Batman seeks the help of Poison Ivy to find a cure for the infection released by Mr. Freeze last issue. But members of the sinister Blackhawks are hunting Poison Ivy to stop her from producing anymore infections or cure from an old tree that olds many secrets about life. Who will Batman side with?

Scott Snyder continues his decent into an ethereal Batman who in the words of colleague Leroy Douresseau, challenges the Dark Knight Batman established by Frank Miller in the 1980s. This Batman is not brooding He is literary and just like the story with Freeze, Poison Ivy’s story is narrated and performed in the comic side by side while the actual fight centres on the intellectual debate that persists within Batman. How can he save the day when he relies so much on his opponents to do the right thing?

This is not the all-knowing Batman. He is a detective and does uses tricks to get his way with Poison Ivy, much like he did with Freeze. The resolution of this story not confusing as the one with Freeze. It’s a good thing.

Tula Lotay delivers the visual part of this ethereal story effectively with overprinted colours that bleed upon others, much like the infections that Poison Ivy is wrestling with. Instead of green overpowering the pages, it is reds and oranges that give a warm colour but also highlight the desert where the villainess has sought refuge in. As for he figures, Lotay gives us 1960s-inspired gems with simple lines and deep shadows playing a game of light and dark with the page.
Rating: 10/10

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