Review Detail

Let me start with the artwork. This was so beautifully done and I loved every single panel. It really pulled together the gothic horror for Ivy’s villain origin story. I think Sara Kipin did an amazing job on this graphic novel and I hope she works on future works! The story itself was good. Villain origin stories always interest me, and Poison Ivy is no different. This is Ivy at a younger age so she hasn’t really gotten into too much. I do wish there was a little more to it but as this is a graphic novel, you don’t get much detail. However, I think a little more would have really brought this together. It is definitely a good start into Ivy in her younger years before she really takes up her cause.

I really liked how Pamela Isley was portrayed in this. While I know Ivy to be a little more charismatic to get into what she wants, her love for the plants really shows in this book. The parts that I really enjoyed was when Pam was portrayed doing experiments. The glee on her face really showed and I think captured her perfectly. Also, the scene in the park with Brett. Ivy is seductive and while she is younger in this story, it shows how she will manipulate in the future. Other than that, I felt like the other characters were one dimensional and very sterotypical. You have the “good guy” jock who really isn’t, the principal who of course will stand up for the guy and blame the girl, and then Alice. While there was nothing wrong with Alice, there was nothing special about her either? Maybe because Pamela is just so interesting, everyone else fails.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, Poison Ivy: Thorns by Kody Keplinger was a good villain origin story. The artwork was absolutely amazing and Sara Kipin did a fantastic job on really creating the perfect atmosphere and portrayal of Pamela. The story itself was good, even though I felt like a little more would have been beneficial. It shows the start of how Pamela becomes Ivy and there were certain scenes that drove that point. I really liked the depiction of Pamela but everyone else just felt flat and predictable. If you enjoy Poison Ivy and the new DC Comic Graphic Novels, I would highly recommend adding this to your collection.