Poison Ivy #43 is written by G. Willow Wilson and published by DC Comics. Artwork is by Jaime Infante, colours by Arif Prianto, and letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Poison Ivy #43 is available from today, in comic book stores and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your physical copy from Forbidden Planet or digitally from Amazon Comixology UK.
Synopsis
Mayor Pamela Isley investigates the state of her old stomping grounds, the Gotham City sewer system, and makes some unpleasant discoveries about what lies beneath. Meanwhile, a certain feline felon makes her long-awaited return to Ivy’s life.
Review
The issue opens with a conversation between Ivy and Harley that I genuinely did not see coming. Not in this way, not in this context. It is quite something. If you’re a HarlIvy fan, buckle up. The argument plays out against a dark, moody setting drawn with real beauty and detail, and that atmosphere does a lot of heavy lifting. It adds tension, it adds mystery, and it makes for a genuinely wonderful cold open.
Ivy as mayor continues to be one of the best things to happen to this character in this run. The era centred around the Green, her morality caught between her human half and her god-like connection to the plant world, was fascinating for a long time, but it did start to run dry eventually. Ivy, as mayor, feels different. Whether it is the Gotham setting, the people she is dealing with, or simply the scale of what she is taking on, it just feels right. Correct, even.
A great example of that is Catwoman, who makes an appearance in this issue. Not a spoiler, she is right there on the cover. But it is exactly these kinds of interactions that make this era of the comic feel so alive and exciting. Two iconic characters, wildly different energies, sharing a panel. It works. There is also one particular shot of Catwoman that I have to mention, where she is standing underground, lit only by the light filtering down through a drain above her. It sounds like an odd thing to highlight, but it is genuinely one of the coolest single panels I have seen in a while. Atmospheric, cinematic, and quietly stunning.
So, what makes Ivy and Mayor interesting? Well, she is going up against decades of corporate greed and political grey zones, which is a smart, interesting take on the character. She has always been the eco-warrior, the green guardian, so setting her against the systems, both literal and figurative, that caused so much of the damage she has spent her life fighting feels like the most natural story in the world. And when you factor in her moral complexity, her willingness to kill in the name of the earth, it makes for a genuinely rich read. She is not a hero. She is not quite a villain. She is something far more interesting than either.
In some of my previous reviews of this run, I have touched on both the highs and the lows. Some issues have been genuinely brilliant, others less so, and throughout it all, there has been a sense of the comic feeling its way forward, exploring what to do with this character and how best to use her. Let’s face it, the eco-warrior storyline has been done many times before — and that is not me saying it is tired or needs to be put to rest — but what keeps it interesting is finding a fresh lens and point of view. Here, the power, the politics, the moral weight of being mayor of Gotham City, it all adds up to a take on Ivy we genuinely have not seen before, and it is all the better for it. She has something to say, something to do, and as a result, so does the story.
Verdict
Poison Ivy #43 is another confident, quietly compelling chapter in one of DC’s most consistently excellent ongoing runs. G. Willow Wilson continues to find new, interesting corners of this character to explore, and the Ivy as mayor arc is delivering in ways that feel genuinely earned. Sharp writing, beautiful art from Jaime Infante, and a Catwoman cameo that leaves you wanting more. This run shows no signs of slowing down.
⭐⭐⭐
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