The Setup: Poison Ivy: The Virtuous Cycle is a riveting graphic novel that reimagines the iconic DC antiheroine, Poison Ivy, in a profoundly introspective and eco-conscious journey of destruction and redemption. Grappling with her sense of purpose and the boundaries of morality, Pamela Isley sets out on a cross-country journey to release a deadly fungal plague, driven by her disillusionment with humanity's environmental destruction and her grief over her fractured relationship with Harley Quinn.

The narrative explores Ivy's duality as a villain and a tragic, sympathetic figure, delving into her motivations and her struggle with guilt, love, and self-identity. Poison Ivy is a complex protagonist whose actions provoke empathy and moral questioning. Themes of environmentalism, personal agency, the consequences of unchecked power and greed, and hope run through it all, making the story not just an engaging but also a thought-provoking commentary on humanity's relationship with nature.

What I Loved: I mean, who doesn't love a villainess character who seems to care more about plants than humans? Especially one who is in love with one of my other favorite villains - Harley Quinn. This graphic novel neatly composes a love letter to Harley Quinn, an introspective on Poison Ivy herself, AND has beautiful graphics filled with color (and gore). I loved the storyline and the constant questioning about humanity and its role in the degradation of this earth (+ being essentially an invasive species) while highlighting humanity's capacity for love and kindness, entwining a duality that I eat up every time. The art was also phenomenal, and I loved the natural aspect of every single page.

I also can't help but love an actual multi-faceted villain. Poison Ivy definitely portrays compassion, but she is murderous and cares more for her nature than humanity, and that's not lost here. This makes her a complex character—one you aren't sure about and tugs on your emotional capacity a bit, which means it is a good story in my mind.

Also, secretly (but not secretly) giggling about the bit when Poison Ivy discusses veganism/vegetarianism.

Why Not 5 Stars? I must admit I was a little confused at parts - I fear I missed something from another part of the universe. There were some flashbacks to places I wasn't sure the arc had been before (but maybe not?). This confusion also led to the beginning to be a bit slow. Sometimes, I also felt that there were so many different Poison Ivy's portrayed, art-wise, such as her physical and facial features. I feel like this may have been on purpose (indicating when she was fighting or just wandering about), but I am not sure, and it also led to some minor confusion.

Lastly, it did come off a little preachy and the author decided to outline everything, meaning there wasn’t a lot of space for the reader to interpret the narrative themselves and instead the author shared with us so much. I think this happens a lot in comics so I didn’t let it sway my review too much.

Regardless, this was a fabulous read and had beautiful artwork. I highly recommend!