Poison Ivy, Vol. 2: Unethical Consumption

Having recovered from the trauma that plagued her in volume 1, Ivy is more her usual self in this collection, which is much more upbeat than its predecessor. It's something of a connecting piece, three stories linking the events of the first volume with the following one, but not reaching any clear conclusion. But along the way, it's a rich portrayal of the character, mellowing Ivy's ecoterrorist tendencies with a more positive portrayal, but not pretending they aren't there.

The two longer stories feature greenwashing and a critique of wellness gurus (just because it's ‘natural' doesn't mean it's good for you...). Neither are particularly strong on their own merits, but both fit in with the theme and are peppered once again with some trippy sequences. Ivy's love of nature comes through in the way this is written, but it also remembers that she is a botanist, often looking at things from a scientist's perspective. In between, there's a one-issue guest appearance by Harley, giving Ivy a boost and setting things up for the next volume.

Despite some middling art in the first two issues, it's all neatly melded together, with themes and personal plot arcs running through what are otherwise episodic stories. Ivy's still more of an anti-hero than a regular one, but this makes it easy to root for her despite her flaws.