Thursday, March 31, 2011

Poison Ivy : Official Logos

It's hard to believe that it's been 14 years since the release of the Batman: Poison Ivy (1997) one-shot. A comic book offering that gave us the first glimpse of the now standard "Poison Ivy" character and merchandise logo.

There have been a few variations of what could be considered a Poison Ivy logo but these only existed on the pages of DC comic books. At this point in time there was practically no Ivy related products to be found.

The earliest attempt at branding for Poison Ivy was this logo that appeared in an issue of DC Comics Secret Origins (1989). This same style is also seen in one of Poison Ivy's earlier Who's Who entries (1990). It's not terrible but it looks very outdated. This was released during the time when DC was still playing up the Poison Ivy as druid theme. A sneaky elf-like fantasy creature with a fairy tale logo to match. Quaint but not for me.

It took the greater part of a decade until Poison Ivy would finally be given a logo that evoked her sexy and forbidding nature. The aforementioned one-shot featuring the new logo was released in 1997 to coincide with the promotion of "Batman & Robin". Each main character was given a book containing an origin story along with a new logo.

I really like this effort. It's modern, slick, and has a touch of menace. The organic and thorny shape are killer. When you lay your eyes upon this logo you immediately know the person in question is dangerous.

Since its inception it has been used in comic books, on t-shirts, collectables, and more.

However, the marketing department also released a secondary logo that is more kid-friendly (for lack of a better term). This logo often appears on toys and dolls marketed specifically to younger consumers. You will mostly see this style on merchandise featuring the animated versions of Poison Ivy. It's a bit more whimsical and fun with an ivy leaf detail substituting for the dot.


I think it's great that DC now wants to promote this character in such a way that they felt she deserved her own logos. This elevates Poison Ivy to an upper tier status in the DC Universe especially in regards to collectables.

I'm sure that in the coming years we may see a revamped take on Poison Ivy's branding that includes logo redesign. Especially considering the character is undergoing a makeover in late 2011.

And there you have it!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Batman Rogues Gallery Tee

I was browsing the men's graphic tee section at Target and stumbled upon this great offering. It's an officially licensed Batman themed t-shirt with an imprint of Detective Comics #566, "Know Your Foes" on the front side.

The cover (and now tee) features Batman standing in the doorway of a room with pictures of various popular Gotham City rogues along the walls. The portraits include the Joker, Madhatter, Killer Moth, Ra's al Ghul, Penguin, Riddler, Two-Face, and...Poison Ivy.

I paid $12.99 for my t-shirt but it appears to be on sale for $10.00 and if you're lucky there's still some in stores. Otherwise, buy it online.

By the way, I get tons of compliments on this particular tee. So go get one!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Poison Ivy Halloween Makeup (Comic Book Version) by MakeupByRisa

Youtube user MakeupByRisa has created a makeup tutorial on how to create a look inspired by the modern age green skin Poison Ivy. I think she did a good job and the transformation is fun to watch. Also, she used actual panels from comic books as inspiration.

Batman: Brave and the Bold: Teaser

So far, "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" has provided us fans with two Poison Ivy appearances. The first being "Chill of the Night" and now in the teaser for the episode "The Masks of Matches Malone!". This mini offering features a defiant Poison Ivy setting up camp in the middle of Gotham City and declaring herself the Queen of Crime! That declaration leads to Poison Ivy and her henchwomen battling against Batman and...Black Orchid! How does this all play out? Press play and find out.



I liked the display and degree of Ivy's plant powers. In fact, her whole presentation was rather good and that includes the new take on Poison Ivy's costume. It appears to be a nod to "Batman: The Animated Series" and "The New Batman Adventures" with a slight wink to the current comic book stylings. The flowers were a nice feminine touch.

The concept of henchwomen in Ivy-like costumes is again seen here; much like in the BTAS episode "House and Garden".

There's enough plant puns in this teaser that it has 1997's "Batman & Robin" sassing and snapping. At one point Batman actually refers to Poison Ivy as a "herbaceous hussy". Well I never!

I've always liked the classic Black Orchid costume and it was given a fair treatment. Though Black Orchid was a mute player in this tussle. Not a word spoken.

Vanessa Marshall did a great job with the voice acting. Commanding with a touch of sexiness. But I can't say it enough -- nobody will ever be capable of replacing Diane Pershing. Also, Vanessa Marshall is the daughter of actress Joan Van Ark.

Women of the DC Universe: Series 3: Poison Ivy Bust

Designed by Amanda Conner • Sculpted by Jim Maddox

Pretty Poison! The gal of the green springs from the foliage, a lily blossom aloft in her hand – a deadly delight in bloom.

Designed by illustrator Amanda Conner, Poison Ivy is the latest character to join the popular WOMEN OF THE DC UNIVERSE bust seres.

The hand-painted, cold-cast porcelain bust measures approximately 7.23" high x 2.75" wide x 2.5" deep and is packaged in a 4-color box.

Limited Edition. $ 60.00 US

This bust has been promoted for months but it is only now available for purchase. I love it! It's the first Poison Ivy bust available in her green skinned depiction. I guess you could say it's a fantastic combination of old and new characteristics. The pose is lovely and the sculpt quite detailed right down to the poison mushrooms at her side. Also, the price seems more than reasonable.

Please click over to DC Collector Universe for a thoughtful review of this product that includes high quality pictures of the bust and packaging.

"Club Villain" by Your Favorite Martian

I discovered this video while browsing the Comics Alliance website. The preview image featured stylized cartoon versions of Catwoman and Harley Quinn so I decided to check it out. The basic premise is that the main character Ray finds himself at a new joint in town called "Club Villain". Once inside he discovers that Club Villain caters specifically to supervillains from all genres. He hangs out and spies the room only to discover the lust of his life, Poison Ivy, is seated across from him. You can watch the rest below...



That's when I saw her there, from across the room,
Poison Ivy doing Jell-o shots with Dr. Doom.
Like the Eye of Sauron, I couldn't look away.
She was with some Joker, but the dude was probably gay.

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