“Poison Ivy” – Chapter Eight
Artist: Atagun Ilhan
Color Artist: Arif Prianto and Ivan Plascencia
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Review by Fay Clark
After leaving us hanging off a cliff last time, I’m so happy to jump straight back in with Poison Ivy #8. There’s nothing like a Poisonous redhead to start your day off right! Let’s hope Ivy can get out of this mess without being called back to the Green.
Well, that’s a walking Horror Show
I would like to start by saying that I LOVE JANET FROM HR. Everything G. Willow Wilson has done with this character is great. The strongest writing in Poison Ivy #8 for me, comes from the dialogue. The feeling of this issue is very enclosed because Wilson has this knack for making you feel exactly what Ivy’s feeling.
There are only 3 people involved in the plot of this issue, yet it never gets stagnant or boring. You don’t really realize until after you’ve finished reading, and you think about it. In such a short page count, this wonderful writer’s been able to paint such a vivid spectrum of human emotions.
I’ve only known Janet from HR for one issue, but if anything happens to her I’d riot in the streets. You follow along with Ivy as she learns more about this great new character and everything that’s happening with this company. Wilson takes us on a journey and somehow manages to give a lot of information without info-dumping on you. Everything you need is learned through the natural flow of conversation. I can’t wait to see more interactions between one of my new favorite characters, Janet from HR, and one of my all-time favorites, Poison Ivy.
Beautifully Horrific
I never thought that I’d praise the grotesqueness of an image, but here we are. You just can’t not appreciate the talent of Atagun Ilhan. The trippy nature of some of the images is a gift. The imagery’s getting slowly darker over the course of the series, however in the first arc there were some pretty dark moments also. I love the color palette and the fact that it matches so well with Ilhan’s art. Arif Prianto and Ivan Plascencia have done a great job at keeping the tone. The colors are darker in hue, as we are unsure of Ivy’s fate, yet bold enough to remind you that every color can be found in nature.
Conclusion
At this point in the review, it’s clear that my favorite part was Janet from HR. I that we get to see more of her in the coming issues, even if it’s just short snippet updates. Ivy still has a long way to go on her journey and I know she will make it a good one. Everything about her in this series has come from an intellectually stimulating place. She isn’t just a villain and I hope people realize the layers she has as a character, assisted by the fantastic writing style of G. Willow Wilson.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment