Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy collects issues 1-6 of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy written by Jody Houser with art by Adriana Melo, ink by Mark Morales and Wade Von Grawbadger, letters by Gabriela Downie, and colors by HI-FI. The story takes place after the Heroes in Crisis crossover that ran from September 2018 – May 2019 an in which Poison Ivy apparently died. Here, Harley Quinn successfully revives Ivy, but it takes time for Ivy to regain her strength. Just as she appears whole, Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man, arrives to take Ivy and use her powers in his bid to rule the Parliament of Flowers.

Harley and Ivy appear to defeat the Floronic Man and head to the Mad Hatter for help with Ivy’s restoration. Harley does not trust the Mad Hatter and plans to betray him in a bid to become a good guy. Unfortunately, the Hatter plans to betray them as well, keeping Harley as his new Alice and giving Ivy to Woodrue. Harley and Ivy escape again, only to have a visit to a theme part interrupted by a would-be villain as well as the Floronic Man. This makes Harley determined to take the fight to Woodrue.

Houser and Melo’s story perfectly captures why Harley and Ivy work so well together in a story full of heart, humor, and action. Not having read Heroes in Crisis, I can’t be sure how much these versions of the characters reflect that story, but they do differ from the ongoing Harley Quinn series, though, as Sam Humphries points out in his current run as writer of her solo series, Harley Quinn exists in a nebulous state vis-à-vis canon. Still, this story helps in part to explain Ivy’s absence from the ongoing Harley Quinn series. Fans of Harley and Ivy will find plenty to enjoy as Houser takes the time to really focus on what they mean to each other while Melo’s art beautifully depicts them and their world. ( )