Posted in: Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: Batman, dc comics, poison ivy

Even Robin Objects To How DC Comics Portrays Poison Ivy (Spoilers)

The portrayal of Poison Ivy in recent years at DC Comics has been a source of utter fascination for Bleeding Cool. At one point, there was a move from, let's call them, the progressive side, for Poison Ivy to be portrayed as a queer superheroine who sometimes goes too far. An intelligent scientist whose work in pheromones can do humanity a lot of good. She is in a non-monogamous relationship with her partner Harley Quinn, and they do each other a lot of good too. Maybe tempers Poison Ivy's more terrorist streaks. And trying to be a better person.

Then there's the, let's call them, for want of a better word, the conservative side. Who want Poison Ivy as the supervillain she used to be. Fighting Batman and out there murdering for an environmental cause, with admirable aims but with methods that must be stopped by heroes. Split from Harley Quinn (give her a boyfriend), redefined as best (single) friends, maybe make her get back in bed with Batman.

And DC Comics editorial has been divided. Losing a lot of senior editors harmed the conservative side of that argument, as did the success of the Harley Quinn Animated Series, which has Poison Ivy marry Harley Quinn. The comic book continuance of that series was a real surprise success for DC Comics, coming out of a different side of editorial than the usual Batman books.  While the main DC Comics continuity literally split Poison Ivy into two beings to explain the various continuity contradictions.

And now? After recombining Poison Ivy as one person, and back together with Harley Quinn in the Batman: Fear State arc, suddenly they split in up in the main Harley Quinn comic, with a new series by G Willow Wilson and Emma Rios going back to the murdering environmental terrorist version of the character, albeit it one haunted by Harley.

And then there's today's Detective Comics #1050, which is intended to set up the new Batman/Superman: World's Finest series from Mark Waid and Dan Mora. Set at some time in the past, we have Robin actually complain about the way DC Comics refers to her.

Eco-terrorist being a bit reductive. This is Robin speaking directly to the people who are writing her, rather than to Batman and Superman. And the creators speak back.

Not that she's grateful or anything…

UPDATE: Apologies for the misattribution earlier… 

DETECTIVE COMICS #1050 CVR A IRVIN RODRIGUEZ
(W) Mariko Tamaki, Matthew Rosenberg, Mark Waid (A) Ivan Reis, Danny Miki, Fernando Blanco, Dan Mora (CA) Irvin Rodriguez
It's the landmark, oversize issue Detective Comics #1050, and some of the biggest names in comics are here to celebrate the Dark Knight! First up in "The Tower" part four, the villainous force keeping Arkham Tower's patients sedated is at last revealed—and this villain's return is guaranteed to catch you by surprise! It's the dramatic conclusion to act one of Mariko Tamaki's Arkham Tower epic, brought to life by the legendary Ivan Reis! Then, in "House of Gotham" part four, Matthew Rosenberg and Fernando Blanco take us into the seedy underbelly of Gotham's criminal elite through the lens of the original Robin (Dick Grayson), and reveal what it takes for a young man to survive amongst the deadliest killers in the DCU. It's a tour de force of Gotham's vilest villains! Last but not least, making his grand return to the DCU, writer Mark Waid teams with Detective Comics uber-artist Dan Mora to bring you the start of a brand-new day for Batman…and Superman? It's the world's finest collaboration that you'll need to read to believe!
Retail: $5.99 In-Store Date: 01/25/2022

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