Poison Ivy: Thorns
DC Comics new Young Adult novels series looks at the teenage origin stories of various heroes and villains from across their wide range of properties. It is a great idea, combining being a teen with getting to grips with new superpowers or dark villainous urges.
Ivy is one of the villains from the world of Batman. In Thorns we get to read Ivy’s tragic origin story that sets her on the path to becoming Poison Ivy.
Like all well-written villains, we get to see that their motivation is righteous and we can understand their justification. The best villains never see themselves as villains.
Written by Kody Keplinger, bestselling author of The Duff, this is a good, enjoyable read, despite the fact that the characterisations are just a little light on the light side. While motivations are clear, the reader never truly gets to know any of the characters in a way that they can fully relate to. So you leave this book a little colder. It is an enjoyable book but there is no burning desire to go back to that world or the characters again.
The illustrations by Sara Kipin come across as a mix of Bruce Timm’s muted colour pallet from the Batman Animated series and Japanese manga line art. It is obviously going for a gothic style and fits in nicely with the broader Batman world.
Overall an enjoyable read for young adults. You will not be disappointed having read it.
