This is a poison ivy reading list, i started uploading it yesterday but it was alot of writing.
ā¢pink is author note, green is titles, purple is a summery.
ā¢ This is the first appearance of poison ivy.
ā¢ This is the following issue.
ā¢ Ivy once more uses her control over men to take advantage of the board of Wayne Enterprise to give her control over the company.
Detective Comics #534 (1984)
ā¢Ivy has taken over the minds of serval Wayne enterprises executives, using them to turn into her "green ghosts".
Joker's Asylum: Poison Ivy #1 (2008)
ā¢ This, I think, is her best origin story. It is told through the joker but is based on Secret Origins #36, and it's a better development. It gives insight into not only the origin but the motivations and experiences after Woodrue's experiments.
ā¢ This comic is split into two parts Green lantern, then Poison Ivy. The poison ivy section follows her getting interviewed from prison about her past.
Batman: Shadow of the Bat Annual #3 (1995)
ā¢Following the start of Batman's career Bruce has now been working as Batman for the past year. This story works as a first meeting between poison ivy and Batman, with some glimpses into the past.
ā¢The events of this series directly lead into Batman: Legacy and Batman: Cataclysm, which itself leads into Batman: No Man's Land. No man's land will be relevant to Ivy and will be the next section. I'm going to do a slightly backwards order with Contagion starting slightly after the event then working back into them. This is to prioritise Ivy's backstory while also following timelines.
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #56 (1996)
ā¢More of a look into Ivy's and why she is the way she is. This story is more to do with laced weed.
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #57 (1996)
ā¢More insight to woodrue. Woodrue is behind the altered weed going around Gotham.
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #58 (1996)
ā¢Ivy takes over Batman having him fight woodrue.
(Something tells me Alan Grant did not like weed)
ā¢There has been a virus out break in Gotham city and Batman has tasked Ivy to administer the cure.
ā¢This is continued from AZRAEL (1995-2003) #15. Robin, Nightwing and the Huntress try to suppress rioters as panic over the Clench virus spreads throughGotham City.
(The art style reminds me of long Halloween, which I'd recommend)
Shadow of the Bat #49 (1996)
ā¢This is a continuation of what has happened last in Contagion
Detective Comics #693 (1996)
ā¢There has been a new villain setting gas explosions in Gotham's park, ivy outraged breaks out of Arkham.
Detective Comics #694 (1996)
ā¢Robin and Batman are desperately trying to stop this new villain, Allergent, from detonating a gas bomb in Gotham's park while also attempting to stop Ivy from killing him.
ā¢This occurs after a major earthquake devastates the city, cutting it off from the rest of the world. So Gotham, isolated, is divided up by the criminals.
Batman: Shadow Of The Bat #88 (1999)
ā¢Following the events after the virus and then earthquake, Ivy takes over Gotham's park. Allowing orphans to seek refuge in her gardens, however clayface poses a direct threat.
ā¢Ivy has been trapped by clayface, forced to produced fruit that her orphans are then put to work to collect. So clayface can sell them.
Detective Comics #735 (1999)
ā¢Batman has now freed ivy from clayface, but makes a deal with her that she must produce fruit and veg for the people of Gotham.
Batman: Harley Quinn #1 (1999)
ā¢introduction between harley and ivy in no manās land
Detective Comics #751 & 752 (1992)
ā¢if you want to see more of the park orphans
ā¢This is where hush (2002) comes in. Ivy is not relevant in hush and doesn't really play a part, however hush is relevant to most comic runs at this time and later.
Batman Gotham Knights #60 (2004)
ā¢Clayface has made another return, this time posing as Hush.
Batman Gotham Knights #61 (2004)
ā¢Something is wrong with the people of Gotham, although it's quickly realised not everyone is affected. Only those who were once Ivy's orphans, during the event of No man's land, and Ivy takes it upon herself to prevent any more of them dying.
Batman Gotham Knights #62 (2004)
ā¢If Ivy wants to save her orphans she will need Woodrue's research, but he is dead and his research has been taken over.
Batman Gotham Knights #63 (2004)
ā¢The police suspect Ivy is killing the orphans but are unable to detain her. Ivy is determined to return to a nontoxic state full of remorse for her orphans.
Batman: Gotham Knights #64 (2005)
ā¢Ivy wants to be rid of her poisonous abilities with batman's help while hush wants her to remain as she is.
Batman: Gotham Knights #65 (2005)
ā¢Ivy is presumably 'cured' she meets with Jason woodrue who is then shot. Hush is then squabbling over her and she turns herself back into Ivy but dies?
(This series over all is quite honestly poorly written)
Batman: Harley and Ivy #1, #2 & #3 (2004)
ā¢Fun little three part series following Ivy and Harley
ā¢Gotham girls is a short series that serves to introduce Catwoman (#1), ivy (#2), Harley (#3), Montoya (#4) and batgirl (#5).
(This was also a tv series spanning 2000 to 2002 following the women of Gotham)
Batman / Poison Ivy: Cast Shadows #1 (2004)
ā¢This story focuses on a investigation to Ivy like murders, however Ivy is struggling with light being blocked out of her Arkham cell. When learning about the poisoned victims Ivy offers to help Batman.
Battle for the cowl/ sirens
Batman: Battle for the Cowl - The Underground #1
ā¢Ivy, with other villains that have been broken out of Arkham, is being made to work for black. Eventually running into The riddler, Harley and then catwoman. This lays the ground for Gotham city sirens.
(This is just before final crisis)
This follows the events of the after math of Batman R.I.P
Context behind catwoman and Black mask would follow catwoman vol 3 #52 (2006)
Countdown to final crisis(2007-2008)
Final crisis directly follows on from the conclusion of the last issue #52. Ivy is present in #36-37 but doesn't really play a significant role.
Ivy does not have a role in final crisis. Final crisis follows Darkseid's attempt to conquer all of reality and enslave humanity
Gotham city sirens (2009-2011)
ā¢This is a 26 issued series following poison ivy, Harley Quinn and catwoman. however, catwoman is more of the lead and a lot of context is specific to her.
Catwoman, her sisters keeper (1989) this is a catwoman origin and an introduction to sister maggie and holly
catwoman series (2006), the whole series would be useful here for catwoman and black mask
Battle of the cowl (2009)
Batman has 'died' after the events of final crisis and Batman:RIP
The "New 52" is a reset in the DC timeline. During this time, characters have been refreshed and remodeled to fit into new stories and plots. This happened in 2011, and ended in 2015 to give way to the "DC rebirth", which restored DC to a prior point.
Birds of Prey Vol. 1: Trouble in Mind (2012)
ā¢I had originally assumed ivy was going to be the main villain in this but she's actually been asked to join the birds of prey due to her background in chemistry and toxology. The birds of prey are being targeted by assassins called āthe cleaners'
Birds of Prey Vol. 2: Your Kiss Might Kill (2012)
ā¢Issue #9 is a Night of the Owls tie-in. The court of owls and over watching Gotham while the birds of prey bring an injured poison ivy to the Amazon.
Extra reading: Batman: Night of the Owls (2012)
Detective Comics Vol. 2 #14 (2013)
ā¢Ivy breaks clayface out of Arkham to use him as muscle while manipulating him.
(This is a Tie in with birds of prey and takes place after the Night of the Owls.)
Detective Comics Vol. 2 #15
ā¢Ivy is buried alive after penguin wants her dead while Batman is fighting clayface who believes Ivy is his 'wife'.
(A 'DEATH OF A FAMILY" tie in)
Detective Comics #23.1 Poison Ivy
ā¢This is where her backstory gets changed
(although not really acknowledged much after we move past new 52 the widely accepted backstory with woodrue is once more canon)
Batgirl and the Birds of Prey Vol. 2: Source Code
ā¢Ivy takes up her role as an ally to the birds of prey again along with cat woman
Batgirl and the Birds of Prey Vol. 3: Full Circle
ā¢The birds of prey and going a villain named calculator
Ivy is accidentally killed by Wally West, revealed in #2. then is brought back.
Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy (2019-2020)
ā¢This is a shorter 6 issued series following ivy's rebirth after Heroes in Crisis. Harley and ivy are working together to try and rebuild themselves. However after her rebirth Ivy is struggling to keep control of herself. It works well to smooth out the plot points in Heroes in Crisis and is a decent story.
There is a recap in Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy of heroās in crisis so donāt need to read it
Batman Secret Files: The Gardener #1
ā¢This is an introduction to gardener and Ivy's relationship, they are ex girlfriends from college. It also gives a further look into woodrue's manipulation and grooming.
Batman: fear state alpha (2022)
ā¢Ivy has taken the form of 'queen Ivy'. while Gardner, Harley and miracle molly seek refuge
Poison ivy (2023-present)
Poison Ivy Vol. 1: Unethical Consumption
ā¢Ivy is still weak after being regenerated and has developed a fungal condition. The first volume focuses on her struggle with her humanity but also her autonomy as a result of what woodrue has done, she cannot escape him. However she does not let this eat at her instead turning around the roles.
ā¢ Vol. 2: Unethical Consumption
ā¢ Vol. 3: Mourning Sickness
ā¢ Vol. 4: Origins of Species
