REVIEW: Batman #41 (How Ivy Got Her Grove Back or Ivy League Villany)

The Fiendish Felon of Foliage is up to her old tricks again, with a plan to take over the minds of every living thing on the planet. Can Batman stop Poison Ivy before she takes over the Earth?

Cover A

Cover B

Batman # 41
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Mikel Janin
Inker: not listed
Colorist: June Chung
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Cover Artist: Mikel Janin
Variant Cover: Oliver Coipel & Dave Stewart
Editors: James S. Rich
Publisher: DC Comics
What You Need to Know:

Bruce and Selina are sleeping soundly together in their bed, as Pamela Isley (Poison Ivy) speaks to them. Bruce wakes up in an instant and rushes toward the Batcave.

In his feverish state, he tries to subdue Alfred and knock him unconscious. Still hearing the voice of Poison Ivy as he runs to his goal.

Selina is startled awake and comes to find out what happened to Alfred. As she leans in for a Kiss, Bruce shoots her in the neck with a Hypodermic shot, and then himself.

What You’ll Find Out:

This is not good. Poison Ivy has found a way to take control over the minds of everyone on the planet. It seems the Gorillas too. Superman, the Justice League, the President of the United States, Everyone except Bruce and Selina.

With the likes of Superman, and the entire Justice League in her thralls she has truly set a master plan in motion the like that Batman and Catwoman have never seen before!

I’m including a lot more of the art because it’s stunningly beautiful. Especially the colors.
What Just Happened?
Through Alfred, Poison Ivy tells Batman and Catwoman a story about how the Joker tried to beat Superman, by hiding hostages across Metropolis in Lead lined Boxes. Superman simply found them by looking just where he could not see anything and managed to beat the Joker. Isley, tells them that since these two are the only two that are not under her control, that this is just the same, and she found these two by seeing where she had no control. Batman has heard enough an tries to Knock out poor Alfred once again, but his punch connects with the skull of Barry Allen, the Flash!

Poison Ivy goes on to tell them that since she controls the Green, she is now in control of 7.6 Billion people, and she has everything she could want. She knows Batman’s secret identity and seems quite nonchalant about that, but she continues to deduce his antidote but tells him that while the antidote prevents the mind control, there is no known way to reverse the effects that she knows of. All the World will be forever in her control.

Batman and Catwoman have a real problem ahead of them, and they are the only ones who can save the world.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Final Thought:

A short story that happens kind of quickly with little explanation. Not a bad one by any means, but it left me a bit thirsty for a bit more exposition. The art is truly amazing! The pencils and the colors are on point here and this is a very visual issue. I recommend getting it and just looking at the beautifully rendered scenes of Ivy and the characters. The colorist June Chung and the Artist Mikel Janin really shine in this issue. This is a bit light on plot, but it’s the first part of a larger story, it still manages to hit all of the notes, and is part of the newest theme that we are seeing of Batman and Catwoman vs the world. I hope that you enjoy this one as much as I did, and my rating is just due to not enough story that left me wanting a bit more.

Subscribe to us on YouTube, Follow us on Twitter, and Like us on Facebook!

Join our Age of Social Media Network consisting of X-Men, Marvel, DC, Superhero and Action Movies, Anime, Indie Comics, and numerous fan pages. Interested in becoming a member? Join us by clicking here and pick your favorite group!