Batman Secret Files: The Gardener

[tinygaylaura]

The story both gives us Ivy's new origin in the Rebirth DCU and goes into her backstory with both the Gardener and Harley

We learn that the Gardener lost her parents at a young age and was taken in by a kindly couple where tending to plants became one of the things that helped her through her grief.

When she got older she began to independently research ways of genetically engineering methods to create defence mechanisms against the way so much of the natural world was being ravaged, which brought her to the attention of a government sponsored "Think Tank" that had among its members Alec Holland

And also Jason Woodrue and Pamela Isley

Bella and Isley soon fell for each other







Unfortunately things soon took a turn for the worse. Woodrue grew increasingly deranged and also increasingly predatory toward Pamela and both Bella and Alec Holland wound up quitting the group over the worrying directions Woodrue and the millitary were taking their research. And Isley fell victim to Woodrue's "Experiments", being altered in such a way that she gained the powers we know of...pheromone control, her toxic kiss and her connection to the world of plants

Bella explains how her powers and the trauma she'd been through took Pamela down a darker and darker path...until she found some light at the end of the tunnel




I love this scene so much

It's often talked about how Ivy helped save Harley but here we see that Harley saved Ivy as well




"They broke all sorts of rules together but they followed their hearts and helped the kind of people they wanted to help and hurt the kind of people they wanted to hurt"

Personally that's EXACTLY how I define what I consider a hero

And it perfectly describes the kind of characters who are heroes to me and who I root for

Harley and Ivy are absolutely my kind of heroes

However tragedy would again strike with Harley being placed in Task Force X for a time and being away from Harley once again leaving Ivy incredibly depressed. This depression was worsened because her connection the plant world had grown to the point where she could literally feel the planet dying.

This is what led to the events of "Everyone Loves Ivy" in the Batman book a while back and we learn that just before that the Gardener found a way to "Grow" a second Ivy...one designed to preserve all that was kind and nurturing and optimistic in the woman she knew.

This being the origin of the Ivy plant clone we've seen over in Catwoman recently.

This was a really good issue in general I thought but I especially loved the scenes above.

Comments

[iamrman]

I love that DC have made Harley and Ivy as a couple again. I am worried that this means Ivy's character will be relegated as being nothing more than Harley’s girlfriend. You know, people won't let Ivy be her own character.

[tinygaylaura]

I mean my interest in Harley and Ivy as characters revolves around them being a couple so that's not a problem for me

[lordultimus]

Yes, but what makes them an interesting couple is their clashing personalities. Since Harley is, let's face it, the real one being promoted here, I can see some concern over Ivy just being there for Harley to kiss.

I don't see that in this issue, however.

[tinygaylaura]

The Harley Quinn ongoing is one of the most enjoyable reads DC has right now so I think it'll be good

[iamrman]

Maybe it was a poor chiice of words. I love Harley and Ivy as a couple, but there is more to Ivy than being Harley's girlfriend. Likewise for there being more to Harley than being Ivy's girlfriend.

Sometimes I findbit hard to articulate my feelings. Other times I'm afraid to say anything in case people take offence. It's not even as if my opinions are all that controversial, but you know the internet.

[arilou_skiff]

I think it's the same reason people are antsy whenever people ship Wonder Woman and Batman, or Wonder Woman and Superman, etc.

[tinygaylaura]

I think the series will do a good job of writing them together :)

[angry_marmot]

The redemption arc for Ivy makes a lot more emotional sense than DC's redemption of Harley, which was always about popularity and sales.

[tinygaylaura]

Harley becoming a hero always made perfect sense to me

Take her away from Joker and his bullshit and there you go

[deh_tommy]

Ehhh, I think that’s a big oversimplification of things, especially after how the Joker’s affected her worldview and overall behaviour.

[tinygaylaura]

Well yeah

Point A is "She realises the Joker is a manipulative psychopath" and point C is "Superhero adventure"

Point B is the bit inbetween where Ivy and her other friends and allies help her out in that

[phantomfo]

That's the nature of comics. In a lot of ways, Harley is the DC equivalent to Deadpool: wacky characters who debuted as villains, but who's popularity with fans pushed them into anti-hero status. Now they team up with and are even begrudgingly respected by the heroes they used to fight.

Venom's another in this category. Deathstroke was for a time, but seems to have moved solidly back into heel territory.

[leahandillyana]

Damn, I love every page of it. The comic made me smile widely as I read it.

[tinygaylaura]

Definitely one of my favorite DC comics of the year :)

[bradygirl_12]

i love this! I am a big Harley/Ivy fan, and I love the artwork. ::)

Wish I still had access to my Harley/Ivy icons, but will a hot Supergirl/Batgirl do? ;)

[tinygaylaura]

Always! :)

How do you make icons on here out of interest

[bradygirl_12]

Tbh, I don't know. I don't make 'em, I just appreciate 'em! ;)

[shakalooloo]

The top left corner of the top of the screen - where I can see my default icon, but I presume people without see just a blank square - is where one can click to edit/upload icons.