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Jyger’s Favourite 5 – 5 Favourite Series From DC’s New 52/DC YOU

Well, the New 52 is just about at its end, with DC Rebirth coming up next week and the last of the New 52 books ending over the course of the next few months. And while the New 52 has become something of a punchline for many fans, let’s not forget the good times that came with it. Let’s be honest with ourselves and admit that there WERE good books, as well as the bad. So, with that in mind, I’ve decided that, before I seriously rag on the New 52 one last time, I should really take a look at some of my favourite comics from this era. Now, keep in mind, these are JUST the ones that I read. I’m well aware of the fact that there were other good comics that came out during the past five years under the DC banner that won’t be on this list. As such, if your favourites aren’t on the list, by all means, feel free to place your own in the comments. Also, keep in mind that there are books that, while good, just weren’t the overall greats of this list. So, books like Justice League, while having arcs I liked, also had a bunch of arcs I DIDN’T like, so they just missed the cut…though I DO have a bonus round for them. lol And, of course, books that are not a part of the main line, like Sensation Comics feat. Wonder Woman don’t count. Why we couldn’t have more books like it and Legends of Wonder Woman in the main line, I dunno, but for now, let’s start with one that’s probably kinda obvious to anyone who’s read my blog for a while

#1 - Superman Unchained

#1 – Superman Unchained

Yeah, not shocking anyone with this pick, I’m sure. Most definitely my favourite of the books starring the New 52 Superman, and it’s one of the reasons I’m actually sad to learn that he’s dying. Yes, he is arguably the most inherently flawed of the mainstream Supermen, but when you have a good writer with a good story writing him, those flaws are used in good ways. We see how this Superman is still an inspirational figure in spite of these flaws by never giving up and continuously trying to do the best he can for the world. So yeah, while I’m obviously overjoyed to see the pre-Flashpoint Superman return to active duty, along with his wife and son, there will always be a little part of me that gets nostalgic for the Superman who didn’t always get it right, but nonetheless kept trying his best, for truth and justice.

#2 - Batgirl

#2 – Batgirl

I actually feel bad because I initially was unwilling to give this book a try. Why? Because they’d seemingly undone Babs’ past as Oracle as a means to make her Batgirl again, thus taking the position away from Stephanie Brown, who was nowhere to be seen for a long time. But while all that is true, I can’t deny that this book has had some great moments. Granted, I HATED the Batgirl Wanted arc, and Black Canary’s characterization in the beginning of the Stewart/Fletcher era rubbed me the wrong way, but the rest of it has been highly enjoyable. Some of my favourite moments are probably Alysia’s wedding, the end of the Simone era when Babs called in damned near EVERY superheroine on Earth, ALL of her annuals, the tie-in to Future’s End, that time she and Strix took on vampires, it’s just been a hell of a ride, and I hope that the next volume is just as fun.

#3 - Justice League United

#3 – Justice League United

For those that never read this book, I’ll keep the recap brief: Shortly after the collapse of the government sanctioned JLA, which was secretly meant as a fail-safe against the Justice League, three of its members, Stargirl, Martian Manhunter, and Green Arrow, found themselves teaming with Supergirl, Adam and Alanna Strange, Animal Man, and newcomer Equinox, to form a new Justice League: the Justice League United, set up in Canada, and meant to protect the world from extraterrestrial and paranormal threats. Of course, right off the bat, I was excited, since…well, do you know how long I waited for my country to get their own Justice League? Was awesome. But beyond that, getting to see some of the character interactions without the dread present in the JLA book that came before it was great too (Green Arrow and Animal Man playing off each other made for some decent comedy), and there was a lot of more traditional superheroing. In the later stages of the book’s existence, the team began rotating members in and out in order to deal with different situations, regardless of which side of the law they were on. Anyone from Batgirl to Poison Ivy, Swamp Thing to Vandal Savage, and so on could be brought in depending on what the situation called for. Unfortunately, this didn’t last long before the book’s cancellation, but the JLU has since appeared during the Truth story-arc in the Superman books, giving me hope that they’ll one day return to action.

#4 - Convergence

#4 – Convergence

I should probably note that, when I say Convergence is a favourite of mine, I’m not talking about the main series. This is primarily because…well, I didn’t read it, and from what I’ve read, there’s not really much of anything that good, other than the restoration of the Multiverse. Oh, there’s some stuff involving the New 52 version of Earth 2, but unfortunately, that’s been a SERIOUSLY mixed bag. You wanna know more about that, go check out the blog Helena Wayne Huntress for more details. But no, what I’m referring to as one of my favourites of the New 52 is all the tie-in stuff. Granted, that could be seen as cheating for one simple reason: IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE NEW 52. The Convergence tie-ins are about giving resolution to stories that happened before the New 52, letting the heroes of ages past get one last hurrah, and even setting up for maybe a few of them to return later on. And they’re all awesome! Nightwing and Oracle get married and kick ass (not necessarily in that order, lol), Lian is brought back to life, Stephanie Brown suits up as Batgirl again, Lois and Clark have a child, the JSA return, it’s all amazing! Hell, even Scott freaking Lobdell turns in a good Blue Beetle book! I didn’t even think it was possible for him to put out anything of quality, but I guess mathematically speaking, it had to happen EVENTUALLY.

#5 - Batman

#5 – Batman

…Yyyeeeaaaahh, suppose this isn’t much of a surprise to anyone. lol While I wasn’t a fan of the story where Jim Gordon was Batman, and I found Joker to be WAY over the top in terms of unstoppable villainy is concerned, it’s really hard to not consider this book one the best of the past five years. Snyder and Capullo have simply been on fire for this era, and it’s sad to know that, at least for a while, that team of theirs is over. Although as hard as it is for me and other readers, I gotta imagine it’s even harder for them. But yeah, you guys should all know all of my favourite moments from this book, and if you don’t, I made a list of them just before the Superheavy story-arc. Point is, if you’re a Batman fan and you’ve been avoiding this book for the New 52 branding, don’t. It’s at least worth your time to check out.

So those are my favourite books of the New 52 in terms of overall quality. And now, the bonus round for all the arcs of books that I liked.

Worlds' Finest

Worlds’ Finest

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Huntress and Power Girl fighting a giant Irradiated Man in a Japanese harbour! All it needed was for Godzilla and Dragonzord to show up to make it the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen! XD

Justice League

Justice League

…Not to self: Review Darkseid War once the entire storyline is finished. It is easily my favourite story of the New 52 Justice League. Also, I thought Origin worked as an introduction to this new timeline, and the Amazo Virus was pretty awesome, too, and marked the point in which Geoff Johns finally found his groove with writing Wonder Woman’s character.

Batman/Superman

Batman/Superman

Cross World was great, and presented one of my all-time favourite images of Wonder Woman, and the stuff with Mongol and Toymaster is admittedly dumb fun that resolved in an awesome team-up involving Supergirl, Batgirl, Steel, Red Hood, and Krypto.

Batwoman

Batwoman

Y’know, DC, right after the engagement, I was totally gonna stick with this book. Then you called it off, the creative team left as a result, and then you did the stupid vampire thing. Just saying, you had a great thing gift-wrapped for you. I sincerely hope, though, that since Rebirth is apparently nixing the whole heroes-can’t-be-married thing, with the old Superman who is married to Lois Lane being back and Aquaman and Mera being engaged, that Batwoman finally is allowed to get married in Detective Comics.

Talon

Talon

Ultimately proved to be hit and miss, but I liked it for the most part. Could’ve done without Casey being damned near torn apart, but watching her make her badass comeback with a cybernetic arm-cannon was awesome. I mean, yeah, it’s another case of extreme violence against women in a comic, but it’s hard not to watch her in the hospital bed right after losing her arm and eye and not grin ear-to-ear when she’s still being like “Aw, fuck it, just put a giant arm-cannon on me, and I’ll fuck these guys up! And Calvin, you better make sure you haven’t completely screwed things up by the time I show up, or your ass is grass!” XD

Nightwing

Nightwing

I unfortunately can’t really justify putting Nightwing on the top 5, but that’s less to do with the quality of the stories told in it and more to do with the constantly changing status quo that was really only a thing strictly because of stuff happening in the other Bat Family books before ending due to events in Forever Evil. Oh, and as a side-note, SO glad to see that Nightwing is in blue again, but not sure where this is going with him as a member of the Court (or Parliament, I guess) of Owls.

Supergirl

Supergirl

I can’t say enough how much I adored the team-up with Power Girl. Was just great.

Starfire

Starfire

I feel like I MIGHT’VE put this on the list if I’d read through the entire thing and it didn’t delve into the cheesecake quite as much as it did, soooo…Eh, call it sixth, I guess. lol

Earth 2

Earth 2

Again, DC, you had me right up until Evil Superman working for Darkseid, and Thomas Wayne as Batman. Then you completely lost me. And THEN you pissed me off with World’s End and the first arc of Earth 2: Society. Seriously, like I said before, go read Helena Wayne Huntress’ blog for more details, but suffice to say, it’s been a MESS, one that I hope gets cleaned up soon. I DO recommend the Tower of Fate arc, though.

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death

Problematic for me personally at times, but still enjoying it, and glad it’s here. 🙂

And that’s all my favourite stuff of the New 52. Like I said before, if you’ve got a book that you really liked from this era that wasn’t on here, by all means, leave your own list in the comments, and be sure to check back in the future when I go over the worst of this era. Ja né!

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death #5 Review #PoisonIvyLeague

Well, it’s once again time to look at the adventures of Doctor Pamela Isley and her adorable plant ba-…Uh, I guess they’re teenagers now. Yeah, this is Poison Ivy #5.

So, right off the bat, let’s get this out of the way: I wasn’t exactly blown away by this issue. It didn’t piss me off like, say, issue 3 did, but it wasn’t really anything outstanding. We see the babies have grown into teenagers since their genetics are making them age faster than humans, and naturally, as all mutant teens are wont to do, they decide to sneak out one night so they can see the world outside their home. Nothing really wrong with that plot for this issue, just that I’ve seen it done before, and nothing about this scenario really grabbed me as anything different…well, save for one point: Ivy. See, the stuff with the teenagers is all stuff I’ve seen before in other stories. However, through thought balloons and body language, it’s pretty clear to me that Ivy is now realizing that she didn’t think this plan all the way through. While we’ve seen her in a protective and sort-of maternal scenario before, this is her quite literally being a mother, something that is completely new to her. And, as any first-time parent does, she makes mistakes and acknowledges that maybe she didn’t think everything through. To be fair, though, she probably wasn’t planning to keep three teenagers in that one loft and might’ve had long-term plans to move them to someplace at least a little bigger while teaching them over a longer course of time how important it was not to draw attention to themselves. So yeah, everything’s accelerated faster than she had plans for, and she hasn’t had the time to get everything squared away right…and it was right after realizing this that I came to the conclusion that that’s not just a problem for Ivy, but for this story in general.

This story is a 6-issue miniseries that is tackling multiple plot threads all at once: The murder mystery, the kids’ development, Ivy’s issues with becoming a mother, as well as looking at her own sense of morality and stability, the incorporation of Darshan and the other two Gotham City Sirens as side-characters, and so on. Y’know, I’d heard people suggest that Swamp Thing or Batman were going to cameo in this book, and honestly, while it’d be awesome to see either one (I actually thought for sure that’s where we were heading with this issue, in that Batman would have a little chat with Ivy about what’s going on), I feel like it’d bog the story down even more. Even if this was only a 12-issue miniseries, it could STILL manage to balance out and take more time with each of these plots one by one. Instead, because this all has to be resolved in 6 issues, it feels incredibly rushed and crammed in. And you can’t even say “Well, maybe some of these plot threads should’ve been dropped”, since other than maybe not including Selina and Harley, or perhaps dropping Darshan, all of the other plots tie together in a way that, when you take one away, the rest feels a bit hollow. And in regards to the other characters, I’d HATE to drop any of them. The problem is not the story or how many plots are going on at once, but the lack of time given for each one. As such, when Ivy has killed three people so far in this book and then tells the kids “No casualties”, you’re left wondering when she circled back around to the conclusion that killing is bad.

Yeah, and thank GOD Darshan's a decent human being, because there's a lot of ways them grabbing him could've gone that would've increased the already apparent ick-factor with these girls to ASTRONOMICAL levels. ><

Yeah, and thank GOD Darshan’s a decent human being, because there’s a lot of ways them grabbing him could’ve gone that would’ve increased the already apparent ick-factor with these girls to ASTRONOMICAL levels…Seriously, is anyone else bothered that we went from adorable toddlers to oversexualized teens so quickly? o.O

 

That said, I wanna make it clear that I DO understand why it’s only 6 issues. To be completely blunt, name one person at DC who had any say in what goes on and what makes it to print who wanted to put out a Poison Ivy book before the demand for it started. Now, while I can’t say that for a fact, and of course someone could pipe up and say they wanted to do so NOW, my guess is that the answer to this question is zero. And I’m not even saying that as any kind of negative comment toward DC. I’m just saying, no one in charge had it in their minds to do it. People who work for them probably did, but when it came to anyone who could actually give the green light for that? Notta. Then the Poison Ivy League started making a bit more noise, and when people like MTV started giving us attention, that’s when they said “Okay, we’ll do a Poison Ivy book”. However, while they were willing to do so, we’ve seen cases in the past (particularly during the New 52) where characters outside of the norm that people would expect to see have their own books get their own books but then be cancelled rather quickly due to low sales. So, I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility, nor as anything unreasonable, for them to decide to do a miniseries, and after that, if demand is still high, and the mini sold well, THEN they’ll do a monthly. So, for those wondering why we haven’t seen solicits for a Poison Ivy book as part of DC Rebirth, the reason is likely because they’re waiting for all six issues (and probably the trade, since there are people who simply cannot or will not get the individual issues) to be released and sold and then look at how they did before announcing anything, so don’t be surprised if we don’t get a full monthly until sometime next year.

So, that’s the situation. I get why it’s a 6-issue mini, and why we couldn’t get a full series right away, and how there was really no way to do this story under these conditions that wouldn’t result in this or any other sort of problem with the book. And I’m not pointing fingers at anybody for any issues with the book, either. Everybody, from Amy Chu, to the Manns, to everybody else that has had a hand with the book, I am perfectly willing to give the benefit of the doubt to and suggest they’re all at least TRYING to make this work. And it IS still an enjoyable story, despite these flaws, and I’m looking forward to the climax, albeit with a bit of fear as to how they decide to wrap this up. I’m just saying that it’s unfortunate that the current situation is preventing it from being even better. But, as the old saying goes, beggars can’t be choosers, and there WAS a lot of begging for this book.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on this issue. Got a different opinion? Feel free to leave it in the comments below, and let’s hope the final issue next month proves to be a satisfying conclusion…especially since it’s the last individual comic I’ll be buying regularly, since I’m switching over to the trades to save money. Ja né!

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death #5 Preview #PoisonIvyLeague

Yeesh, and I thought I had it rough with my niece turning 12 today. o.O Anyway, here are the preview pages for Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death #5.

  • Trouble is brewing as Poison Ivy’s sporelings discover their powers and spread their wings, causing mayhem across Gotham City! Plus, a murderer-mastermind is revealed in this penultimate chapter of Life and Death!

http://comicvine.gamespot.com/articles/exclusive-preview-poison-ivy-cycle-of-life-and-dea/1100-155468/

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death #3 Review #PoisonIvyLeague

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everybody! And in the spirit of green, we got a Poison Ivy comic review, and…well… … … …Pinkie Pie, you wanna field this one?

Thank you. Look, I know I’m gonna get a lot of people angry at me, but overall…I have to say that this comic left me feeling not so great. That’s not to say there aren’t good things still present with this comic, but…well, let’s just get into it. Here are my thoughts on Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death #3. And please keep in mind, these are just MY thoughts, so it could very well be that the problem is simply me, I don’t argue that at all.

So, lemme just start off by saying that I personally find the babies kinda adorable. I know some people disagree, but I think they’re cute. I don’t know why, I just do. I’m kinda worried we’re gonna see them eventually die and/or turn heel, though. It feels like that’d be the most likely scenario in the end, and I’d much rather they not go down that avenue. However, I will say exactly why I feel that to be the most likely ending: Because that would otherwise be a great storyline to do for the long-term and see how it affects and changes Pam, and I’m pretty sure that, as of right now, they have no plans to do stories starring Ivy in the immediate future after the end of this mini-series.

But now we gotta talk about something I know is gonna be a hot button subject: Poison Ivy seduces and kills a man from work that was hitting on her a lot, and then feeds him to her plant monsters. And as soon as I was done reading that scene, I thought to myself “I don’t know that I wanna review this comic, because I’m pretty sure I’m gonna piss somebody off, namely a good percentage of the Poison Ivy League”. And this is a group I’ve been supporting for a long time now, advertised on my blog, spotlighted however I could, and now I’m scared that, once people read this, I may need to kiss my membership goodbye. But…at the same time, this is the life I’ve chosen for myself: Writing, blogging, giving my thoughts. And if I held back on how I really felt, you wouldn’t be able to respect me. So, I have to be honest.

I did NOT like watching Poison Ivy kill that guy. Not just that she killed him, but that she then fed him to her plant monsters. I mean, it was when Ivy fed a guy to a plant that I had to call it quits on the Harley Quinn book, and I can’t say that it’s any better here just because I like one book and its creative team better than the other. I get that she is not a superhero. At times, I wish she was, but she’s not. Regardless, this is supposed to be behaviour she’s beyond. At one point in this comic, she talks about how she’d LIKE to kill two detectives (who were freaking morons, by the way), but that she’s turning over a new leaf (pun likely intended). And then 7 pages later (ads not included, and yes, I counted), she kills this guy. There’s having seasonal affective disorder, and then there’s being just plain psychotic and murderous. And yes, this is now at least two people she’s killed, the dog abuser included. And like I said before, comeuppance is one thing, and both people deserved as much. However, this is murder of two people who, while both were utter assholes and just overall terrible people, and one was technically a criminal as animal abuse is illegal, the other one was just a jerk. Why do I make a point of that specifically? Because I can see her breaking her word and killing if she really and truly felt she HAD to, or if the person was a dangerous criminal and she knows the justice system would screw the pooch on dealing with them, because she’s not a hero. But this, as I said last issue, was unnecessary, and comes off as being done either to hammer in the point that she’s not a superhero, or to come off as some kind of power fantasy for those that wish they could do something about people like this. And keep in mind, I said PEOPLE, not MEN. The fact that they’re men and she’s a woman? Has absolutely nothing to do with this. If either side had their genders reversed, or both, wouldn’t change a damned thing. So if you disagree with my opinions, that’s fine, I fully expect people to. But don’t ANYONE come at me saying that I don’t like this because of my gender or the genders of the characters involved.

So, does this mean I officially hate this series and am not buying anymore?…No. I thought this one issue was problematic at best, I have concerns for the series overall, but things can still turn around, and I wanna have faith that it will. And frankly, if I abandoned the book at the first sign of trouble, after I and so many others yelled from the rooftops for DC to make this happen, then they’d never give us anything we demand ever again. Plus, I’m interested to see where this goes with the ending, with Catwoman showing up and knowing the two will team up next issue, as well as Darshan finding out about all of this. And hey, I’m still legit curious to know the answer to the mystery and who is responsible for what’s going on. So I’m gonna stick with it. Just letting you know, though, when issue 6 comes out, I WILL be giving my thoughts on the series overall, and if I feel generally negatively about it in the end, I’ll tell you and I’ll say exactly why that is. I just hope for the sake of myself and everyone that wanted this book and all but begged for it that I feel generally positive about the book.

Anyway, those are my thoughts in general. Again, agree, disagree, go ahead. Just remember this, though: I am not someone that went into this book expecting and wanting to hate it. I wanted this as much as anybody, and I remain optimistic about the series for now. Ja né!

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death #3 Preview #PoisonIvyLeague

Aww, they’re so adorable! ❤ …50 bucks says they turn evil and/or die by the end. lol Here’s the preview for Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death #3.

  • As the murder investigation at the lab deepens, a new surprise awaits Poison Ivy in the form of the growing hatched sporelings! As these new lifeforms test the limits of their power, will they soon outgrow the need for their creator?

http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/poison-ivy-cycle-of-life-and-death-3-dc-comics-2016

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death #2 Review #PoisonIvyLeague

…So yeah, this is kinda late. lol My fault, I hadn’t been uptown for a bit, so I wasn’t able to grab my copy. Regardless, I have it now, so let’s go over my thoughts regarding Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death #2.

So, as anyone who read last issue knows, we’ve got a murder mystery. And, as is typically a good move in murder mysteries, a lot of this issue sets up the most likely candidate for who the murderer is…and then ends with them being the newest victim. So yeah, not gonna lie, I’m not 100% sure I know who the killer is, which is good, because I don’t wanna be a mere two issues and know how it’s gonna end. With that said, I REALLY hope the character of Darshan is innocent as he seems to be, because I find myself really sympathizing with his situation. I’m also interested to see where they go with what Ivy’s been working on, although I hope for her sake that it doesn’t end up going where I think it is. And, of course, as always, Ivy is a delight to read. There’s just something about how unapologetically confident she is in herself and what she believes in…Well, minus one point.

As it pertains to the cons of this issue, I REALLY didn’t need to see her killing the dog abuser. He needed some kind of comeuppance, no doubt, but Ivy killing him seemed kinda forced, as if to hammer it home that she’s not a superhero. Just came off as completely unnecessary. And while it is nice to see her in a costume that kinda harkens back to her old days, I gotta admit, I’m gonna miss her New 52 costume. And no, it’s not because it covered her up more. It’s just, for situations where she’s shown in a more positive light and oftentimes working with the heroes, it looked like a superhero costume. Again, kinda feels like they’re trying to make it clear she’s NOT a superhero. And granted, she’s more of a neutral, all things considered, and it could just be me wanting to see her eventually transition into being a superhero, but it’s just a little distracting to me.

Speaking of distracting, that brings me to an issue some people are having with this book: The artwork, specifically whether or not Clay Mann is showing Ivy off a bit too much and if Ivy is designed far too much to favour the male gaze. And I’m just gonna say this right now, to make my opinion as clear as I can: I’ve seen WAY worse. I mean, do you people even REMEMBER how the New 52 started? If you don’t, allow me to jog your memory. It had…

And…

And…

And…

And…

And…

And…

And…

…Please, dear God, don’t let Rebirth be a repeat of some of the crap we’ve gotten in the New 52. Just a little less female objectification and a lot less dark and dire stories…Oh yeah, I’m supposed to be giving my thoughts on that, aren’t I? Yeah, should probably do that pretty soon.

But yeah, overall, still enjoying this book, and can’t wait to see where it goes from here. Leave your own thoughts below, and be sure to check back in next month when I review issue 3…Hopefully, a little more on time than this one. lol Ja né!

Poison Ivy: Cycle Of Life And Death #2 Preview #PoisonIvyLeague

…Okay, why are some of the commentors bringing up her yoga pants like they’re a creation of the devil or something? lol Whatever, here’s the preview for Poison Ivy #2.

  • Murder in the lab! As the police investigate the death of her mentor, Dr. Pamela Isley suspects poisoning! But by whom, and why? Before the cops suspect her alter ego, Poison Ivy, Pam needs to find the true murderer. Meanwhile, her DNA experiments are about to pay off!

http://www.avclub.com/article/exclusive-dc-preview-poison-ivy-gets-caught-plant–232261

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death #1 Review #PoisonIvyLeague

Sorry this is coming out a day late, but it was kind of a busy night. Comics to read, fundraisers to go to, yada yada yada. Regardless, I wanna give my thoughts on Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death #1. Given that I’ve been a member of the Poison Ivy League for quite some time now, I figured I’d go ahead and let everyone know if it met my expectations.

So, this book is awesome. lol I’m sorry, it just is. It does a great job of returning Pam to her…well, for a lack of a better term, ‘roots’, and letting her be Super-Awesome, Super-Sexy, Brilliant Science Woman. And while she doesn’t explicitly kill anyone, she does give a fair amount of assholes trying to have their way a good beating, so there’s plenty of her being a badass, too. She even rides a sweet-ass motorcycle (or crotch rocket, as a friend of mine on Twitter called it), although…maybe it’s just because I watched Batman TAS as a kid, but I always figured her vehicle of choice would be pink. 😛 And yes, for drooling fanboys (and drooling fangirls, let’s be honest, you exist, lol), there is a scene of her naked, although it is…erm, semi-tastefully done. Most of the book, though, focuses on her being a scientist and getting a second chance at working in a legitimate lab without being judged for her criminal behaviour, and while she insists that she’s better off alone, you can tell it’s having a positive influence on her. She is completely in her element here, and it’s a joy to watch.

If I had one minor issue that kinda rubbed me the wrong way, though, and I fully admit that I could be reading too much into this, but it felt like, much in the same way the Harley Quinn book disregards Ivy’s growth as a character, this book seems to neglect Harley’s growth and that she’s been living a life away from Joker and outside his influence for some time now. I get that Harley’s growth occurs in a VERY problematic book, especially for Ivy fans, and for those of us who found the implications at the end of the Harley/PG team-up offensive as all hell, and that continuity between books at DC right now is loose as all hell. However, that just makes me think of a bigger problem. Really, it just annoys me that, while I’m glad the writers are allowed to do whatever stories they want now, the fact that there’s little to no continuity from one book to another just means that the editors have one less job to do that they’re being paid to do and instead have more time to pretend to be writers. Honestly, I just wish we had a solid continuity where everyone was written and treated fairly, and that we didn’t need to have apparently separate universes in order to have a well-written Poison Ivy.

Regardless, though, this book is frigging awesome. Granted, from a story perspective, it’s all pretty much set-up for the rest of the mini-series, but it’s all well-done, with the exception of a character death that I probably would’ve seen coming even without being spoiled by the solicitations. But, it’s still great, I can’t wait to see where Amy Chu goes from here with the book, and I hope that, when it’s over, we get the ongoing solo series we’ve been wanting for years now…although, with said series, might be a good idea to simply call it Poison Ivy. Otherwise, it’s kind of a mouthful. lol

Anyway, those are my thoughts on the book. Lemme know what you think of it, and we’ll see how things go from here on out. Ja né!

Poison Ivy #1 Preview #PoisonIvyLeague

Merry Christmas, Poison Ivy League! 😀 Here’s an early preview of Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death #1!

  • Life. Death. Poison Ivy has power over both. But can she keep her friends and hold down a regular job at the same time? As Dr. Pamela Isley, she joins the prestigious plant sciences department at Gotham Botanical Gardens, but things quickly get complicated when a fellow scientist is murdered and it looks like the work of Ivy. Don’t miss the start of this new 6-issue miniseries!

http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/poison-ivy-cycle-of-life-and-death-1-dc-comics-2016