Absolute Batman has gone above and beyond reinventing classic villains for a new day and age, but it’s positively broken the mold for Poison Ivy. We all knew that a twisted new take on the iconic plant-themed foe was coming ever since her new design was revealed on various covers for Absolute Batman #17. I’ll admit that I was surprised at the reaction among fans who were quick to critique Poison Ivy’s design, saying it was playing it too safe for a world as messed up as the Absolute Universe.
In the year and a half that Absolute Batman has been around, we’ve seen several of the Dark Knight’s rogues. One of the most consistent parts about them is that they are rarely what they appear to be at first glance. Seriously, just look at the monster that Joker turned out to be, and that took us an entire year to discover. I was certain that the demure Absolute Poison Ivy was hiding something, and let me tell you. The cover does not do Pamela Isley justice in terms of her actual form or her horrifying new powers.
Absolute Poison Ivy is Nightmare Fuel Incarnate
Absolute Batman #17 by Scott Snyder and Eric Canete is told in three parts, two of which focus on Poison Ivy, one set in the past, the other in the present. The past reveals that this world’s Pamela was a prodigy whose research focused on engineering cures for diseases by combining plant and human DNA. But unlike the Prime Poison Ivy, who limited her research to plants, this version expands by researching the effects of combining with the other kingdoms of life. However, sensing profit in Isley’s discoveries, her financiers have her killed and steal her research.
But in the present, Poison Ivy has returned, complete with powers. She takes over a building at the center of Gotham City, contaminating the air with a powerful biological agent. Batman heads into the building, searching for seven missing officers, six of whom have been exposed to the agent. These poor people have been mutated by Ivy’s toxin, transforming into grotesque amalgamations of all walks of life. Batman journeys to the top of the building, facing more morbidly beautiful creations, all of which seem to act as part of a hive mind.
Batman finally reaches the top of the tower, where foliage has completely overtaken the architecture. Like her creations, Ivy doesn’t even register as human anymore and has equally become a combination of the six kingdoms of life. Batman sets fire to the villain, only to discover Ivy has produced several copies of herself. Bruce eventually finds the true Pamela Isley, whose little bit of humanity has been overtaken by plants, fungi, bacteria, and the rest of the kingdoms. Ivy’s body splits and contorts to reveal the true horror of her form, ready to absorb Batman into her kingdom.
Absolute Poison Ivy is So Much More Than Meets the Eye
Poison Ivy is admittedly one of the strongest foes in Batman’s canon. Thanks to her connection to the Green, she has a complete mastery of plant life and has been able to control the minds of people for decades. And while Absolute Poison Ivy has only one true appearance in this series so far, she’s already shown herself to be a serious powerhouse compared to her counterpart. I have no doubt both of them could overtake a building or turn the Gotham police into their willing slaves. But let’s be real, Absolute Poison Ivy is operating on another level.
And the secret is all thanks to Absolute Ivy’s vision. She reached out beyond plant life and broke down the secrets of the four other kingdoms of life to integrate them into humanity. The result has given her a range of incredible powers that are incredibly frightening. Seriously, just look at that image of her, mutated beyond all comprehension. Poison Ivy can be scary sometimes, but this version goes above and beyond. The regular Ivy can sap your will, sure, but the Absolute one can completely remake you into a mindless extension of her twisted ‘seventh kingdom’.
I don’t want to downplay Poison Ivy. She is one of the most badass Batman villains around. But everything is bigger, badder, and scarier in the Absolute Universe. And while a lot of fans were ready to count Absolute Poison Ivy out, the creative team proved the naysayers otherwise with a take that is just as perturbing as she is powerful. I can’t wait to see how Batman’s going to get out of this, because this is quite possibly the most unique Poison Ivy yet, and defeating her is going to take a unique solution.
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