Batman & Poison Ivy: Cast Shadows
2004
- available in soft cover
Written by Ann Nocenti. Painted by John Van Fleet.
Letters: Todd Klein.
Editor: Joey Cavalieri.
64 pages
Published by DC Comics
Cover price: $6.95 USA
There's something about the modern incarnation of Batman villainess, Poison
Ivy, that seems to bring out the sensitive side in a comics writer these days.
Certainly when John Francis Moore penned a Poison Ivy tale for the comic book,
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (included in the TPB collection
Batman: Collected Legends of the Dark Knight) and later penned the one-shot
graphic novel, Batman: Poison Ivy (1997), he wrote stories that were more than
just mindless fisticuffs of Batman tackling a one-dimensional foe. Oh, they
weren't necessarily high art, or especially sophisticated -- they were both
superhero thrillers, after all. But they were touched by humanity. Likewise,
Ann Nocenti's Cast Shadows is not necessarily a milestone in comics
literature, but it is an agreeable read, injecting some nice character stuff,
and thematic threads and symbolism, into a reasonably well paced thriller.
Poison Ivy is currently incarcerated in Arkham Asylum where a new therapist
has been treating her with hobby-based therapy -- encouraging Ivy, the
erstwhile botanist with the poisonous kiss, to continue her work with plants.
But when a newly erected skyscraper threatens to block out the light to her
window, trouble ensues. People start contracting a lethal toxin, and Batman is
forced to call upon Ivy's assistance in finding an antidote...but he begins to
suspect she might be responsible for the cause, not just the cure.
The story begins with echoes of Grant Morrison's much ballyhooed -- and
grossly over-rated -- decades old Batman graphic novel, Arkham Asylum, in that
we open in Arkham itself and are treated to the darkly creepy world of the
inmates. But unlike Morrison's graphic novel, Nocenti doesn't let it get away
from her, or become swamped in pointless self-indulgence.
Nocenti's handling of Batman is also nicely down-to-earth. There have been
some comics writers in recent years who have kind of embraced the idea of
Batman as an ultra hard nosed, almost fascistic fanatic. But Nocenti's Batman
is more human, more compassionate. He's a guy who can unself-consciously stand
around a brightly lit hospital corridor discussing medical options with a
doctor, rather than remain coiled in the shadows, his cloak wrapped about him
like an understudy for a roadshow production of Dracula. And though he is
mistrustful of his old foe, Ivy, he can engage in conversations with her that
are without rancor, even tinged by sympathy. One can appreciate the fact that,
for a superhero action-adventure, the crime-busting takes a backseat at times
to trying to combat a disease. In fact, cops are little in evidence in this
story, as Batman's chief foil this time out is the local medical examiner.
This is a far more humane take on the "plague" concept than was employed in
another Batman TPB collection, Contagion.
Of course, as noted at the beginning of this piece, Nocenti has not
necessarily written anything extraordinary. Though well-paced, it's not an
especially complex or twisty tale for 64 pages. To be fair, she does keep us
guessing a little as to how much, or in what way, Ivy is responsible, but it's
not exactly a brilliant study of red herrings and misdirection.
It's in her treatment of the characters, and the use of symbolism and
themes, that the story lingers in the mind. The very concept of rampant
urbanization, as the towering skyscraper blocks the light from those around
it, adds a tinge of social comment, even if it's understated. And at one point
Ivy complains to Batman about her cell, saying "It's so dark in here" and Bats
responds "There's nothing I can do about that." At first it seems Batman is
being a touch callous, then you go: oh! I get it. They aren't really talking
about her cell, but her psyche.
Ironically, the biggest weakness with the story is the painted art by John
Van Fleet. I say ironic because I suspect that was meant to be a big selling
point: oooh, painted art, the fans are meant to whisper. Van Fleet does a good
enough job with the people -- they look like people, and are real enough --
but his backgrounds are sometimes muddy, even when he's going for a hyper-
realism (I think he's actually using photographs for the backgrounds in some
panels). He so blurs the image, or washes it out with colour, that it can
still be hard to figure out quite what you're looking at. Cast Shadows is more
a suspense-thriller than an action piece, which is just as well as Van Fleet's
handling of the occasional action scene can also be hard to figure out
precisely what's happening. Which isn't to say the art ruins the story.
Particularly when characters are standing around, talking, the scenes are well
enough portrayed. And there is often a certain ineffable, moody atmosphere
with which painters can imbue their work. But ultimately I can imagine quite a
few pencil and ink artists who would've done as well -- and better -- with the
material.
The bottom line with Cast Shadows is that it's a story as much about the people as the events, and
one that, though clearly pretentious at times, doesn't forget that it is,
after all, meant to be an entertaining adventure. It's a decent, likeable read
and sometimes, on a rainy day, that's all you can really ask for.
Reviewed by D.K. Latta
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