Poison Ivy, Vol. 4: Origin of Species

Poison Ivy (2022-) (Collected Editions) #4

by G. Willow Wilson, Marcio Takara (Artist), Haining (Artist)

Take the brilliant yet naïve undergrad Pamela Isley and put her on a collision course with her evil genius of a professor, Doctor Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man, and the seed is planted for Gotham’s environmentalist supervillain to blossom. From award-winning author G. Willow Wilson and acclaimed artists Marcio Takara and Haining comes the definitive origin story of Poison Ivy, finally told in her own words. Collects Poison Ivy #19-24.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Fantasy, Superheroes, Queer, LGBT

168 pages, Hardcover

First published December 3, 2024

About the author

Hugo, World Fantasy and American Book Award-winning author of novels and comics, including THE BIRD KING, INVISIBLE KINGDOM, and ALIF THE UNSEEN. Co-creator of Ms Marvel. Honorary doctor of letters, Rutgers University. I accidentally started a dutch baby baking cult during quarantine. Not very active on here right now, but often found on Twitter.

Reviews

[Bill Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent conclusion to the first 2 years. I really wasn’t expecting the series to be even half decent - I’m so glad I was wrong. The writing, art, and storyline have been thrilling and engaging.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The origin story of Poison Ivy works because she's painted as someone who made a lot of mistakes, which most people can relate to. And she doesn't always do the right thing, sometimes her own doing, sometimes forced. It makes for a very interesting first half of this book. Second half is Poison Ivy and the team in the swamp trying to survive an invasion. Crazy art, awesome moments, and wonderful character banter. I really dug this volume overall.

[Michael Howley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Janet from HR

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Origin of Species wraps up Ivy's fight with Jason Woodrue through the ol' tried-and-true method of a dream-state origin story. And it works! Ivy's origin is fascinating and smartly rendered. No true surprises, but it satisfies all the same and makes me further appreciate Ivy as a complex character.

When Ivy returns to battle, it's in a renewed (and ultra-plantlike) state, though she needs the help of friends far and wide to pull through (Harley's cinematic return to the series is a delight). Origin of Species is a totally satisfying conclusion to G. Willow Wilson's Poison Ivy run...except, wait, I see there's another volume ahead? Huh!

[Liel · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked this one more than the last tbh. on to short stories until i either get back on track or the next volume comes out

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.7 stars

[S.E. Martens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad I stuck around for another volume, after feeling underwhelmed by Mourning Sickness. This is an excellent conclusion to the current story arc and my favorite volume of the current series so far!

First, we see a retelling of Poison Ivy's origins from her POV. This is something Batman comics have certainly done many times before (see the Batman Arkham: Poison Ivy collection for many examples) but I appreciated Wilson's take on it, since she has such a phenomenal grasp on the character.

Then we have the final showdown with Woodrue and the swamp zombies.

I really liked the artwork in this volume, and found Haining's pencils complimented Takara's really well, so that the shift in pencillers wasn't so jarring (for me, at least.) There are some absolutely gorgeous renderings of Ivy and Harley in this one.

There are plenty of dramatic/action packed moments here. Absolutely loved it!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm absolutely adoring this series, and this volume is no exception. Origin of Species gives us both an origin story for Poison Ivy and a conclusion to the arc we've been reading, both of which are incredibly satisfying. There are some really enjoyable twists and turns and great use of side characters. The art is gorgeous as ever. I very much look forward to seeing what this series brings next.

[Bertazzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know the timeline doesn't match but I could swear this Woodrue version sounds disturbingly like Neil Gaiman after the fall.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably tied with the first volume for being the strongest of this run so far. The writing is stellar. The commentary on how the body keeps your trauma, how the earth keeps its exploitation, and basically any and all musings anyone who is at all conscious of our environment has had.

The artwork is stunning, the writing is stunning, beautiful and no notes.

[Roman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Четвертий том Отруйного Плюща завершує сюжет, який Джей Віллов Вілсон розпочала у перших номерах серії, сам том розділений на два сюжети, у першому нам розповідають осучаснений оріджин Памели, а у другому відбувається розв'язка сюжету із зомбі та Флоронік Меном.

Обидва сюжети мені цілком сподобалися, у сюжеті з походженням було цікаво побачити як вдало було інтерговано сучасні додатки у походження Айві, будь то Садівниця з рану Тайніна на Бетсі, чи те, що вона навчалася разом з Алеком Голандом в університеті. В основі сюжету з походженням стоять її стосунки з блискучим викладачем Джейсоном Вудро, в якого Айслі закохується не усвідомлюючи, що він її використовує та до чого в результаті це приведе. Єдиним суперечливим моментом тут, як на мене, тільки є те, що малюнок Такари не завжди підходить для того, щоб малювати звичайних людей.

У другому ж сюжеті відбувається сама сутичка між Айві та Флоронік Меном, в той час, як Крок, Ґранді та Джанет відбуваються від заражених. Такару тут змінила художниця Хайнінґ, чий малюнок мені навіть дуже сподобався, і який вдалося красиво проілюструвати сутичку (нехай і сам дизайн мутованого Флоронік Мена мені не дуже сподобався). З мінусів напевно виділю, що Джанет з Ейчару тут потихеньку перетворюється в надокучливий комік реліф, що поки не критично.

В результаті міз Вілсон дуже добре завершила свою історію, яку тягнула з перших номерів, тут звісно є невеликий кліфгенґер, але якби серія завершилася тут то це питань би не виникло. Також мені подобається як сценаристка працює з Плющихою, тому якщо колись хотіли щось почитати про неї, то повз цю серію однозначно не треба проходити повз. Дуже чекаю на те, що ж буде в наступних номерах.

[Brandon Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume starts with an updated version of Poison Ivy’s origin story. It borrows a fair bit from the Fear State Gardener story which helped kick off this run, and which I’m still frustrated wasn’t collected in the first volume. I do hope it’s setting up a return of that character though. Anyway, it’s actually very good. It further solidifies Woodrue as Poison Ivy’s big bad, and the dynamic is somewhat similar to the Jessica Jones/ Purple Man dynamic set up in part by the tv show. The art by series regular Marcio Takara continues to be beautiful.

The second half is more of a mixed bag. The climax of the series long conflict feels a bit anticlimactic. Ivy’s full cast of side characters and a few more additions ends up sidelining the protagonist, and there’s a bit of an imbalance of ending things with some punctuation and/or catharsis and teasing/ setting up the next thing(s). The art here by Haining is solid for a fill-in artist, but it’s still a bummer that Takara couldn’t illustrate the finale.

[Raül · Rating 4 out of 5]

En els primers tres capítols del volum, en meitat del que sembla l'enèsim enfrontament final amb Jason Woodrue, l'autora fa una pausa en la història principal per contar-nos l'origen de Poison Ivy, centrant-se sobre tot en el paper de Woodrue en eixe origen i la relació entre els dos. En la resta del volum es resol l'enfrontament amb Woodrue. Encara que la història no destaca per l'originalitat de l'argument, el paper dels personatges secundaris i la relació entre ells és un punt fresc i divertit de la història, a més del dibuix espectacular de Takara i Haining i les formidables portades de Jessica Fong.

Com en el volum anterior, s'inclouen alguns extres interessants, com els dissenys de les espectaculars portades de Fong i alguna portada alternativa.


«Soñé que era un árbol
Que creaba energía a partir de la luz de las estrellas
Que sacaba agua de una piedra
Estaba en paz»

«Empezé a pensar en la ley como un obstáculo para la justicia»

[Matt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s Ivy’s final showdown with Woodrew as he attempts to kill Ivy and everyone she loves once and for all.

This was a great ending to this arc. Lots of twists and turns but it stuck the landing.

Killer croc and Solomon Grundy are great characters for comic relief. Wilson somehow writes Grundy amazingly with even his limited vocabulary.

As a big Swamp Thing fan, I love the call backs to Doug Wheelers run with the Grey and even having the event take place in Slaughter Swamp is a nod to Rick Veitch’s run on Swamp Thing.

[FrontalNerdaty · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a while to get going but Wilson’s Poison Ivy feels like it knows what story it wants to tell. The issues leading up to this haven’t been bad but at points it felt a little stagnant. But this volume dives back in to Ivy’s origin and fleshes it out better than ever before.
The statement Ivy makes at the end of the book hopefully sets up where the title is going.

4/5

[Presley Hinkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, this series does not disappoint. As a reader, I really appreciated the deep dive into Pamela's origin story intermixed with our present narrative. Honestly, I don't have much to say here except that I really enjoyed how the characters developed over this issue. Looking forward to the next!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

SHES BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER ILOVE HER

[Alaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janet from HR deserves better.
Very fun arc.

[MannyLikesPie · Rating 4 out of 5]

DC Best ongoing, this was so grand. Everything leads to this wonderful part and there’s still more! Can’t wait for next year for the next trade 😭

[paola · Rating 5 out of 5]

best one so far

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recorrido polo pasado de Pam e boa dosis de Harlivy.

E o debuxo pff é demasiado bonito.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying conclusion to this arc! Although it definitely played it a bit safe. I’ll cross my fingers the next arc is a bit more unpredictable. As for the artwork, some of it was a bit tough to decipher (so many vines!), but it was gorgeous as always.

[rea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5🌟

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the origin story of Ivy. Great ideas and as always such great art

[Jessica Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

A good end to a solid arc! The art remains quality and it was interesting to read Ivy's origin. Loved seeing the Harley, Janet from HR, Killer Croc and Solomon team up at the end. And finally a resolution to the Ivy, Janet from HR and Harley plot line

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love women in stem

[Geo Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUCH A FUN CONCLUSION to the last arc. I love Harley showing up but I need Janet to GO

[Lucille · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/5
Un peu trop focus sur le passé mais j’aime toujours cette série

[Tyler Zamora · Rating 4 out of 5]

For as much as I rave about the new Poison Ivy series written by G. Willow Wilson, there was one thing I felt was always missing from it. That is Pamela’s origin story of course! Now that we finally get it, the series changes some things (like adding a friend and love interest element), while leaving others in tact, but ultimately the writers expand upon Ivy lore in ways a successor story should. Wilson also does a great job at weaving the past into the present as we find out Jason Woodrue (aka Floronic Man) is back from the green grave to wreak havoc on Ivy’s life and ensure that her out of control spores end human life as we know it.

Through her origin story, we find out that Woodrue’s crusade is not just for his benefit, but it’s also personal as he tries to get payback on his most notorious student. By shifting Ivy from aggressor (which she usually is) to victim, it allows the reader to see Pamela in a softer and more empathetic light. It was nice to get to see the more idealistic and naive Pamela. The one who believed a greater good. She’s proof that most villains aren’t born, they’re created, and Pamela’s story is one of betrayal and heartache. Her professor, someone she thought could be trusted, takes advantage of her and leads her down a path of destruction that will irrevocably change her. As if that’s not enough, he also makes sure to follow her around like some creeper stalker on top of it all. This volume of the series is definitely one of growing pains for Pamela. She must also learn to come into her own power, realizing that no man can show her anything about herself that she can’t already discover on her own terms.

I will say, the side characters start to take a slide to the back burner in this issue. Janet from Finance is still lingering around with no motive, other than to disrupt Pam and Harley’s relationship, so I’m still not her biggest fan. She needs a breakthrough to happen quickly or I don’t see the point. I love that Killer Croc and Solomon Grundy make an appearance, but other than brawn, what have they really offered to the story. Harley is the only other character that is somewhat dynamic, but even she is wasted on bit parts and sidekick duties (although she does come to Pamela’s rescue at the end of this volume and it’s cute as heck). Other than that, I think the strongest characters are Ivy herself and Woodrue. And I guess that makes sense since this volume is mainly about them, but still what’s the point of introducing all these characters if the writers aren’t going to utilize them.

Overall this comic was worth the read like all the other Poison Ivy entries. I understand that this issue is a bit slower because it’s more focused on character development and the cat/mouse element between Ivy and Woodrue, but I do think the payoff is worth it for Ivy’s overall story arch. She needed to look in the review mirror to ensure that she knew where she was headed, which I totally respect. The art, like all illustrations for this series, continue to be amazing and on point. Ivy’s final form when she fights Woodrue is absolutely amazing! I can’t say good enough things about how they draw and design Ivy. This series has some of my favorite Ivy looks ever! Her runway alone is worth checking out. Until next issue, pollinate ya later!

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:

Everyone knows that Poison Ivy has a past. You don’t wake up one day and decide you want to become a green eco-terrorist. Well, not usually. Pamela Isley was once an undergrad with great dreams.

She worked under Doctor Jason Woodrue, better known these days as the Floronic Man. Together, these two began to change their stories, but not necessarily for the better, as one proves to be a parasitic organism.

Review:

I knew that at some point, Poison Ivy was going to do a deep dive into Ivy’s backstory. They’ve basically been teasing this for the last three volumes, and that time has finally arrived. It is so much more than I expected, but it perfectly fits the character.

The first half of Poison Ivy Vol. 4 is largely centered on Ivy’s backstory, the good, the bad, and the horrifying. It explains much about how both Ivy and the Floronic Man came to this point. It especially explains why they are at such odds.

The second half of the volume is centered on the present, as Poison Ivy and her unlikely band of allies (Harley, Killer Croc, Janet from HR, and Solomon Grundy) desperately try to survive an invasion in the swamp.

This volume goes a long way in making all the characters seem human. Ivy is a flawed human capable of making mistakes, but she’s trying. Likewise, Janet may be overlooked and relegated to a background character often, but she, too, has emotions, which she lets rise to the surface in this volume.

Unsurprisingly, the artwork in Poison Ivy Vol. 4 is striking, like always. It’s botanical, vibrant, creepy, and unforgettable, all wrapped up into a bundle.

Highlights:
DC Comics
Botanical Horror
Poison Ivy
Harley Quinn Cameo
LGBTQ+

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