JT Krul (writer), Guillem March (art and cover), Rob Leigh (letters)
I’m a person who likes consistency in my life. Without consistency in comics there’s no way to tell in advance how you’ll feel from one issue to the next. This series is a collection of one shots, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating for readers. In spite of that, this is one of few mini-series that somehow improves each week.
JT Krul paints quite a picture of Poison Ivy. The retelling of her origin isn’t forced and isn’t intrusive for vets, yet is very clear for the newcomers. As an Ivy story, it’s more of the same (people who hurt Mother Earth must die) but its tone and style feels very fresh. The way sadistic ways she goes about killing these guys (especially the last one) actually makes me feel sorry for them. Another impressive thing about Krul’s work is how much he makes you root for Ivy. Maybe I’m sick in the head, but I really wanted her to get rid of these guys. It may be a lesser of two evils, but then again, I may have a thing for green-skinned redheads. Either way, Ivy makes for a pretty compelling protagonist and that’s a tribute to Krul as a writer.
Guillem March’s art is every bit as good as Krul’s writing. Ivy is drawn perfectly, she’s sexy, and has enough danger to be inviting, but not offsetting. Another testament to March is his panels of Gordon and Batman. Each show someone who’s seasoned, but not old (a common mistake) in glorious detail. An interesting style choice was how different The Joker was drawn from everyone else. It’s so different I thought a different artist was drawing him; March’s pencils do a good job of illustrating his insanity. The downside is it doesn’t really fit with the rest of the book.
Consistency may be hard to find in weekly comics, but there are a few elements to this series that carry through. Batman has a small roll in each, keeping the focus on the villains. Even though we get a new look and writing style each week, the overall tone has remained constant and hopefully that can carry through with the series soon wrapping up. (Grade: B)
- Ben Berger
Filed under: DC Comics, Reviews Tagged: | Batman, Batman, DC Comics, Guillem March, Joker's Asylum, JT Krul, Poison Ivy, Rob Leigh, The Joker, The Joker's Asylum: Poison Ivy
