Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Birds of Prey Trailer & Janelle Asselin

It's been quite a few days since I've touched the Deadly Garden blog. After reading the final issue of Gotham City Sirens (#26) I slipped into a funk of sorts. I realized then and there that I had just glimpsed the final appearance of Poison Ivy as we've all loved her over the years. (No worries, my feelings on that final issue will be revealed soon enough.)

There's also been a secondary phenomenon that has been putting me off and it has to do with the new Birds of Prey book. Yes, the lack of promotion for this particular title has me very worried. But the outright disdain from (original) Birds of Prey fans for a book that hasn't even been released is infuriating. They've even gone so far as to predict an early demise.

I've had to avoid the message boards and comments section because the irrationality is at an all time high. I was finding myself bickering with total strangers about things beyond either of our control. Birds of Prey has been retooled, Oracle is no more, time to move on...

The new Birds of Prey will be out on September 21st (with Poison Ivy likely not appearing) and a few folks are trying to create a greater interest.

David Macho Gómez has done a great job of promoting his artists for the DCnU. He's put out a few "promotional" videos and Birds of Prey was the final entry of this series. Admittedly it's very unfocused and viewers are left shrugging or confused. But the final pan and scan in the video shows a preview image of Poison Ivy that we haven't seen before. It's likely the real cover to Birds of Prey #3 and from what I've seen it looks pretty damn good. I'm finding myself liking this costume with each new appearance so somebody is doing something right.

Poison Ivy as featured in the "Birds of Prey" trailer.
Below is the trailer in question - it's just over a minute and features preview art and quotes that have been shown before.


Additionally, Janelle Asselin has published a post over at the DC Comics official blog The Source and she offers praise for the new creative team.

The new BIRDS OF PREY is thrilling, fun, and beautiful. Writer Duane Swierczynski has crafted a story that takes off from issue one and does not let you stop for breath. It’s a new take on the characters and the team, so both new and old fans will come into the book on equal footing. But the spirit of BIRDS OF PREY – the spirit of doing good against all odds and the spirit of unlikely friendships – that remains in full force.

But how does that spirit of friendship work with Poison Ivy, you ask?

For that you’ll have to wait and see – we have to keep some aces up our sleeves, you know! I will say that Duane’s done a great job of making her part of the team in a way that’s true to the spirit of all of the characters.

To read the post in full please follow the link. Also, thank you to "Green Ghost" for sending me an email pertaining to this news. I definitely needed a sign that fans are still out there - excited for what is to come for Poison Ivy. (Sometimes my cynical nature gets the better of me.)

9 comments:

AfroMonkey said...

Surely it won't be the "END" end of your Poison Ivy. It's comic books. I may not have much idea in the way of how the industry works (heck, my only source to the mythos is movies and cartoons and Uma Thurman's version was the one that got me interested in Ivy in the first place) but from what I understand they're rebooting and retconning all the time. Surely they'll be other stabs at the original character with new takes on old ideas and generally just new stories based in their universe.

...What did just write...? :{

Deadly Garden said...

Well you know me, I am prone to theatrics!

I was more or less saying that I felt a sadness when thinking about Ivy's journey from 1966 up to 2011 coming to an end. It's been a fascinating adventure - with many pivotal moments occurring within the last 10-15 years. The Poison Ivy that I saw in the final pages of Gotham City Sirens is, in my humble opinion, the character perfected in power, appearance, and attitude.

Granted I know practically nothing about how Poison Ivy is going to be introduced to the DCnU. Will her origin be different? What about her powers? I mean, really, the only thing we have to go off of is...well...she looks different.

I'm willing to come at this with an open mind though. Janelle left the impression that Ivy will keep her thorny nature even though she will be, in a sense, working on a team of women who aren't necessarily known for being typical "bad girls".

João G said...

This is just a comment to let you know that the cover for Birds of Prey #4 is on the DC blog;and Ivy looks amazing!

Knave of Flowers said...

Poison Ivy will never truly END now, ever. She has seeped into public consciousness to such a level that even regular, non-geeky celebrities mention her casually every now and then(a couple of years ago Freida Pinto mentioning on the Tonight Show that she used to dress up as Ivy at kiddie parties in India, Paulina Porizkova pointing out on America's Next Top Model that one of the contestants looked like the love child of Poison Ivy and The Joker in one of her shots etc.) So no, the Queen of Green is too popular now for that to happen and will continue to grow and flourish long after this generation of her fans has departed(was gonna go with a nature/Earth-related pun yet again but that would have been serious overkill).

Yeah, as Poisonous Narcissus mentioned, check out the cover for Birds of Prey #4 if you haven't already, Ivy looks adorable with an expression so sensually haughty it will put Bette Davis to shame.

And on an unrelated note, have you come across Poison HIV yet?:-
http://comicbookmovie.com/fansites/debbiedowner/news/?a=45523

Knave of Flowers said...

^Just a heads-up, as the name suggests, the character is from an adult parody film based off 'The Dark Knight Rises' and other Batman movies. However, that link does not contain any R-rated material.

Anonymous said...

Here's the solicitation text for #4:
"BIRDS OF PREY #4
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by JESUS SAIZ
Cover by DAVID FINCH and RICHARD FRIEND
On sale DECEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The only thing worse than a bomb on a speeding train is three bombs. Hidden inside the skulls of three different people. All on the same speeding train. And the Birds of Prey – Black Canary, Starling, Katana and Poison Ivy – know the names of only two of these walking bombs. Don’t miss the shocking revelation that will rewrite the rules of the team forever! Yes, we know it’s only issue #4! Guest starring Batgirl!"

Anonymous said...

I admit, the only reason I am even picking up the Birds of Prey comic is for Ivy.

She is by far my favorite character. I prefer the green skinned, flower wearing goddess over this new version, but I could get used to it...not sold on the costume.

But I want to know how she fits in, and if they're continuing her 'embracing her humanity' as she said to Riddler (in Sirens), then I could see it working.

I really REALLY wish Sirens was better, though. I am sorely disappointed in that one.

Anonymous said...

Birds of Prey #2 came out yesterday.. guess who makes a smashing debut at the end of the book? =)

Anonymous said...

October was a pretty big month for Ivy. She appeared in Young Justice as voiced by Alyssa Milano, then the Arkham City graphic novel and later in the actual game itself and last week she made her debut in Birds of Prey. Time for Deadly Garden updates!

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