Batman is known as much for his eclectic list of villains as he is for any of his heroics. Having such interesting antagonists has helped the Dark Knight remain one of the most popular superheroes ever created. In fact, many fans would say the villains are more entertaining than Batman himself.
Such has been the case for Harley Quinn, who has been established in her own right thanks to both animated and live-action adaptations. With her ascent into the mainstream consciousness, Poison Ivy fans are waiting for her to follow in Harley's footsteps. Sure, Ivy is a featured character in the Harley Quinn cartoon, but live action is the real prize.
As of the time of writing, there was no word on Ivy hitting the silver screen. There had been rumors that she would appear in The Batman 2, but that notion has been shot down. Still, I am certain we’ll see her sooner or later, which makes these keys solid investments.
BATMAN #181
Debuting in 1966, Ivy was initially a more campy character that morphed into greatness namely thanks to Batman: The Animated Series. In more recent years, Ivy has become a cultural icon of sorts, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a comic convention without a slew of cosplayers sporting the green bikini and red hair.
It’s no surprise that fans put Batman #181 at the top of their poisonous shopping lists.
WORLD’S FINEST #252
After a handful of appearances throughout the remainder of the Silver Age and into the Bronze Era, Poison Ivy was given a proper origin story in 1978’s World’s Finest #252. As far as collecting, origin tales don’t tend to bring top dollar on the secondary market, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
While flippers will typically shy away from this issue, it’s a treasure for hardcore Ivy fans and a must-have for their long boxes.
BATMAN ADVENTURES: HOLIDAY SPECIAL #1
BTAS breathed new life into several Batman villains. One of the most celebrated is on the cover here, namely Mister Freeze. While it’s easy to sing the praises of Paul Dini and Bruce Timm’s work with Freeze, the reason you’ll want this comic is for the Ivy/Harley Quinn team-up.
Although it does not take place in the main DC timeline, this BTAS adaptation marks the first time the inseparable pair were teamed in a comic.
HARLEY QUINN #3
Another issue to put on your shopping list, this comic featured the first time Ivy appeared in the same panels with her Gotham City Sirens teammates Harley Quinn and Catwoman. This is a team up that fans have been waiting to culminate on the big screen. While there are no rumors of that happening just yet, it should eventually take place, which will impact the collecting potential for Harley Quinn #3.
POISONING THE DCU
As Poison Ivy has gained a larger fan base, she’s been handed a larger spotlight in the comics. Will this translate into more exposure in James Gunn’s vision of the DCU? It would seem likely, especially with Harley Quinn getting more screen time. At some point, I expect we’ll see Ivy join her, and that will be a day her fans will celebrate.
