An extreme embodiment of the femme fatale trope (because her kisses make her literally irresistible and she uses her manipulative powers to commit crimes), Poison Ivy may feel like a somewhat outdated and problematic character in light of current gender discourse. Then again, her post-anthropocene sensibility and environmentalist crusade seem completely in tune with the times, given the growing public awareness of looming ecological collapse!
Regardless, today I want to highlight Poison Ivy’s aesthetics… There was always something funky about Pamela Isley’s provocative demeanour and floral clothing style, but her looks have become even cooler since the mid-90s, when artists started drawing her as more of a green-skinned, voluptuous plant-human hybrid. Here are ten beautiful covers that explore the character’s rich visual potential, conveying in different ways (sexy, creepy, funny…) that, when it comes to Poison Ivy, you can look but you’d better not touch.
Number #8 is awesome