Pulp Heroes

Batman:Shadow of the Bat Annual #5

1997

Another green menace slinks in Alan Grant's noir. I could go onabout Mr. Grant's ear for dialogue, his unparalleled cultivation of Batman's character and the fact that of all the Bat-writers, hisseeds more than any sprout new Dark Knight myths, but I talkabout him enough in my consistent Shadow of the Batenjoyable picks.Instead, I'm shining the bat-signal on artists Stefano Raffaele,Ray McCarthy, Stan Woch, Drew Geraci and colorist NoelleGiddings. Ivy when under Mr. Grant's care blooms differentlyeach season. Brian Apthorp for instance nurtures an art noveau innocence in May's Poison Ivy special. Dave Taylor'sIvy drips raw, nasty sex, but neither definitive portrayals depict the fruits of her evil. In this annual however, the artteam treats you to Poison Ivy's seediness.On page two, we follow a camera angle entwining Ivy's legsand observe her deadly bloom in back-lit splendor. Herbody language is a lure to Joe Potato's doom. Once more,we are treated to artists who know the amount of flesh shown does not define sexuality. Supporting player Alice, in fact, flaunts more skin, but her stance lacks seduction. She becomes sensual later in the story, but Ivy is intoxicating.As the story grows, the artists peel back Ivy's layers. Incostume, her muscle coils. Her thick, rounded waist creates a natural stem missing in cachonga queens, and her knit brow and smug smile flower her madness. Poison Ivy is never the stereotype.