Metalhead Mundy and I have been following and reviewing the current Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez run on Batman. You can find those reviews here. When Barbara Gordon was arrested and warranted her own series, we reviewed that here. Batman is about to be part of a crossover series called Bad Seeds. So, being the diligent, responsible comic folks that we are, we are here to document the event in its entirety.
That brings us to Poison Ivy 45. While not technically part of the event proper, it is the first with the dressing “The Road to Bad Seeds.” We thought we should begin here. Poison Ivy is the mayor of Gotham, but has largely been in the background in the Batman book. Getting in the head of Pamela Isley will make Bad Seeds a more complete story.
So, issue 45. (Spoilers Ahead) We begin with a “Fox-ish” news program talking about how wonderful Mayor Isley is. The anchor, who is being coerced, is telling how Isley has changed the city for the better. Cut to Mayor Isley walking to her office. The press is hurling questions at her, questioning her methods, especially the use of her Order of the Green Knight. Echoes here of Trump with ICE or Mayor Fisk with his task force.
Her assistant Janet stops her as she heads to her office to tell her she was visited by Batman, who thinks she should resign. Isley comes unhinged and demands to see police commissioner Vandal Savage. In her office, she berates him for not being able to capture Batman. They argue until Isley commands her vines to grab Savage and lift him into the air. He convinces Ivy that he is her only ally. She releases him and tells him, “Bring Me Batman.”
The rest of the issue is certainly for those who have been reading this series since the beginning. The Kettle Hole Devil shows up from the Parliament of Trees to scare Poison Ivy as she has murdered members of the Green prior to this issue. Following this visit, she summons Xylon, from the Gray. She asks for help, but is turned down. The Gray will no longer help her.
Foggy: This issue, as part of a larger story, really plants the seeds for a very unhinged Poison Ivy. It only takes one mention of Batman for Ivy to lose it. This brings us to three great dialogs in this issue. The first is with Vandal Savage. Throughout Batman, we have seen the law through Savage. Here, we see he is doing the bidding of Mayor Isley. She clearly doesn’t care how, she simply wants Batman. In an interesting twist, Savage says, “you’re not here to govern, you’re here to rule.” Pot meet kettle. Interesting that Ivy has even gone beyond Savage’s limits.
Mundy: Coming into not this series cold, I have no background info on Ivy’s mental state, but she does appear to be quite unstable. While Savage does seem outwardly subservient to Ivy to a degree, he definitely has his own agenda when it comes to Batman. I feel like he is definitely using Ivy to his own advantage, manipulating her to constantly move his plans forward.
Foggy: The second important dialog is between assistants Janet and Juhl. Janet wants Ivy helped because she cares and Juhl wants her out because she cares about the office. They come to the conclusion that she needs help from one person, “If we don’t find the one person who can talk some sense into Ivy, the whole city is going up in flames.” Of course, they are referring to Harley Quinn. Clever writing that the one person who can provide humanity to Ivy is Harley.
Mundy: We’re on the same page here. It has to be Harley, right? It may be a fun twist if it’s someone else, but I don’t know who that would be.
Foggy: The final conversation is between Harley and the assassin from the Parliament of Trees, The Kettle Hole Devil. He has come to challenge Ivy as she is a murderer. Ivy admits it. Prior to getting angry and fighting back, she says, “I’ve been given these gifts and I don’t know how to use them…there’s some kind of….of darkness between me and righteousness.” While I don’t know the details of the events leading to this conversation, it does mirror what is going on in Gotham and shows the desperation with which Mayor Isley wants to make a difference, but ruins her own attempts.
Mundy: Full disclosure: I have zero familiarity with any of this story. I’ve never even heard of The Gray. However, this scene was very cool! Ivy is obviously working several angles to get what she wants, and that may be her downfall. If you make too many backroom deals, eventually, you’ll disappoint a partner or two. That could have disastrous results. As far as her “gifts,” I definitely need more context. Does she not know how to use them correctly? Does she not know what actions to take? Or does she feel she’s literally not capable of doing the right thing?
Foggy: The art is handled by Leandro Fernandez. I’m not familiar with his work, but he does an excellent job with the “Green” here. The figure work and set pieces are solid. The pages are full and feel lived in. The real strength, though, is the horror work with the Green and the Gray. There is drama and horror in spades.
Foggy: 3.5 out of 5 Seeds- Entertaining issue and partially a good set up for the Batman event.
Mundy: 3.5/5 Seeds feels right, if only because I’m stepping into unfamiliar territory. The story and art are solid, and groundwork is definitely being laid.
