Batman Is Way More into Poison Ivy Than He Admits

Warning: Spoilers for Batman #113!

When it comes to the many love interests of DC Comics’ Batman, Catwoman, and Talia al Ghul are usually at the top of the list, and now it’s just been revealed that Poison Ivy holds a spot alongside them as well! Suffice it to say, Ivy’s current main squeeze, Harley Quinn, probably wouldn’t appreciate Batman’s feelings for her girl, even if those days are long gone.

Revealed as Ghost-Maker and Batman dive into Bruce’s mind during the Fear State-related events seen in Batman #113, by James Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez, Poison Ivy being on Batman’s brain isn’t as weird of a revelation as fans may initially think. Hoping to purge the remaining influence Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow might still have over his fractured psyche, Batman has developed a “bat-mind-control helmet” to telepathically enter his mind and get to the bottom of his fear-based concerns.

Asking his close friend and rival, Ghost-Maker, to accompany him on his latest adventure, the duo enter Batman’s mind and are immediately greeted by similar images of three different women he holds close relationships with, one in particular standing out as the odd woman out. Clearly representations of memories long since passed, Batman is shown embracing and sharing a kiss with the love of his life, Catwoman, the mother of his son, Talia al Ghul, and last but not least, the bat-villain who’s been known to use her chemical kiss to quite literally tell Batman’s brain to become infatuated with her, the eco-terrorist known as Poison Ivy!

Though the images quickly dissipate, it’s not made readily clear as to why Batman would envision the two great loves of his life at what seems to be the height of their passion side-by-side with a villain with whom he’s been hypnotized into loving on more than one occasion. But the fact that Ivy is there at all is an intriguing idea and one that can only be speculated on at the moment, yet is still something that’s made even more interesting considering Ghost-Maker wanted to start this mental exercise off with seeing Batman’s “dirty stuff.”

Having an extremely complicated relationship with Ivy even without the added wrinkle of her mind-controlling pheromones forcing various feelings on him, something about Batman’s experiences with Ivy has clearly affected him enough that it’s made an imprint on his entire psyche. Mentally categorized right up there with two women whom he shares real, unwavering love for, Poison Ivy joining the ranks of Catwoman and Talia al Ghul in Batman’s mind is kind of a big deal, especially if his feelings for her are true.

So although Batman hasn’t been romantically involved with Poison Ivy as of late, his relationship with her could also be one less based on romance and infatuation at this point in their career, and more based on respect and love for a person he knows can do better than her villainous ways. And while the jury’s still out on the state of Batman’s mind post-Scarecrow torture, it’s nice to know his bond with Poison Ivy is a bedrock relationship — romantic or otherwise — of a man who usually isn’t one for making connections at all.

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