Warning! Contains Spoilers for Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #1!Every criminal in Gotham City fears Poison Ivy's newest nightmare, she sees the Dark Knight like never before. Batman's deceptively hilarious outfit perfectly shows just how terrifying this version of Batman is to Poison Ivy.
Readers can see Batman's hilariously terrifying new appearance in Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #1 by G. Willow Wilson, Atagun Ilhan, Mark Morales, Arif Prianto, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. After the new villain Insomnia traps every DC character in "Knight Terrors," Poison Ivy "wakes" into her own nightmare world: a bizarre version of suburban America. Ivy's nightmare is full of twisted versions of her friends and enemies, but the most disturbing of all is Batman.
In this new "reality," Batman is none other than Poison Ivy's pink polo-wearing neighbor — though of course he still wears his iconic cowl along with his polo and cargo shorts.
Batman's New Look Is Deceptively Hilarious
Poison Ivy's reaction to her new neighbor may be surprising to fans: she's afraid of Batman. Unlike most of Batman's villains, Poison Ivy sees herself as the hero of her story. Many of Batman's villains, know — to some degree — that they're monsters. But, considering that her main goal is to save nature and the planet at large, Poison Ivy honestly believes that she is a hero doing what's necessary, and anyone who tries to stop her is a villain — including Batman, whom she calls "a bad person." That Batman is dressed as a stereotypical suburban father — with a pregnant Selina Kyle in tow — isn't a coincidence, despite how hilarious the visual is.
Poison Ivy's new neighbor actually combines her two biggest fears: Batman and humanity's uncaring attitude towards the planet. Ivy fears Batman on a personal level: she is afraid that he will lock her up and prevent her from saving the planet and being with the woman she loves — but Batman isn't the only thing she fears. She also fears the uncaring nature of humanity; Batman's position as a generic suburban father — someone who grill on a hot day with his pregnant wife — represents why she feels that the planet is dying. Too many people are too focused on their own lives, only concerned about getting the next promotion or pumping out the next kid to actually care about the imprint they leave on the planet or the harm they do to the environment.
Batman's New Look Represents Poison Ivy's Fears
The rigid expectations of stereotypical suburban America may be one kind of nightmare, but the way Poison Ivy has gone about saving the planet surely isn't the best way to do it. With her powers, she could regrow any destroyed forest with ease. Instead — at least before her personal growth in the pages of Poison Ivy — she tries to kill innocent people to "save the planet." This callous attitude towards humanity is why, in this nightmare world, Batman represents both of Poison Ivy's biggest fears: Batman's wrath and humanity's selfish nature.
Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #1 is on sale now from DC Comics!
