Absolute Power And All That Jazz — Reviewing ‘Poison Ivy’ #43

Humanity has created a number of sayings centered around the idea of power and the extent that it can corrupt. Giving power to those that already have trouble with their baser instincts and desires is often a recipe for disaster.

Pamela Isley begins to show the truth of these words as her reign as Gotham City’s mayor continues in Poison Ivy #43. A murderous affair from G. Willow Wilson, Arif Prianto, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou and artist Jamie Infante.

–Spoilers Follow-

Since this comic began, its title character has been put through various wringers. Shifted status quos that are meant to not only up the drama and tension but stimulate the most character growth. Putting her in charge of Gotham City, with her murderous tendencies, was quite the twisty loop.

I’m all for it though.

There is relevance to this plotline with our own elected official issues of the present. Not only that, it speaks about what power can do to anyone, even if they claim to want to use it for the betterment of others. In the case of Ivy though, her desire to save the planet through this level of power is having detrimental effects — Both to the city, but also to her own personal sphere of life.

At the same time, I love that Wilson utilizes the script to speak about corruption and capitalism, as usual, in the sense of people who control the city. How they can brag about connections that go back generations but know nothing about their actual business beyond the money aspect. The status quo of business leaves the spaces full of regular people to take the brunt of bad business.

A harder edge is deployed in the series and this issue as Ivy lays down the law of her land for one of those detached businesspeople. It’s an attack that is likely to come back to haunt her, sooner rather than later. Rougher eco-horror vibes are baked into this series, especially visually, and Infante picks up that artistic baton with ease.

The art continues hitting all the same vibes that the series usually has that began with regular artist Marcio Takara. With Infante it’s very dense and lush feeling in many respects while also very personal and at times confining. That would be because a portion of the story takes place in the very confining space that is the sewers of Gotham. A sense of scale and tangibility are very clear on the page at all times, which really helps.

Emotional energy is clear as the facial expressions and body language of characters are presented fully. Their feelings range from lighter and brighter to darker and heavier. Similarly, the coloring of Prianto keeps delivering on that same tonal front, utilizing a color palette that spans the gamut.

I love how there is an overall neutral base feeling to the colors as presented. Through this a foundation is built upon which the rest of the structure can be built, using those aforementioned darker and lighter shades to provide very accurate lighting effects in the different spaces. From the sewers to city hall to the whole city itself as the sun is setting, it’s just some gorgeous work, but that’s what I always know we’ll get from Prianto.

Speaking of gorgeous work, another stalwart hand that defines this book visually is Otsmane-Elhaou. Color is very much a core tenant of the lettering that Otsmane-Elhaou provides, especially with the dialogue bubbles that are various colors with wildly shifting fonts that give characters unique voices. Not to mention the usage of white on black, eschewing bubbles fully at times, stands out dramatically.

Beyond the colorful is also the core emotional aspect referenced earlier. Wilson writes the emotion and character beats and Otsmane-Elhaou adds the power to them on the page. Matching the rest of the art beat for beat with how the lettering is placed, presented, and lands.

Poison Ivy #43 is now available from DC Comics.