So a great character issue with just eye-melting beautiful art. It intrigued me enough to go out and get the preceding issue. And I will have to see if the Ivy-fans liked it or thought it was dreck. But I loved it. I mean, the reference to Batgirl Adventures alone made it worth the price. Read Full Review

Issue #43 of Batman doesn't come with a lot of action. There's some, and it comes at the right moments. But exposition is front and center here as we wrap up a series that never really needed a lot of action to tell a cohesive story. Read Full Review

King does a great job of balancing action, adventure and a great psychological study. Worth reading to learn more about Ivy and her role after War of Jokes and Riddles. Read Full Review

King and Janin craft a wonderful conclusion to “Everybody Loves Ivy”. It is unexpected, but emotionally and narratively satisfying with only some minor nitpicks. Read Full Review

With this last arc out the way, there's nothing else to delay what might be the biggest event of 2018 in the Batman books – Batman and Catwoman's wedding. Read Full Review

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There is also a sequence which, in panel work and dialogue, manages to evoke the Rocky Horror Picture Show dinner sequence (Brad! Janet! Rocky!). I admit the sequence was probably not meant for laughs, but it proves to be another enjoyable aspect to this already great comic. Read Full Review

With the wedding of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle only a few issues away, this run is reaching a climax. I just hope that doesnt end Kings run, as its been top notch, with fantastic art throughout. Read Full Review

BATMAN #43 brings poignant, satisfying closure to a complex storyline featuring one of Batman's most notorious foes. Read Full Review

Tom King, Mikel Janin and Hugo Petrus did a phenomenal job delivering a meaningful character study for Poison Ivy in Batman #43. There was a great sense of importance in how King developed Poison Ivy's character as this issue came to a close. How King used Batman, Catwoman and Harley Quinn to help in Poison Ivy's character development made this issue even stronger. If you are a fan of Batman than "Everyone Loves Ivy" is a must read story arc. Read Full Review

Batman #43 is a great dive into the character of Poison Ivy. This reexamination of the character may turn a lot of people off, but I liked it quite a bit. The story is touching and flows well, and the artistic team does a great job in this issue too. This one gets a recommendation. Check it out. Read Full Review

Not a perfect ending to Everyone Loves Ivy, but definitely an interesting one. Great character work, and Mikel Janin can do no wrong. Very enjoyable issue. Read Full Review

For a moment, I thought this issue was going to give me everything I ever wanted. But then Tom King swept everything under the rug. Read Full Review

I am not sure of the repercussions of Ivy's mind control, or really what can or will happen based on the Terrible injury that Superman inflicted on Batman to get him to the hospital, but all in all if you look at this from space you see a nice wrap up of a short arc that was enjoyable, and furthered the bonds of our two characters Batman and Catwoman. Read Full Review

The artwork for this issue was a bit all over the place. Selena and Bruce looked fantastic, and I'll begrudgingly admit Harley did too (I still don't love the new look, but this is probably the best she's looked in a while). Ivy didn't look right though. The shading on her was flat " you can see the paint brush strokes used for her hair (which wasn't shaded at all) and her costume looked too two-dimensional as well. It was an odd decision, especially considering she was a focal point for the plot. Read Full Review

Overall this was a good read and a decent conclusion to Poison Ivy's run. It seems that she felt so hurt from the deaths she caused in the war between Riddler and Joker that she decided to literally save everyone in the world"by taking choice away from them. Batman tells Ivy that she still can save the world, but she can't do that necessarily until she saves herself first. It seems that Ivy just might be taking the path to redemption judging to the conclusion we get with her. If so I'd love to see her partner with Batman and the family later on in the future! Read Full Review

All in all, a solid arc, but DC, just let someone say Harley and Ivy love each other. It's okay, y'all. Read Full Review

Poison Ivy pushed Batman and Catwoman to their limits, but in the end, only the truth will set them free. The teamwork between Tom King and Mikel Janin continues to make Batman comics hit it out of the park. As we thought we were done with The War of Jokes and Riddles, its demons came back to haunt us and with it came one of its broken soldiers. With Batman, Catwoman, and Harkey Quinn's help, hopefully, Poison Ivy can turn her life around and with Harley can live their lives together as they always wanted to. Everyone get their suits and dresses ready; we're going to be going to a wedding very soon. Read Full Review

Overall though, "Everyone Loves Ivy" is another enjoyable and exciting story arc in King's run and one that further bolsters the beautiful synergy and loving relationship that King has established between Batman and Catwoman. And with the wedding finally upon us next month, that may be exactly what we needed " even more than another overly-impressive Batman prep-time feat. Read Full Review

The issue hints at a deeper relationship between Pamela and Harley without ever confirming something more than friendship. There does seem to be quite a bit unsaid, and I wonder if this was by design or possibly DC getting cold feet about stating something unequivocally about the two characters. Either way, the story still works, even if the bit about the Riddler tricking Pamela, and continuity seemingly wiping away her more murderous past, does have me wondering just who the current version of Poison Ivy is. Worth a look. Read Full Review

"Everyone Loves Ivy" has been nothing like we expected, and while this issue continues to defy expectations, the ending sticks the landing. Read Full Review

At the end of the day, Batman #43 is a poor execution to a narrative that promised fun and something kind of cool. The writing is spotty, made worse by the fact that the artwork is straight ugly almost all the way through, and the resolution doesn't hit quite as hard as the comic wishes it did. Read Full Review

As I said earlier, this issue was much quieter than expected. Its not my favorite installment of Kings Batman run, but thats not to say that its bad. I just found myself disinterested while reading this issue. Im still excited to see what happens with the wedding. Read Full Review

While Batman #43 presents extremely worthwhile subject matter, it's told at the expense of proper in-world explanations for the unfolding events and adherence to previously established character portrayals. I suppose it comes down to how seriously you take your fiction. Personally, I'm very invested in Batman's world, so I do occasionally side with putting more stock in the adherence of the make believe rules of his universe than i do over the importance of real world issues. So, when a depiction is presented that disrespects who I know a character to be and the way the universe functions, I take issue with it. So, I take issue with this story. I mean, is it really so hard for things to make sense and deliver a poignant message at the same time? Read Full Review

So this issue is frankly kind of dumb. King appropriates characters to benefit his run and it doesn't make any sense. The art is mostly good but has some low dips in quality. Read Full Review

Tom King doesn't even attempt to address the complex thematic, social, and psychological issues he uses in a willy-nilly manner. Read Full Review

I'm struggling to find something to praise in this arc"why couldn't we have skipped this and gone on with more Superman/Batman/Lois/Selina date nights? Here's to hoping the wedding of Gotham's finest is a fun reading experience. Read Full Review

The "Everyone Loves Ivy" arc comes to a close with this issue and with it.......... everything we've explored for the last two issues are thrown away to give us an ending that doesn't make sense with the rest of not only this arc, but with Tom King's own continuity to this series.  The art is still great, but not as great as its been and with that, this series sinks even lower than it's been in my mind. Read Full Review

This has not been a great arc, but putting aside the premise where Poison Ivy can control the whole world, and all the super beings (including aliens) on it with relative ease, I was pretty down with the issue until the end, where there is a surprise last minute revelation and Ivy is redeemed, so...yay. Seems kinda phoney, and kind of negates the seriousness of Ivy's suffering, I think. Hmm...what else? I guess Harley and Ivy are an item....I never knew, but all right, that's fine. This seems like a harsh review for an 8.0, but Tom King's excellence has established a precident. It doesn't have the same impact King's best Batman issues have. But its really good filler. Great looking art throughout makes the whole thing a lot more palatable.

Good art and decent storytelling, but a pretty underwhelming conclusion to an arc that already felt like a filler.

Satisfying, yet a little underwhelming conclusion. The ending feels abrupt and that leaves reader wanting a little bit more.
That being said we get an insight into just how badly damged person Pamela "Poison Ivy" Isley really is. Riddler really did a number on her. These last couple of panels between Ivy and Harley are really touching and kinda heartwarming.

Overall this was a good story arc. Definetly worth a read.

Next stop: Wedding of the Century and time-traveling shenanigans with Booster Gold. Sounds like fun.

I laughed out loud when I realized how much fans had overreacted. A second lesson to wait until arcs are complete and enjoy the ride. Janin's art seemed below his usual standard. The narration/dialogue overlapping on the same page didn't have its usual punch and instead was just muddled.

Decent end to a not needed, somewhat confusing arc.

Welcome to the Oblivion Bar where the first round is on me and the pretzels are free! Be warned: like the pickled eggs at the bar, this issue is going to get SPOILED rotten.

So here is the lowdown. Bruce awakens in the hospital surrounded by all the Supers ( nice touch having the Superman from China) and Ivy having her focus split between Bruce, the world, and Selena personally talking to her.

Bruce’s game was to get to Harley to knock some sense into Ivy since in current continuity they are an item.

In order to do this, Selena literally knocks out Ivy but says Bruce only has 15 seconds to get a hold of Harley and snap her out of it or planes will literally fall from the sky, which appeared to be the plan all along.

In my humble opinion, this was basically placed in here to shut up the complainers who need a play by play and rant about everything throughout TK’s stories. They would say, “well if she’s knocked out and controls everyone wouldn’t people who are working heavy machinery basically die?” This is TK listening to his complainers and whiners. This is just bogus and unnecessary for the story but we get it for people who need their hands held.

We find out that the reason Ivy was doing his is because she went down a dark path after killing those 5 people in the WoJaR’s and so has the world. Therefore, she trying to make it a better place. Turns out the Riddler did the killing of them not her.

Oh my!!!! She’s saved and is really a good person after all!!! This is the dumb part that was probably put in here AGAIN because of the complainers on the net who have nothing better to do than to literally @ TK in an ignorant way about their glorious opinions about how the book should be written. So now, TK retcons his Ivy take to make haters happy. more

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Dispatchdcu - Mar 21, 2018

So Ivy’s not a killer. I’m sorry people were angry about this online but if you didn’t know this before TK, you can’t please everyone. I feel like this story was placed in here to show us that love can conquer all, the existence of Sanctuary which is TK’s new thing in DC, and mainly to try to appease all the haters online.

Dispatchdcu - Mar 21, 2018

I hope he’s realized that people are just going to hate on him for anything he tries to do anyway. So if you are reading this TK, stop listening to the trolls on twitter who literally @ you directly to share their opinions you NEVER asked them for.

Dispatchdcu - Mar 21, 2018

Write what you want to write and how you want too. Don’t be swayed by ignorant and rude opinions that are unwarranted and not asked for. The difference between criticism on a review or rating and literally tagging him, writing him, or messaging him directly is that reviewing is placing an opinion there for anyone to read if they want. It’s not forced on anyone. But to directly attack the creator is just low.

Dispatchdcu - Mar 21, 2018

Put the explanations in your stories how you want to and choose to answer people online that you want too. Just don’t let their rude, ridiculous, and ignorant comments cause you any form of pain. There still going to leave this issue, and any others for that matter, wanting to know more than what you told them. I feel this issue was TK trying to make everyone happy and taking this story in a direction that you never intended solely to please fans. I was disappointed in the issue.

egonnn244 - Mar 22, 2018

Dude, chill.

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln - Mar 24, 2018

Best review easily.

Dispatchdcu - Mar 24, 2018

Thank you!

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It's good to have a reminder of the war of jokes and riddles, and know its events weren't just closed, separate "bricks" that may lay next to others, but don't really connect with them, merge, influence other story arcs. Echoes of the past are present in this issue, and I welcome them with open arms. If only the present was actually a worthy successor...

This arc really felt like a rushed filler, when after just three issues was concluded. I liked the set-up King did in #41 and #42, expanding the lore and adding little intricacies to Batman mythos, but frankly, it led nowhere. Here we are, one issue later, and everything's done. Yeah, it happens to work and be logical, but I can't stop thinking the story should have unraveled slower than it did, and give proper focus on both presented events and characters. Latter especially, since if there's one thing Tom King is great at, it's writing dialogues and developing certain characters. Catwoman being a great example.

My main problem with this issue is the use of Harley to help Ivy. I believe changing their sisterly-like relationship from Batman: The Animated Series in favor of a romantic one was a huge mistake, that not only ditched one of the most unique bonds in comics (how many other believable BFF pairs with such chemistry come to your mind?) for just yet another love story, but most importantly, diminished the general background of Harley, a victim of an abusive relationship. With introduction of Ivy as her new romantic substitute partner, we've got to deal with archetypical victim and savior complex, a clear step back from anything Dini and Timm created before. And it's one of the reasons why Conner and Palmiotti's Harley run, from New-52 onwards, was just plain, generic and lacked any character development.

Guess what - you're not going to see anything remotely deep in this issue either. It's quite sad. After very emotional issues focusing on Gotham Girl and Kite-Man, this just feels empty, meaningless. more

After re-reading this issue I still honestly couldn't tell you the resolution. Batman was able make Harley snap out of it long enough to convince Ivy to let everyone go? Regardless, having Ivy not have killed those people during the War of Jokes and Riddles bothered me. While Ivy's not a straight-up villain at all her character sure can handle a couple mob kills on her record. The backgrounds were gorgeous, but nothing stood out to me art-wise like it did in Janin's work on issues' #41 and #42. Even not at his best though King's Batman is still worth reading. I hope we build to a truly tragic wedding between Bat and Cat; I've enjoyed their relationship (especially the Clark/Lois dates), but am quietly routing for disaster to strike.

and once again Tom King just undoes all the work he's done in the past few issues. once again we are left wondering - did someone tell him to stop being an idiot? probably not. seems like this is just his way. write a bunch of crap that everyone hates and then change it up at the end. such a waste of time and energy.

This is story arc is felt like a set up that was forced in to be filler and give a nod to Tom King's next book (Which I am interested in). This story arc is by far the worst of Tom King's Batman run after rebirth. Poison Ivy's motivation was pretty weak given her history and I would rather giving her a mysterious sin to uncover in sanctuary then a basic nod to the War of Jokes and Riddles. Continuity comes up here as well as a lot is going on in the DC universe and a world crisis event like this being pushed in before or between Metal, No Surrender, and Doomsday Clock seems like the communication was at a minimum between writers. It is just a week issue that could have been better, but Tom King seems more focused on the wedding and this arc was really just something for readers to chew on before we all buy the BatCat wedding.

Unless you are a die-hard Batman fan you really can skip this arc and read the countless other books with Batman in them. more

Batman is a title that continuously proves that not every single Rebirth title is better than its New 52 predecessor. I feel the same about Justice League. Tom King's storytelling is so incoherent at times, connecting the dots can be pure frustration. In this issue he reminded us of the War of Riddles and Jokes which I hated for two reasons, 1. The Joker portrayed felt off ESPECIALLY since, 2. Supposedly this takes place after Zero Year of Snyder and Capullo's run. The Joker that Snyder wrote is nothing like the one in King's mess of a story arc. The theory of multiple Jokers has to be real then, because Snyder's Joker was some next-level stuff while King's Joker just felt limp. It's odd that King, whom I normally think is an awesome writer is struggling with one of the most iconic characters in comics. I actually didn't think the Superman title needed a shakeup although the Bendis takeover is now inevitable. But for Batman, I would vote for a new creative team pronto. What's Brian Azzarello up to these days?? more

An improvelment over the atrocious Super Friends storyline, byt that’s not saying much. We just had three Poison Ivy centric issues in which she turns out to be one of the most powerful villains in the DC universe and controls everything and everyone. Really? But friendship triumphs in the end, that’s the level of depth you get here.
King has infantilzed every character he touches in this run. It’s like Archie meets Batman.

I keep thinking it will get better.

Then Wednesday comes and it doesn't.

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myconius - Mar 21, 2018

i'm right there with you! it's like hope for the best, but don't DARE hold your breath over it.

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Ivy ate a fly and I feel somewhat obligated to make some sort of venus fly trap pun but honestly I think I'd better not.

This arc has done very little beside warp the characterisation of a fan favourite villain. If you thought Poison Ivy's appearances and storylines have been sporadic and inconsistent in Rebirth so far, this is really the icing on that big, ugly mess of a cake.

King can't quite make up his mind if Ivy is a strong, merciless villain or a scared and naive victim (I'll pass on this option thanks). The attempt to switch Pamela to a hero is so blatantly obvious that it becomes offending to the reader. There is no character progression here. Its like someone trying to cover up decades of arc and stories with whiteout. What's worse is the awkward and cringe inducing depiction of Ivy's mental health. From not being able to formulate a coherent sentence, to stopping to eat a fly mid conversation, this aspect of her character is laughably bad.

This arc has also made no improvement on the status of Harley and Ivy's relationship. Are they committed girlfriends or are they just friends with benefits or are they something completely different? Unfortunately, that's an aspect of their relationship that all writers that have written the pair can't quite explain. Another car crash moment from this issue was Batman explaining that he knows Ivy loves Harley by crossing two fingers together. He might as well have signed that they were having sex because it was so out of place and strange.

The ending is also deeply unsatisfying and convenient. Batman and Catwoman wave Harley in Ivy's face, and instantly the whole arc is over. The inconsistent writing for this character will truly be her downfall.

And here was me thinking a Tom King Poison Ivy story would be groundbreaking. Sad. more

go check out batman:sins of the father. cause this shit is laaaa-aaaaame

absolutely awful!!!
this was a real chore to read.

even the art looked really sloppy and rushed.

It's really WORST story arc.

Worst Batman Story in modern day what a waste of time. This arc shows everything wrong in Tom King Batman Run

Nope, still don't know what to think of this.