Ivy has been busy finding peace in Seattle, but will that tranquility hold up when Harley Quinn rolls into town? Your Major Spoilers review of Poison Ivy #9 from DC Comics, awaits!
POISON IVY #9
Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Marcio Takara
Colorist: Arif Prianto
Letterer: Hasan Otsmane-Elhaou
Editor: Arianna Turturro
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 7th, 2023
Previously in Poison Ivy: Following her times as “Queen Ivy”, Poison Ivy has moved to Seattle, believing her powers diminished, determined to find peace.
LIKE A LITTLE DOWNPOUR
Poison Ivy #9 opens with Ivy enjoying her morning at her house in Seattle. Her morning quickly becomes more exciting when Harley Quinn shows up on her doorstep. She claims that she had read Ivy’s letters and the two waste no time finding the nearest bedroom to “catch up”. While laying in bed together, Harley convinces Ivy to let her try some of the lambic spores that Ivy has been using. This puts Harley in touch with “The Green” and allows her to see the world how Ivy does. The two then head out on the town to spend the day together. During their date, Harley reveals that she’s been following Ivy’s trail and discovers that her powers might not be as diminished as Ivy believes they are.
A PLEASANT SLICE-OF-LIFE MOMENT
Poison Ivy #9 makes a bold and brave move by letting itself be just a bit boring. The entirety of this issue is simply a day, with two people in love, being allowed to spend time together. With the exception of some supernatural spores, things are fairly mundane. There’s no crazy plot, or interruption to their date, no hidden agendas or side stories, just a date. That doesn’t mean that this issue isn’t enjoyable though. The big draw here is getting to read Ivy’s thoughts as she indulges in her love for Harley. It’s very sentimental, but doesn’t cross the line into sappy or saccharine. The best way to describe this issue is a breath of air, both for the reader and the characters, it’s like a pleasant rest stop. With all that being said, there is a shallow feeling to a lot of what’s going on here. While the reader gets a peek into Ivy’s thoughts, they are more matter-of-fact rather than revelatory, either about her or her relationship. It comes off as a missed opportunity.
HINTS OF ART NOUVEAU
The art in Poison Ivy #9 is lovely to say the least. Marcio Takara’s facial expressions and Arif Prianto’s big bold coloring and use of soft skin tones on the characters gives it a look reminiscent of Alphonse Mucha. This hand-painted look works great in establishing a contrast between the backgrounds and the characters. This is especially true in the bigger single and 3/4 page spreads. Each one of those feel like they could be sold as prints and put up. The one complaint I have with the art is that it doesn’t go far enough considering psychedelic spores are a plot point. After a handful of panels that timidly approach some surrealism, things go back to normal. This was an opportunity to do some nice visual storytelling but instead it lets the narration do most of it.
BOTTOM LINE: A WALK IN THE PARK
Poison Ivy #9 is a subtle and restrained comic book. It resists the normal cliches of shoehorning action scenes into quieter moments and lets the characters spending time together be the focal point. There are some missed opportunities to add some depth to the characters and stories, but it remains pleasant regardless. 4 out of 5 stars.
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Poison Ivy #9
Poison Ivy #9 banks on one of the DC Universe’s premiere couples spending a day together being enough to keep readers engaged, and it’s a bet I think they win.
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At a young age, Jonathan was dragged to a small town in Wisconsin. A small town in Wisconsin that just so happened to have a comic book shop. Faced with a decision to either spend the humid summers and bitter winters traipsing through the pine trees or in climate controlled comfort with tales of adventure, horror, and romance, he chose the latter. Jonathan can often be found playing video games, board games, reading comics and wincing as his “to watch” list grows wildly out of control.