Poison Ivy #12 – G. Willow Wilson, Writer; Marcio Takara, Artist; Arif Prianto, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: This was planned to be the original end of the series before it was extended to an ongoing, and it’s clear that this is the second time this series was given a new lease on life. While the first arc was tightly plotted and ended with an intense emotional catharsis as Pamela finally triumphed over her longtime nemesis Jason Woodrue, this second arc has mostly been about the difficult question of what comes next. Pamela and her associate Janet—who Pamela has now become involved with despite her ongoing relationship with Harley—have stumbled into a Goop-inspired retreat that devolved into a strange fungi-fueled orgy. While everyone has been infected, the ringleader has been transformed into something horrible—a fate that will await everyone exposed to the mutated fungi unless Pamela comes up with an antidote. It’s a good hook for an even bigger threat than Woodrue.
This coming arc seems like it’s going to turn into somewhat of a zombie thriller, with Pamela and her allies—including Harley—hunting down those still infected and eliminating them before they can become plague vectors. Obviously, the idea of a fungi-fueled zombie plague isn’t new—it’s the subject of the top series on TV right now—but Wilson seems to have a good handle on the concept. What doesn’t work quite as well is the attempt to make some commentary on anti-vaxers this issue. While some of the lines being parroted are very timely, it’s hard to believe that someone would choose to keep the spores because they fear the antidote after seeing someone literally transformed into a feral beast in front of them. It feels like commentary in search of a story, but the overall concept of the series is strong. I’m hoping the addition of Harley to the title will help it get back the momentum of the first arc.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
