I've always thought that the Batman villain Poison Ivy is more sympathetic than not, devoting her life to taking care of plants and the environment, even if she doesn't care much about the human cost. In a brand-new variant cover for her solo series, she's showing how seriously she takes her goals, cradling a whole human skull (with spine still attached) in her palm.

Having recently died and been resurrected, Poison Ivy is on a gentler path, accepting that there can be a balance between human life and the life of the planet. She had even acquired a gentler code name, the "Green Knight," that makes her almost a new member of the Bat Family. But she's still showing a deadly side in new cover art for Poison Ivy #27 by G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara.

This variant cover by Noobovich shows that even when she tries to be more heroic, Poison Ivy is willing to do what it takes to save the environment, no matter who's in her way. She stands tall, with her back to the reader and wearing her classic leafy one-piece, while holding a human skull with its spine still attached. And despite the horror vibes - or maybe because of them - I love her more than ever.

Poison Ivy Has Been a Sympathetic, but Deadly, Villain

Her Recent Anti-Hero Journey Began in Poison Ivy #1 by Wilson and Takara

Like all the best Batman villains, Poison Ivy has many layers to her character. Her relationship with Harley Quinn has shown how loving and fun she can be, in sharp contrast to what a serious femme fatale she can be when trying to achieve her goals. Those goals even come from a good place - protecting the planet, stopping polluters, and letting plant life thrive. However, unlike a similar character, Captain Planet, Poison Ivy hasn't been afraid of killing anyone she sees as being a threat to Mother Earth.

In recent issues of Poison Ivy, Poison Ivy sacrificed herself to stop her own nemesis, Dr. Jason Woodrue. Woodrue was set on releasing spores that would destroy humanity, but Ivy's equal tie to the Green meant she could merge with him and ask it to destroy them both.

After being resurrected in Slaughter Swamp, Poison Ivy added another layer to her already great character: she realized that being green wasn't so black and white. As a 1990s kid, raised on messaging about saving the environment, I always saw the sympathetic side to Poison Ivy. She may have gone too far, but her heart was in the right place. Also, she always looked great, surrounded by flowers, so she was a true feminine inspiration. This new spin on her character means she won't be an eco-terrorist but is still ionate about protecting plant life on Earth.

A Kinder Poison Ivy Still Doesn't Play Around

Poison Ivy #27 Main Cover by Jessica Fong

While Poison Ivy has declared herself to no longer be a supervillain, inspired by the everyday humans she's met who try to save the world, she's still a dangerous woman. It remains to be seen if the Order of the Green Knight, teased in this issue's summary, are inspired by Ivy or if they're an offshoot of Dr. Woodrue's Lamia spores, infecting other people. Given the uncertain nature of Poison Ivy's resurrection, maybe a "shoot" of her broke off in Slaughter Swamp and regrew to take on Ivy's old ways. Whatever the answer, Poison Ivy is always an awesome woman, not to be messed with.

Poison Ivy #27 is available November 6th, 2024 from DC Comics.