Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy #1 // Review
During the limited series Heroes in Crisis, the speedster Wally West unintentionally killed anti-villain Poison Ivy with a bolt of his Speed Force lightning. By the end of the series, Ivy was resurrected and is now a plant-based elemental similar to Swamp Thing. While this new form with saved Ivy from death, it is also unstable with Ivy struggling to maintain even a simple bipedal. Thankfully, she is not alone in her recovery, accompanied by her loving girlfriend and fellow on-again-off-again villain, Harley Quinn. Quinn is understandably upset at her lover's uncertain state, clearly traumatized from chaos from HiC. And believes she and Ivy should change their station in the DC Universe altogether by converting into full-time heroes as opposed to chaotic neutrals. Unfortunately, Harley's attempts at trying to find stability in their lives take a backseat to the machinations of Lex Luthor and the Floronic Man.
It's common for characters to go through status quo changes following a big event like HiC, but seldom easy on the creative teams who handle the aftermath. This difficult task is that much more formidable when the preceding story is surrounded by division and controversy, in much the way HiC has been. With Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy #1, the creative team of Jody Houser and Adriana Melo seek to honor the events of the polarizing series. While also building their own takes on the Gotham City OTP.
The opening half of the series is fantastic, with the raw emotion of Harley and Ivy's uncertain situation being the emotional core of the book. Houser's portrayal of Quinn is similar to a loved one of someone with a terminal illness while still staying true to the classic Harley Quinn persona. Quinn's dread and helplessness are felt throughout the book while never losing track of Harley's larger than life personality.
That being said, while Houser sells a fantastic rendition of Quinn, her characterization of Ivy leaves something to be desired. Ivy's better half is the focus of the issue, objectively getting more attention than her partner in crime/love at the expense of Ivy's agency. Ivy's condition is after all the main focus of drama in the series. It's a shame we don't get to see more of how that affects her internally. While we could use more clarification about Ivy's state of mind, externally, she is given her due to the fantastic art by Melo. Melo's depiction of Ivy's struggle to maintain her form, or isolation in her room help visually inform the audience of Ivy's state of mind.
Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy #1 has its faults but is still an excellent introductory issue when considering the projects' shaky foundations. It successfully builds on what came before it while seeding, pun intended, a promise of new fertile territory for both characters.
B
