Back Where It All Began: Reviewing ‘Poison Ivy’ #28

She’s wanted for terrorism she didn’t commit, followed by a cult, and caught in a war between ancient powerful nature groups. Pamela Isley just can’t seem to catch a break.

It’s a good thing there isn’t any pressure on her to solve this quickly, lest something worse happen. Oh wait, that’s exactly the space she finds herself in Poison Ivy #28, the latest chapter in the continuing stellar run by G. Willow Wilson, Marcio Takara, Arif Prianto, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Year after year, this book easily rests within my internal list of best comic book series. Banger after banger, with no end in sight. Plenty of eco-horror, deep dive DC lore exploring, comical antics with a loveable cast of ‘bad guy’ supporting characters, and so much more. It’s gorgeous, grand, dark, powerful, striking, and so many other words that I could go on for days.

Well, guess that was the review, we can close up shop.

Hmm, probably need more than that. Okay then, let’s dive in some more.

Wilson’s ability to keep building upon the foundation established twenty-seven chapters (and more) ago never fails to amaze. Here we stand with a major development with the Green and the Gray (the ancient powerful nature beings dealing with plants and fungi respectively) that stems (sorry not sorry) all the way back to the first issue. There is no shock or world breaking that comes from this plot development, because it neatly folds into everything we already know & witnessed.

Even with all the heaviness of the terrorism and ancient councils, there is fun and levity to be found. Janet from HR is just a delightful mess of a human being, relating to just how messy life really can be. The whole beats between her and Killer Croc, and then with Ivy were hilarious. So much awkwardness, which is like a sugar treat in fiction.

That level of awkwardness translates on the page through the beyond-solid emotional spectrum work that Takara delivers. Imagery that is always right in the middle of the rough and smooth texture space, leaning on the fence of whimsical while dipping toes in darker realms. Eco horror plays splendidly with heroics time and time again.

Every detail brims with energy as the paneling choices create depth and weight, no matter how much or how little appears in each. A lush lived in feeling can be felt through the whole book, in both natural and human created spaces.

Hefty can describe the levels of colors sprinkled throughout. Prianto dabbles in various sections of the color palette spectrum, tipping toward whatever sells the scene the best. Tons of darker shadowy rough textured color choices exist right beside, and often mix with, the lighter or more vibrant beats. Creating something akin to how the real world can feel with such variety.

So many varied personalities and voices are wrapped up in these stories, and all the lettering consistantly reflects that. Just choosing to do different color balloons for characters would be enough to differentiate, but Otsmane-Elhaou always goes ten steps beyond that. From different fonts, shifting the sizes/placement of the fonts, incorporating shadows, even eschewing the balloons/boxes fully for certain words. Really giving everything a different, unique, and powerfully visual energy that befits the level of this story.

Poison Ivy #28 is now available from DC Comics.