From Femme Fatale to Misunderstood Anti Hero; The Many Iterations of the Peerless Poison Ivy
The genius of DC Comics is that they’re always finding ways to re-invent the classics.
There may be no better example of this than Poison Ivy. From her Femme Fatale roots to Harley’s ride-or-die partner and the antihero of her own series, life is good for Ivy fans.
So this pod conversation kind of has a story. I don’t usually talk behind-the-scenes with the pod, but it’s so relevant on this one.
It all started when HighlyGinger from Bluesky and I were chatting, and we started talking Poison Ivy. It turned out we’re both huge fans. I mean, I’m a guy who had meeting an Ivy cosplayer on my bucket list until last summer. And Highly Ginger has not only cosplayed as Poison Ivy, but also as Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley the scientist.
This is the thing about Aly—just when I think I can’t have more respect and admiration, there it is. Good times!
Highly Ginger just started the Ivy series (I’m about 25 issues in) and we discuss how it’s pretty wonderful.
We also rank our favorite version of Ivy, which was a nice occasion to discuss how much she’s changed over the years.
One thing I wish I’d made clearer in the discussion: I mention Love Goddess Ivy several times, and I want to clarify that whole reference.
So when I say "Love Goddess" in this discussion, I’m basically saying Ivy is very much coded Aphrodite. DC’s unofficial Queen of Hearts.
But I just want to point out, Aphrodite is goddess of both LOVE and BEAUTY. And as I get older, I increasingly appreciate how much we as humans need beauty to be part of our lives; whether it be through art, music, or through each other.
Aphrodite—and by extension Ivy—are best summarized in the words of the immortal poet John Keats: "A thing of beauty is a joy forever"
It’s the opening line of the poem Endymion, and really conveys how beauty is eternal, a never-ending source of comfort and joy. To Keats (and many others, no doubt) it was that quiet bower of rest for humanity, amid everything else in life.
It's a concept Orson Wells captured perfectly with the story about a lovely red haired woman at the Ferry in Citizen Kane. And Van Morrison’s Madame George does as well (though we’re never told she’s beautiful; just fascinating and unforgettable. With energy that would stop a clock 30 years later).
But yeah. The power of beauty. It should be part of most discussions about Ivy.
It’s not just a tip of the hat to beloved Greek myths.
It’s an acknowledgment that most pantheons had a goddess of love and beauty, and why.
The fact we are made to seek out beauty and let it move through us and move us as well.
As coded Aphrodite, Ivy is often a personification of that timeless reality.
And that’s one of many reasons why she’s the queen.
