There is a lot going on in Poison Ivy Vol. 5: Human Botany, a book that starts with this series' extra-sized 25th issue and ends with a flip book. With the book’s most prominent villain defeated (bad villain, as opposed to all the good villains running around), writer G. Willow Wilson appears to be fomenting a new conflict, one that threatens to turn Ivy’s nascent team of oddballs against each other. If Botany is a little slow, that potential conflict is fantastic, and I couldn’t be happier this title has lasted as long as it has.

[Review contains spoilers]

The big headline here is that, as of the flip book finale, Poison Ivy appears to be an agent of the Grey while sidekick Janet has been tempted to work against her for the Green. There are quite some chickens coming home to roost here; indeed Ivy uprooted Janet’s life, dragged her along on Ivy’s own self-discovery journey like an unpaid intern, and then has essentially ignored her whenever Ivy doesn’t need her. Not to mention that Janet is likely in love with Ivy, and also that Harley Quinn made it clear she was willing to let Janet die in the battle against Woodrue to save Ivy. So the elements are all there for Janet to betray Ivy, especially if pushed a tad by the Parliament of Trees.