Poison Ivy #26 – G. Willow Wilson, Writer; Marcio Takara, Artist; Arif Prianto, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: The first twenty-five issues of this series were all largely dedicated to one story – Ivy’s descent into the depths of madness, her complex battle with her old mentor Jason Woodrue, and her ultimate death and redemption. But now she’s back, surrounded by friends and family, and with a new base in Slaughter Swamp. The only problem is – Slaughter Swamp isn’t what it used to be. Her resurrection changed it somehow, and she and her allies are investigating some very strange phenomena. The first of which is the appearance of a strange ghost town in the middle of the swamp – one that looks like it was drowned over a century ago, and has now been plucked out of time. This is an incredibly creepy visual, and hints at a larger supernatural mystery at play. But while Ivy is investigating this strange event, her allies are caught up in a crisis much closer to Earth.
Ivy’s politics are a…complex issue among comic fans. Yes, her overall goals are good, but sometimes her techniques take her into villain territory. So this issue asks the question of what happens when someone takes up her banner without her moral scruples? Janet is the first one to find out the answer to this question when she’s shopping at a high-end organic market that looks a lot like Whole Foods – that is then blown up in a massive terror attack that barely misses her. While she’s recovering (and Harley is nowhere in sight while Ivy and Janet get close), it turns out that a mysterious new terror group named after a mythological figure has begun targeting spots that it believes are dangerous to the environment. But unlike Ivy, they’re taking no efforts to protect innocent people. The cliffhanger indicates that this threat may be coming home much sooner than later, as well.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
