Deron Generally
Deron Generally
Batman #43
DC Comics
Written by Tom King
Art by Mikel Janin and Hugo Petrus
Colors by June Chung
In the conclusion of the Everyone Loves Ivy storyline, Ivy continues to control the entire planet and everyone on it with the exception of Batman and Catwoman.
After forcing an Ivy controlled Superman to almost kill him with one punch, his face and body are healed thanks to Ivy using Harley Quinn’s skills as a neuroscientist. Bruce wakes up in a hospital room surrounded by mind controlled heroes while Catwoman continues to try to talk sense into Ivy in her lair. Ivy laments her actions during the War of Jokes and Riddles and what she allowed Riddler to do while she was with him. She almost seems jealous that Catwoman wouldn’t allow herself to become involved.
Bruce and Selina are trying to help Ivy the only way that they know how. Bruce makes a risky move of having Selina knock Ivy out long enough to break Harley out of her spell. He proceeds to escape the hospital with her in the Batmobile and the two of them race to Ivy’s location to try one last gambit to try to find a way to get through to Ivy. It’s a desperate move for the couple as they know what the stakes are if they fail and introducing an unstable element like Harley could make matters even worse.
There was something really satisfying about the way this issue and story ended. It hit all the right beats for a story to be effective in learning about the characters involved as well as resolve a conflict in a new way. King does a great job of getting to the psychological heart of these characters and injecting enough sympathy for villains like Ivy that a typical fight filled ending would be unsatisfying.
5 Comments
DC Fan
March 21, 2018 - 2:51 pmFirst, Superman did kill Batman. That was a huge part of last issue and it was spelled out pretty clearly. Second, Harley is not and never was a neurologist and Bruce was brought back from death by “science, medicine and magic” Again, spelled out last issue. But, what about Johnny? What about the people Ivy killed after the jokes and riddles in this continuity? How does it make sense showing what Riddler did in Jokes and Riddles when you can go reread the event and it’s clearly shown he didn’t do that?
Deron Generally
March 21, 2018 - 3:41 pmBatman: You need to help the recovery of someone with a head injury…you use someone with Four PHD’s in Neurology.
He was talking about Harley.
DC FAN
March 21, 2018 - 4:44 pmShe doesn’t have 4 PhDs in neurology! Learn the character. He was saying all the people that Ivy used to help him, leading to the reveal of the character he was going to use to help her…BECAUSE SHE IS A PSYCHOLOGIST! ALWAYS WAS ALWAYS WILL BE!!!!
It was a setup to show that Ivy always went to the experts for the problem at hand and he was going to do the same! If you think it was supposed to be Harley than you better readjust your score because it goes against current and all continuity and it complete rubbish!
Deron Generally
March 21, 2018 - 4:48 pmYou might be right. I could be wrong. Thanks for the comment.
DC FAN
March 21, 2018 - 4:47 pm…And what happened to Johnny? What happened to all the setup of the first two issues about Ivy saving the planet? I guess it doesn’t matter anymore????