In June 2022, one of Batman's most iconic villains, Poison Ivy, got a solo series. While popular, Pamela Isley has rarely gotten a chance to shine on her own, especially when compared to other Gotham villains. That, along with the fact that her motivations connect to the climate crisis, made fans excited to see where this comic would take her. G. Willow Wilson, Marcio Takara, Brian Level, Stefano Gaudiano, Jay Leisten, Arif Prianto and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou exceeded expectations with the first six issues of Poison Ivy, which have been compiled in the must-have Poison Ivy Vol 1: The Virtuous Cycle.

After being disconnected from the Green and suffering from a highly contagious fungal infection, Poison Ivy plans to save the Earth by utilizing these fungus spores to cause a massive extinction of the human race. This kick-starts a cross-country road trip where Ivy meets people who forever change her life, as well as a horrific face from her past.

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Poison Ivy Wants to Forget Her Rage

Poison Ivy is one of DC's best series to come out of the 2020s, and has quickly become essential reading. Wilson understands that Ivy's feed up with the lack of action being taken to save Earth. Along with that, she understands Ivy is a hopeful character, despite how disappointed she is in humanity. Ivy knows the Earth can be saved, but that comes at the cost of humanity -- herself included. Because of this, Ivy does not take joy in dooming all of humanity, especially because Ivy knows Earth's downfall is not the fault of individuals; it's the fault of those in power and the damning systems upholding them.

Wilson's approach to Poison Ivy's internal conflict is a complex, nuanced look at a villain trying to make radical change, and works as a reminder to readers that they are not responsible for the devastation and destruction caused by higher ups committed to upholding an unstable system. Wilson cements this through the people Ivy meets along the way. While some of them are terrible -- like the abusive manager of a knock-off Amazon warehouse -- others remind Ivy that humanity is not doomed as long as she targets her rage toward the true culprits. It's also through these people, as well as her memories of Harley, that readers see a vulnerable side of Ivy.

These memories of Harley and the hallucinogenic state Ivy puts her victims in is where the art of Poison Ivy shines. Whether it is a dream-like paradise where Ivy fantasizes about Harley or a nightmare-version of herself her less-than-savory victims see, Takara embraces the psychedelic elements of Ivy's fungal abilities. As the issues progress, Ivy's own mental state takes a nose-dive, and because of this, there is a shift in art, with Level, Gaudiano and Leisten jumping in toward the tail of the book to exaggerate her mental and emotional distress.

As a team of artists, they all know when to lean more into the fluid, fantasy elements of Poison Ivy's powers and mentality and when to ground things again. While it is mostly through these hallucinations that the artists lean into the psychedelic elements of Poison Ivy, in reality, Takara delivers on environmental body horror that will make any Last of Us fans happy. Ivy is beautiful, but she's also deadly, and this comic highlights this through the haunting yet captivating designs of the infected.

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Of course, these illustrations would be nothing without Prianto's colors. Prianto goes all in with a wide array of saturated colors during the more psychedelic moments in order to create a feeling of another world. Along with that, there is a warmth throughout the comic, creating a nostalgic and hopeful feeling that compliments Poison Ivy's internal growth while also bringing a vulnerability and softness to a character who is often seen as distant and deadly.

Even the lettering is a testament to Ivy's vulnerability. Otsmane-Elhaou depicts the captions and Poison Ivy's internal thoughts as a love letter to Harley, and because of this, Wilson and Otsmane-Elhaou capture a more private side of Ivy, one only those closest to her are lucky enough to see. This, once again, humanizes a villain who is seen by many to be a threat to humanity.

Poison Ivy Vol 1: The Virtuous Cycle is not a traditional superhero comic, as the focus is not on a hero fighting a villain. Instead, it is about a woman learning to find hope once again in herself and humanity. Poison Ivy may be a villain, but she is the hero this generation needs, and one will fall for her -- faults and all -- by the end of this book, as it is a must-read for new and old readers.