Poison Ivy #47 is written by G. Willow Wilson and published by DC Comics. Artwork is by Leandro Fernández, colours by Arif Prianto and letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Main cover art (left) is by Jessica Fong.
Poison Ivy #47 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
Gotham City is done with Mayor Pamela Isley—there’s just one problem for everyone there: She’s not done with them. The stage is set for the explosive new Batman line crossover event—Bad Seeds!
Review
Poison Ivy #47 kick-starts the Batman: Bad Seeds event with a bang, and I think we’re on the cusp of something really interesting for the character and the DC universe at large.
Ivy’s run as mayor has taken both the character and the series beyond the standard Ivy storylines – the green, the eco/planet themes – and really turned up the dial, giving her this darker, villainous, morally complex aspect that is SO good. She’s always been a villain, but here, she feels the MOST villainous. And what makes it even better is she thinks she’s doing the right thing, which is the best ingredient for any villain. I’ve found this series to have some high highs and low lows, and these past couple of issues, with Ivy’s reign as mayor, have been some of my favourites. While they’re by no means perfect, they’re entertaining, which, in my eyes, is good enough.
Issue #47 had a lot to accomplish, setting up the event, bringing storylines to a point, and laying the groundwork for everything that’s to follow. And it does exactly that. But what stood out to me the most here was the writing. The writers woke up for this issue and chose chaos. In the best possible way. The dialogue is absolutely brilliant throughout, but one moment stands above the rest. “We were rooting for you. We were all rooting for you.” Yes, you read that correctly. The iconic Tyra Banks meme, directed squarely at Ivy, is genuinely genius. Well played, Tini Howard. Well played.
Ivy is cracking under the weight of everything she is carrying. With no allies, no Parliament of Trees on her side, and no Harley, she has truly lost everything she holds dear, and it is starting to show. The pressure of the mayoralty, the isolation, the fracturing of every relationship that once anchored her – it is all taking its toll. And then comes a betrayal from someone you would least expect, at the worst possible moment. It cuts deep, and the issue does not shy away from letting you feel it.
What makes it all work so well is the texture running underneath the bigger moments. Ivy throws a magazine at someone during a heated exchange, and for just a second, you catch a glimpse of her recent photoshoot on the cover, a cool outfit, a polished public image that feels increasingly at odds with the woman falling apart behind closed doors. It is a minor detail, but it does enormous work. It makes the world feel bigger, and it quietly underlines just how significant Ivy’s presence as mayor has become.
Each puzzle piece is laying the groundwork for the Batman: Bad Seeds event, and the final panels kick things off with a very green bang. It is abundantly clear that Ivy’s run as mayor has been building to this moment all along.
Verdict
Poison Ivy #47 is without a doubt an essential read, and arguably the strongest issue of this run in quite some time. The balance between political office and eco-warrior has always been a fine line to walk, and watching Ivy navigate it, desperately trying to gauge where her true allegiances lie, has been a fascinating and genuinely compelling piece of character work. Fresh, unpredictable, and unmissable, especially if you have been following the Harley and Ivy fallout across both titles. Do not skip this one.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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