Last June, Seattle author G. Willow Wilson released one of the first solo comic book series to feature iconic DC villain Poison Ivy. In just six comic issues, her gritty story of retribution and a learned love for humanity delivered readers a deeper dive into this Batman villain’s plant-wielding ways and her romance with fellow anti-hero Harley Quinn.
Poison Ivy’s limited series took the comic book world by storm, garnering an outpouring of positive reviews and winning a GLAAD award. Most notably, the comic was recently announced as the first permanent, ongoing series for the character.
For Seattle readers, Ivy’s story is especially exciting, due to the character’s strong connections to the city. Local fans can see the city they know and love now in “Poison Ivy Vol. 1: The Virtuous Cycle,” which collects Poison Ivy #1-6. A special edition, “Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #1,” will be available July 4.
Her origin story begins in Seattle and has been alluded to in other books and media, but never explored in depth. As a longtime Seattle resident of 15 years, Wilson decided to bring Ivy home in her new series.
“There are many parts of the city that have particular resonance for me,” Wilson said. “It seemed like an opportunity to highlight Ivy’s connection to this city in very specific ways.”
Readers will see familiar locations illustrated in the comic, such as Pike Place Market, Chinatown International District, Pioneer Square and even the infamous West Seattle Bridge.
It’s not Wilson’s first time making her mark across many literary universes. She has written for well-known comic series such as “Wonder Woman,” “The X-Men,” “Superman,” and is the co-creator of the Hugo and American Book Award-winning series, now on Disney+, “Ms. Marvel.”
Seattle as a culture hub for sustainability and a city on the front lines in the fight for climate justice correlates to Poison Ivy’s motives as well. A beloved fixture in the DC world for over 50 years, Ivy has made her intentions clear as a militantly eco-friendly villain. She wants to save the Earth from destruction by humankind and will go to any lengths to do so.
“We might agree with her motives,” Wilson said. “But not with her methods, which makes for a very compelling villain.”
Ivy’s urgency toward climate change is familiar to Seattle. The city’s climate-conscious communities aren’t afraid to make their voices heard. From the looming closure of the state’s last coal-fired plant to the shiny new sports arena owned by Amazon, named after the global retailer’s climate initiative, the Seattle influence is there in Poison Ivy’s thinking, in her blunt refusal to sugarcoat the immediate threat of climate change.
“If she was here, you would see her at all the protests,” Wilson said, laughing. “You would see her in a lot of those spaces, doing things like guerrilla gardening. She fits in.”
Much of the comic’s success can be attributed to this urgency underlying Poison Ivy’s story. Wilson pitched Poison Ivy during the confluence of both the pandemic and Washington’s fire season.
“It just felt like the end of the world,” Wilson said. “Anybody who has lived through the past several summers in Seattle will know what I’m talking about where it’s 100 degrees and forests are burning.”
She says that her intense emotions of helplessness and rage are reflected in the climate despair at the beginning of Ivy’s journey. Wilson remembers her time in grade school where solutions presented for the climate crisis were changing light bulbs and recycling. She recounts how small that was in comparison to the bigger picture.
“I think a book that is not afraid to say those things — that is not afraid to call out the people who lied and let the world continue to burn, really resonates with people, especially younger generations.”
As a result, a huge segment of readers who have led to the comic’s success doesn’t see Poison Ivy as a villain at all. Wilson says the pandemic and looming climate crisis have created a massive cultural shift, generating timely fan support around a villain who not only forces systemic environmental change but goes after the corporate oligarchs against it.
Wilson clearly does not shy away from darker explorations in this new Poison Ivy comics, but at its heart, the series is about the importance of humanity — and it’s filled with loads of Seattle charm. By the time Ivy reaches Seattle, she experiences a reckoning that causes her to understand that human life is not a mistake and there is a way to save the Earth while still preserving what she loves.
“It’s a journey of self-discovery — a story about love, about revenge,” Wilson said. “And if you like eco-terrorist lesbian body horror, this book is for you.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that “Poison Ivy Vol. 1: The Virtuous Cycle” is not the first time Seattle has been featured in a DC comic.
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