Review by Frank Plowright
It’s been a while since there’s been a conventional horror story in Poison Ivy, but the form returns to begin A Death in Marshview. Ivy’s been aware of a presence in the town resurrected from the swamp, and learning of the town’s tragic history she’s now confronted with a remnant in a sorry state. Brian Level adjusts his art to a cruder form when compared with that of regular series artist Marcio Takara, but it’s ideal for the swampy slugfest of the opening two chapters and he switches style effectively when something different is required toward the end and for the final chapter.
Wilson took a potential wrong turn with supporting character Janet in Human Botany, but ended the volume strongly with the suggestion that all was not well with her and Ivy’s friendship. Given how often in the series we’ve seen behavioural change generated via fungal or plant spores, and seen who controls them absolutely, there’s no guarantee than anyone’s entirely the way they would be in another environment. However, the strain hangs a tension over the entire volume.
Because Takara’s art has been so decorative it’s rather the shock to see him also drawing anonymous helmeted and booted Gotham police going about their brutal business. Don’t worry, as seen on the sample art there’s also plenty of the customary beauty. As ever, Arif Prianto’s colours add an extra layer of glamour.
The sample art also shows the return of Peter Undine, perhaps not entirely the villain he was before meeting Ivy. He’s needed for the complex opening situation and his awareness is also useful in what follows. He’s not the only returning character. Wilson needs someone else with super powers, and a nice touch is her creating the new character around someone who had a bit part several volumes back. Futhermore even before shades of grey became a literal feature in the previous volume, Poison Ivy has always been about just that under Wilson, and she’s excellent in introducing shifting priorities requiring awkward allies, with Undine not the only example.
Emotional turmoil is the pervading undercurrent to A Death in Marshview, with Wilson having everyone having their own negative assessment of how Ivy is. More astute readers and those with longer memories will recognise some sources as decidedly hypocritical and some accusations as having foundation, but exaggerated. It leads to an excellently written final chapter in which Ivy can’t see the wood for the trees and a cliffhanger ending. Before then there’s been some excellently conceived vengeance.
Quality and Poison Ivy being constant companions is perhaps no longer so surprising, but neither should it be taken for granted. This is another excellently conceived volume of ongoing growth.
