Batman Villains in the New 52: Poison Ivy

I wanted to start with my favourite villain Poison Ivy and how the New 52 have changed her. I hope you enjoy this and please share your thoughts on Ivy's change and I'd love to know if you like or not. Next time I'll be covering Harley Quinn, so if that sounds good to you don't miss it.

Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy has been one of Batman's most prominent rouges since 1966 and over the years she has become a plant-obsessed eco-terrorist, but before Flashpoint she became more obsessed with destroying Batman and the New 52 has returned her to roots , no pun intended. Even though she joined the Birds of Prey, an all-female superhero group, and became more of an anti-hero than a villain, she recently returned to her state of villainy when she poisoned the member of her team and forced them into helping her kill those destroying the planet. That story arc hasn't wrapped up yet and it will be interesting to see how her betrayal affects the other members of the Birds of Prey. She also will be playing a major part in Rotworld and it looks as if she will be returning to challenge the Dark Knight in Layman's Detective Comics.

Her costume had changed a lot. It's gone from a sexy one-piece swimsuit made from leaves to a black and green leotard that can sprout plants. I know I make the redesign sound like a bad thing but I actually really like it, it proves that Ivy can still be sexy without showing skin and frankly I love how they have tied Ivy so deeply in with the Green which is something that has been mentioned in the earlier comics but not to this extent. her costume in Swamp Thing looks completely different to the bio-suit in Birds of Prey and Detective Comics, it looks more like the old suit yet instead of being made from leaves its made from wood and Ivy's arm looks as if the Rot has attacked it, but I'm not sure.

In verdict, I love what they've done to Ivy including the eco-terrorist gimmick that Ivy is currently using and the new costume. Yet, I'm still slightly sad Ivy didn't start off as a villain but her time with the Birds of Prey has assured me that Ivy is still bad to the bone. I can't wait to read Layman's upcoming Detective Comics to find out how Ivy fits into it and to also read the conclusion to Ivy's time with the Birds of Prey.

Reboot Rating: A

Recommended Reading: Birds of Prey: Issues #1- #12

I agree with you about Ivy's outfit change being a nice touch. And making her an anti-hero is a bold and admirable move on DC's part. Unfortunately, not much was really done with it. She was on the good side for 8 months I believe and in that time she did little aside for stand in the background, comment in an indifferent fashion, and bash a few heads in (including Black Canary's). There was more potential for Ivy's joining the Bird's of Prey that I feel was untapped. Ivy's struggling between her plant and human halves is her most interesting aspect to me and that hasn't been touched at all in the new 52. I'm hoping that by the time this next story arc for Bird's of Prey concludes we will see a more meaningful side of Ivy than just "I only want to help the plants". Don't get me wrong - I'm fine with her preferring plant to human life and going to great lengths to protect them but I still wish more had been done with her thus far.

@SupBatz: I also wish there was a a lot more done on her new 52 origin, how she gained this bio-suit and the struggle between plants and humans but I think Birds of Prey was meant to explore her relationship with other humans rather than plants, but at the end of this storyline it seems that see really has interest in her plants.

I am really happy with the DCnU Ivy! I really enjoyed her beeing with the Birds of Prey, her interaction with the team was great and it was nice to see another site of her. So I am dissappointed with her betrayal, because I was hoping she would stay on the good side longer, but her actions also make sense for the character. I am curious to see how they will end her run on the book.

The problem is that she hasn't been explored very much like you said, but I think that is a problem that comes with a team-book. So maybe seeing her leaving will give other writers the opportunity to explore her character. So I am looking forward to Detectice Comics #14 and Rotworld, which looks to be some kind of weird future world which shows her as a warrior for the Green (even through her costume there is a little uninspiring, but I think it'll make sense with the story).

I hope they keep her as an anti-hero, because that's the route I wanted for her for so long. The evil villain who is hired for money (like in HUSH and other storylines) just doesn't fit her.

For her new appearance, I LOVE IT! Still sexy, but way more practical and cool looking! My favorite part are her black eyes, but sadly not every artist is drawing them that way :/ Also the suit in action is pretty awesome (saving her teammates from an explosion with this big flower and stopping a train) and make her even more powerful.

So, like russia599, I would also rate her changes with an A!

@russia599: So whats been going on with her? Is she still in Birds of Prey? What does her new suit do that she couldnt do before? So she is connected to the Green or is it just that she admires the green because of the powers she has?

@DEGRAAF: Well now she has left the Birds of Prey and 'died'* at the end of the arc. Her new suit seems to sprout plants without her actually telling them to or pointing at some thing like she used to and her connection to the green is a lot stronger, I'm not exactly sure where or how she got the suit but I think Swamp Thing should explain her connection to the Green a lot more.

@russia599: Thanks. Did she betray the Birds of Prey or just leave and why?

@DEGRAAF: Ivy betrayed them, she did this because well she is truly bad to the bone and uses them to help destroy those who are despoiling the planet.

@russia599: thanks