette that are vibrant, tonally dark, and quite natural all at the same time. Pulling the biggest duty in the issue is Otsmane-Elhaou, offering up his visually unique and engaging lettering to every story.

Each of the vignettes really captures the feeling of the whole series. The eco-horror aspects, the trippy artwork, the deep character beats, and the comradery the book has really showcased.

Starer brings us to a point in the past where Batman crossed paths with Ivy, really homing in on the dance they’ve done for so many years. Chiefly, it uses the tapping into Batman’s trauma that has really been part of his stories all along. Haining has such a lively art style that lends itself to the really wild hallucinations that Ivy brings about with her plants. It feels light and energetic, with Plascencia’s colors really livening things up. I kind of love that the story is mostly told through Batman’s dark captions and the artwork with very little actual dialogue.

Things leap back to where this whole wonderous series began in the piece from Ellis, Level, and Prianto. Two guys become addicted to the experience they gain from Ivy’s fungus, leading them to a fateful meeting with the woman herself. Level perfectly taps into those early eco-horror vibes that Takara brought to the book. Prianto brings back the dark and heavy color palette he used for those stories and many more after them.

One of the things this series has done is give me a new grand appreciation for Killer Croc. So, while I love everything here, the Croc story might be my favorite.

It’s just a day in the swamp for ole Croc as he goes to check out this newly revealed city out there. He never makes it there though as Felker-Martin brings him face to face with some dumb bounty hunters, who need a “bigger boat” as Croc yells (oh yeah, I laughed for sure). It’s probably the lightest of the stories in some senses, as Ilhan always brings a bit of whimsy to the page even when still tapping into the darker horror elements.

That’s mirrored by the shadowy but still vibrant colors from Villahoz, bringing another whiff of that whimsy and darkness. Speaking of that darkness, it increases almost creepingly as the story moves on till it’s almost oppressive at the end.

I say light yet Croc rips a guy’s arms off before running away.

Darkness is the name of the game in the final piece here. Another one that ties to what is to come for this series. Watters gives us the tale of a man who has become an eco-terrorist in his pursuit of following what he believes is messages from Ivy herself. It’s a really chilling tale that is boosted by the always rough, unique, and sketchy style of artwork that DaNi employs. It feels really hard but also vivid and quick at the same time, really hammering home what can happen when someone becomes indoctrinated in some way.

It’s so moody, mostly cause it’s at night, but Simpson really brings the heavier looming color tones to the page.

As noted, Otsmane-Elhaou handles all the lettering and really cuts loose. Every single story has a different appearance as the lettering keeps some of his style but really meshes with the art styles. Bringing the right emotional and personality bursts to fit what is happening with each bit. Just so solid all around.

Poison Ivy #25 is now available from DC Comics.