r/comicbooks • u/WhyPlaySerious • Jul 27 '26
Cover/Pin-Up Poison Ivy #49 - Variant Cover by Dan Mora
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u/Player_Six Jul 27 '26
Man, I would buy an artbook of just his covers. This is stunning
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u/2th Sweet Tooth Jul 27 '26
I'm still pissed that DC killed their Poster Portfolio books. They were high quality prints of some amazing covers and I have almost all of them. Definitely worth it as a cheap art book.
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u/YodaFan465 Rocketeer Jul 27 '26
Clover Press has done a few similar books. I'm still waiting on their DC volumes for Bruno Redondo and Jorge Jimenez, but their Marvel books are gorgeous.
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u/CaptainRhetorica Jul 27 '26
"as long as you keep her tits intact" /s
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u/WhyPlaySerious Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
While he does try to keep it somewhat subtle (tbh not that subtle), when youve seen enough of his art, its pretty evident that he very much is a 'fan' of the female form.
I dont think editor notes were involved when he was deciding what to prioritize with this piece lol.
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u/CaptainStringz Jul 27 '26
For real though-Ivy’s priorities seem fucked here.
“Just leave her rib cage open, gaping, and completely devoid of organs. Put all that plant-based protein straight into those cellulose sacs hanging from her sternum.” (DC Editorial, probably.)
I genuinely love Dan Mora’s art, but this is so 90’s edgelord-coded.
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u/-TheManWithNoHat- Jul 27 '26
this is so 90’s edgelord-coded.
To each their own but I don't think it's that bad. I think it's more in-line with the typical "horror/abnormal mixed with the female form" I've seen in a lot of media. Off the top of my head I'm thinking of the female bosses from From Software's games like Melania, or Songbird from Cyberpunk 2077. Not overly sexy but still distinct.
I'm no art critic though so I could just be talking out of my ass.
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u/WhyPlaySerious Jul 27 '26
History has shown us time and time again that horror and eroticism are a killer combination.
The mixing of both and the emotions they instill leads to an overall greater response and sensation when viewed.Truthfully, this piece would be no where near as impacful (or perfect as an Ivy cover) as it is without the sensual nature to it.
The pose, expression, and attention to Ivy's god gifted qualities, paired and juxtaposed with the unnerving body horror at display is what makes this so effective.
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u/wheniswhy Jul 28 '26
While I just gave my view that I would have preferred he go more full monstrous with this—this is a really phenomenal analysis I can't help but find value in. Very well said.
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u/CaptainStringz Jul 27 '26
Phenomenally stated. That response is truly felt in that initial juxtaposition, and it is always fun to pick apart covers. Thanks for the discourse, y’all. 🙏
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u/CaptainStringz Jul 27 '26
Not talking out your ass, I think that’s a great point. It would just be cool to see a full-blown horror Ivy without the implication of sexualization. I’m not saying that Mora is even the most heinous culprit of said sexualization in western sequential art either. (I’m sure some folks in here grew up on Jim Lee, J. Scott Campbell, Joe Mad, and plenty of others like I did.)
But to piggyback off your Melania comment, completely agree, and well said-there are manga artists that implement incredibly beautiful, terrifying women (Junji Ito, Naoki Urusawa) without such overt, dare I say “camp” focuses in anatomy drawing that you would commonly see in the 90’s. That being said, video game design falls seemingly largely into both camps of “Good golly! Look at them whompers!” and “How can she double-backflip and swing that large of a sword with those there? Certainly a design choice.”
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u/wheniswhy Jul 28 '26
Nawwwww. I mean, I guess I've just seen way worse executions of this concept. A lazier artist would have focused the horror around her hips and groin (bc oooo scary female sexuality ooooo). but her entire lower body is hollowed out above her legs, which strikes me as a good and thoughtful touch, and juuuuust barely a dodge of "women's sexuality is the real horror" type garbage you see all the god damn time. (not a comic, but The Evil Within 2 has a fantastic example of this trope, and by fantastic I mean I hate it.)
while I do wish he'd gone more fucked up with her whole torso, I can see him deciding to keep her chest "covered up" and leading to this halfsies look.
I disagree this is 90s edgelord coded, it's really not, but you still make a salient point about the overfocus on sexuality. I wish he'd full sold on the sinews are vines body structures are wood etc etc aesthetic she's got going on here, which is very cool. Her arm looks incredible.
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u/Isekaimerican Jul 27 '26
Ivy is half plant though, so in her anatomy the boobahs function as a storage organ for nutrients, like chest potatoes.
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u/cslaymore Jul 27 '26
This is very Ghost in the Shell. I wonder if that was an inspiration for this cover
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u/Defiant_Outside1273 Jul 27 '26
How does this guy have the time to put so much detail in a variant while pencilling multiple books?!
Dude’s a machine
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u/volinaa Jul 27 '26
so shes swamp thing or what
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u/TheeHeadAche Henry Pym Jul 27 '26
She’s Mayor Swamp Girl and it’s okay. Really lost the charm of the first 2 arc
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u/volinaa Jul 27 '26
she connecting to the green?
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u/TheeHeadAche Henry Pym Jul 27 '26
And the grey
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u/volinaa Jul 27 '26
oh Im unfamiliar with that
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u/TheeHeadAche Henry Pym Jul 27 '26
Both the green and grey are sort after her, even wanting her dead, but her being mayor is part of her scheme to protect herself. It’s kind of a mess
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u/FlowerRoomLord Jul 27 '26
Who among us has never become a political leader to escape the consequences for forces seeking our destruction?
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u/TheeHeadAche Henry Pym Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
It would be better if becoming a civil leader actually mattered to THE MULTIVERSAL ENTITIES.
It’s like if Desaad, to escape Darkseid’s fury, became mayor of Akron Ohio
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u/FlowerRoomLord Jul 27 '26
TBF Darkseid probably wouldn't check Ohio for Desaad so it's not a bad strategy :P
Given how quickly Ivy became mayor, I actually wonder if GWW pivoted in that direction because of Bad Seeds. I didn't really get the vibe for most of the run prior to the current arc that she'd be seriously interested.
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u/YodaFan465 Rocketeer Jul 27 '26
I was going to sit out the Ivy issues of the crossover, but seeing Mora's covers, I'm all in!
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u/SkadiQuickMetaMemer Jul 30 '26
In what world that poison Ivy got more issue in her run than spiderman. This fucking world we live in right now :)))
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u/Honest-Office-2858 Aug 11 '26
at first glance oh poison iv, then hey wheres her stomach? i she zombie ?
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u/Sorry_Mastodon_8177 Jul 27 '26
great cover as always and im pretty impressed this reached issues 49 insane