InsaneJournal

So basically, without giving too much of the plot away, a killer has been carrying out a series of Ivy-like murders (i.e. poisonous flower bouquets delivered to the victims). However, after it's determined that Ivy can't possibly be the culprit, Batman and Ivy work together to take the killer down.

The scene below depicts Batman confronting Ivy, and the two having a moment that only a maniacle plant-woman and bat-themed vigilante could have. Batman has been poisoned by the flowers, and he must kiss Poison Ivy for the cure. At one point, Batman utters something to Alfred that you'd only read in a Batman book: "I must find Poison Ivy and kiss her within an hour or else I will die".




I just love their Clark Gable/Vivien Leigh-style kiss here. :)

Notice how Bats puts up a fist to Ivy, hesitates, then kisses her instead. This page perfectly sums up the relationship between the two, and how essentially fucked up that relationship is. When Bruce is attracted to Selina, the fact that he is attracted to this "criminal" can be justified because Catwoman doesn't kill like other villains. Batman has an obvious soft spot for Selina. However, with Ivy, it's an entirely different case. He definitely goes softer on her than his other A-list villains, but she murders and maims as much as any of them. He is attracted to her and actively tries to reason with her even though she is a killer.

The narrative also sums up the nice reflection the two make. They are both emotionally stunted, driven by events that are in their pasts. They are both obsessively driven to preserve life (human or plant), but often lose sight on themselves and their own needs and desires.

I truly do love this book. It's Hitchcockian in a Vertigo and Spellbound sort of way. Definitely not your typical Poison Ivy or Batman tale.