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Batman: Shadow of the Bat (1992)
Бэтмен. Тень Летучей Мыши: Ядовитый Плющ. Год первый
Сюжет стар как мир, но, как любовь, не приедается. Днем он — Брюс Уэйн, богач и знатный холостяк Готэма, по ночам — Бэтмен, только начинающий карьеру герой в маске. Она могла бы быть успешным ученым, ботаником Памелой Айсли. Только мир был к ней жесток, и Памела ступила на путь зла, став смертоносной злодейкой по имени Ядовитый Плющ. Впервые они встретились как Бэтмен и Плющ, и между ними промелькнула искра. Однако их чувства отравит слишком глубоко засевшее в Памеле желание отомстить людям за причиненное ей зло. Она хочет убить ядом жителей Готэма, если ей не заплатят выкуп, а Брюса Уэйна наградила смертельным поцелуем. У него есть час, чтобы разрушить губительные чары и спасти город. Станет ли он для Памелы еще одним мужчиной, который обманет и разочарует?
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
4 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Alan Grant
1,712 books144 followersAlan Grant was a Scottish comic book writer known for writing Judge Dredd in 2000 AD as well as various Batman titles during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is also the creator of the character Anarky.
Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac
Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 15, 2024
I love poison ivy she doesn't even need to use her pheromones on me.
This was a year one origin story of poison ivy.
The story was solid, the art was great and i like that they didn't make her walk around half naked like most heroines over at marvel.
The last two pages gave me a feeling like when i read the ending of killing joke.
This was a year one origin story of poison ivy.
The story was solid, the art was great and i like that they didn't make her walk around half naked like most heroines over at marvel.
The last two pages gave me a feeling like when i read the ending of killing joke.
December 6, 2024
3/5 Stars
I know it could be worse, but I just wish Ivy wasn't drawn so sexually.
Also, remember that time Alfred sprayed Bruce in the balls with cold water?
I know it could be worse, but I just wish Ivy wasn't drawn so sexually.
Also, remember that time Alfred sprayed Bruce in the balls with cold water?
July 8, 2025
A fine story, year one, Poison Ivy is fun enough but this story didn't stick out to me too much.
February 27, 2024
+3 To be honest this story disappointed me - it’s titled as if it’ll show Poison Ivy’s origin with detail, such as her father being distant during her childhood or being experimented on by Professor Woodrue that caused her powers, but these things are only mentioned very briefly as context to why she feels so let down and betrayed by all men.
Despite what I wanted this to be, and was misled to believe, the story is relatively weak with nicely drawn and coloured art, particularly of the people. There was so much that was annoying about the plot though, such as Poison Ivy gave the kiss of death to Batman twice, but we never know how he survives. Did the second kiss negate the first? It is too vague to know what the result was.
The characterisation of Poison Ivy was so off-putting as well - so she hates men, but she was perfectly happy to kill women too. She’s also incredibly bloodthirsty as well, which is very ironic for a character who wants plants to flourish and live. Very strange comic, great art.
Alongside this Batman villain origin story annual, three others were published in a collected edition called Batman: Four of a Kind, which I've also reviewed.
[Read and reviewed in February 2023]
Despite what I wanted this to be, and was misled to believe, the story is relatively weak with nicely drawn and coloured art, particularly of the people. There was so much that was annoying about the plot though, such as Poison Ivy gave the kiss of death to Batman twice, but we never know how he survives. Did the second kiss negate the first? It is too vague to know what the result was.
The characterisation of Poison Ivy was so off-putting as well - so she hates men, but she was perfectly happy to kill women too. She’s also incredibly bloodthirsty as well, which is very ironic for a character who wants plants to flourish and live. Very strange comic, great art.
Alongside this Batman villain origin story annual, three others were published in a collected edition called Batman: Four of a Kind, which I've also reviewed.
[Read and reviewed in February 2023]
February 18, 2023
This was fun! A short but sweet Year One story showing Batman’s first encounter with Ivy. Some pretty solid writing from Alan Grant and I really loved Brian Apthorp’s artwork. I was happy to find this at my LCS since the trade paperback that collects this is difficult to find at a decent price.
February 13, 2023
Art - 2.5/5
Sorry, didn't like it.
Story - same 2.5/5
It was kinda cringy sometimes.
This comic positions Poison Ivy as a typical man-hater, and quite poorly.
Sorry, didn't like it.
Story - same 2.5/5
It was kinda cringy sometimes.
This comic positions Poison Ivy as a typical man-hater, and quite poorly.
August 1, 2025
Alfred changing the water to cold killed me
June 24, 2016
Diving and thinking this was another origin story, this time revolving around one of the few female villains in the Batman Universe, Poison Ivy. I initially saw this as a disappointment.
I do not have an in depth knowledge of who Poison Ivy is as a whole - except maybe for a few cloudy scenes from the 1997 film, Batman & Robin, I watched when I was a child where she was killed and reborn anew to be known as Poison Ivy.
In this comic however, it just showed a small glimpse of who Ivy was before she joined the dark side. Foolishly thinking this was an origin story, I tried best I could to understand the writers perspective; That yes she volunteered for the experiment, so there was no point in elaborating what happened inside the lab. But THAT was the very thing I was clamouring for. The banal reason I was reading this graphic novel in the first place. I wanted more details on what Dr. Woodrue did to her or what truly happened in that lab and not just a brief summary of her past.
But even given that predicament, I found myself enjoying the issue. It was a light, easy and fast paced read where there was a decent amount of action where it would change from Ivy's Point Of View to Batman which was a nice change from the usual Batman and Captain Gordon that we are all too familiar with. Aside from a change in perspective, the one thing that slapped me into realization is that Batman was still just a regular man. A man who posses great intellect and athletic abilities, at the end of the day is bound by the same weaknesses we, the non-metahumans encounter in our natural lives - pheromones and toxins - which Poison Ivy can easily manipulate and use against Bruce and Batman.
This is why this is my favorite scene, it showed me his frailty as a person and not a hero that we all know him to be:
Another thing that sets this set of panels from the rest was how Bruce was wonderfully drawn in this page (except for the last one). A shower scene mixed with a hint of innuendo and Alfred's disdain for his masters train of thought was hilariously sexy all at the same time.
Overall, although this wasn't the story I originally planned on reading, Poison Ivy's first appearance was brief but beautiful.
I do not have an in depth knowledge of who Poison Ivy is as a whole - except maybe for a few cloudy scenes from the 1997 film, Batman & Robin, I watched when I was a child where she was killed and reborn anew to be known as Poison Ivy.
In this comic however, it just showed a small glimpse of who Ivy was before she joined the dark side. Foolishly thinking this was an origin story, I tried best I could to understand the writers perspective; That yes she volunteered for the experiment, so there was no point in elaborating what happened inside the lab. But THAT was the very thing I was clamouring for. The banal reason I was reading this graphic novel in the first place. I wanted more details on what Dr. Woodrue did to her or what truly happened in that lab and not just a brief summary of her past.
But even given that predicament, I found myself enjoying the issue. It was a light, easy and fast paced read where there was a decent amount of action where it would change from Ivy's Point Of View to Batman which was a nice change from the usual Batman and Captain Gordon that we are all too familiar with. Aside from a change in perspective, the one thing that slapped me into realization is that Batman was still just a regular man. A man who posses great intellect and athletic abilities, at the end of the day is bound by the same weaknesses we, the non-metahumans encounter in our natural lives - pheromones and toxins - which Poison Ivy can easily manipulate and use against Bruce and Batman.
This is why this is my favorite scene, it showed me his frailty as a person and not a hero that we all know him to be:
Another thing that sets this set of panels from the rest was how Bruce was wonderfully drawn in this page (except for the last one). A shower scene mixed with a hint of innuendo and Alfred's disdain for his masters train of thought was hilariously sexy all at the same time.
Overall, although this wasn't the story I originally planned on reading, Poison Ivy's first appearance was brief but beautiful.
June 19, 2024
An entertaining enough read. Meant to be Batman's first encounter with Poison Ivy, this adventure takes place in the early years of Batman's career. It functions well as a Year One story, as Batman seems slightly less competent than he would be later. Recommended for Batman completists, though this issue is by no means essential reading.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews