Poison Ivy vol. 2: Unnatural Consumption

Now that she’s free of Jason Woodrue’s dominating presence, Pamela Isely can now turn her attention towards the things that really interest her.  Like dishing out an appropriate comeuppance to those who would exploit the Earth (and their workforce), such as Beatrice Crawley, the current CEO of FutureGas.  Except that Ms. Crawley may have a surprise or two up her sleeve that will cause Pam to rely on help from a most unexpected source.  Then it’s time to reconnect with her BFF&GF Harley Quinn before a cross-country trip from Seattle to Gotham has her crossing paths with a wellness guru who is definitely not modeled after the actress who played Pepper Potts in the MCU.  This guru is trying out a new mushroom-based drink at her latest retreat, and ingesting it might reveal something awful:  That Poison Ivy does have a heart after all.

Vol. 1 may not have been everything I was expecting from this mini-turned-ongoing series, but vol. 2 does have more to recommend it.  It feels like writer G. Willow Wilson is having more fun here as she turns Ivy into a proper antihero with a distinct agenda against the worst of corporate America.  It’s fun to see her dish out punishment to those who deserve it, and that’s balanced by seeing her struggle in doing it along the way.  She’s a monster, but she’s a monster who’s on our side, and one who’s even capable of a little personal growth along the way.

As well as one who can have some fun too.  Her reunion with Harley is a lot of fun because of how well they work together, and how understanding they are of each other too.  It’s a healthy relationship filled with drugs and no fighting!  Janet From HR is also an enjoyable addition to the cast as her “Normal Human in a Superhero Series Filled With Body Horror” reactions haven’t worn out their welcome yet.

Regular artist Marcio Takara still does a credible job with all of the plant-based action and human drama in the back two-thirds of this volume.  Atagun Ilhan may have just been filling in for him in the first two issues, but I think I like his work here more.  There’s better detail to his characters, specifically their faces, and he’s got a more dynamic style overall.  I hope we’ll see him again in future volumes, much as I hope the story gets more momentum to it than the vague threat of a plant zombie outbreak teased at the end of this volume.  Still, I enjoyed what Wilson, Takara and Ilhan were doing here more than I did before, and that means I’ll be back to see what they’re growing in vol. 3.