Poison Ivy #1 Will Make You Itch For More [Review]

Pamela Isley has had a very interesting life. She has been an activist, a scientist, a villain, and a God. Oh yeah, she has even been dead. Well, now Poison Ivy is back with a new body on a mission to heal the earth. But she just might end all of humanity in doing so. Created by G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara, Poison Ivy #1 hit local comic shops this week in a well-deserved solo series. Thanks to our friends over at DC I was able to take a look at Poison Ivy #1 and this first issue did not disappoint.

Poison Ivy #1

Wow! Where to start with the first issue of this series. The creative team of Wilson and Takara take us on a fascinating and dark journey with Dr. Pamela Isley (Poison Ivy). We learn very quickly that Ivy is not in the best mental state after dealing with some tragic events that have happened in her life. We find Ivy in the state of Wyoming trying to reset the balance of nature. In doing so, anything (humans and animals) that she feels doesn’t belong in the environment she kills. But it is the method of how she kills that will make you look at mushrooms a little differently will out in the wild.

Poison Ivy’s weapon of choice is Ophiocordyceps lamia, a parasitic mushroom that works quickly in returning her victims’ bodies back to nature. Also, we learn that she is not afraid to use this fungal weapon on anyone that crosses her as well. I won’t give too much more away from this first issue but if you get one thing out of it this is not your normal Poison Ivy and it looks as if she will not stop until she heals herself and the ecological cancers.

Now there is one thing that some might not be happy with about this issue. While we do get a flashback of Ivy and Harley Quinn talking about the powers Ivy lost, readers still don’t really know who or what events cause this pain for her. So other than that there is nothing else showing who or what cause these tragic events for Ivy.

The Creative Team

One of the great things about Poison Ivy #1 is that even though we still don’t know what really caused Poison Ivy down this path it doesn’t matter (as of now). Writer G. Willow Wilson did a great job telling this story that you really don’t need any back history to understand what’s going on. Wilson’s approach to telling the story through the eyes of Ivy and through her journal gave readers a feel of what she was going through emotionally. This was done so well that you were able to transition between the two without being distracted.

While the storytelling was amazing the art really set the picture (no pun intended) for the whole story. Artist Marcio Takara and Arif Prianto (colors) bring this story to life from the looks and expressions of Ivy to the parasitic mushrooms decomposing its victims. The colors also do a great job in setting the mood and can turn something as scary as death and make it look beautiful. Also, we can not forget letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. His changing up of styles worked great for this issue. You see this the most when the story gets told through Poison Ivy’s journal.

My Final Thoughts

I will make this very simple. If you are a fan of Poison Ivy or just starting to read DC Comic this issue is a must-read! From the storytelling to the art you will not want to put the comic down. Also once you are done you will be wanting more. I can not wait until the next issue of this series. Again Poison Ivy #1 is out now at your favorite comic shop. Also, make sure you check out the amazing tribute to the legendary writer and artist George Pérez, who passed away on May 7th.

You can tell us your thoughts on Poison Ivy #1 by leaving a comment below or hitting me up at starwarsnerd574. You can also join me on the DC Fanatics Facebook page to chat about all things DC-related. Also, make sure to stay up to date on all comic and collectibles news by following us at ThatHashtagShow.com.