Poison Ivy: Thorns is a 2021 young adult gothic-horror graphic novel written by Kody Keplinger, with art by Sara Kipin. It was published by DC Comics on June 1, 2021. The graphic novel tells the origin story of Poison Ivy, focusing on her teenage years. Production Poison Ivy: Thorns was written by Kody Keplinger, with art by Sara Kipin, lettering by Steve Wands, and coloring by Jeremy Lawson. It tells the origin story of the DC Comics character Poison Ivy, focusing on her teenage years. Poison Ivy had been Keplinger's favorite comic book character since she was young, with the writer stating that the bisexual Ivy "feels tailor made for [her] interests as a nature-loving, gay makeup enthusiast". Keplinger was keen to write for the character and Poison Ivy: Thorns was the result of her pitch to DC Comics for a modern Gothic story about Ivy. Keplinger's intention was to write "an angsty gothic romance" that her teenage self would have loved, and her influences for the novel included "queer gothic literature" such as Sarah Waters' Fingersmith. Keplinger also noted that DC Comics gave her a lot of freedom to reimagine Ivy's origins, and she drew inspiration from the character's previous iterations. Other DC characters do not appear in the novel, as the creators wanted Ivy to be the sole focus of the story. Kipin described the graphic novel as an "LGBT horror stor[y]", and the artist found it easy to relate to Ivy, using her own experiences as "a moody LGBT teen" to flesh out the character. The graphic novel was published by DC Comics on June 1, 2021, as part of a Pride Month initiative. Synopsis Poison Ivy: Thorns follows a teenage Pamela Isley who is constantly being mistreated by the men in her life. In school, she is bullied by a male classmate she briefly dated, all while the principal turns a blind eye. At home, her scientist father conducts experiments on her in hopes of finding a cure for her mother's mysterious illness. Pamela finds solace in conducting dangerous chemical experiments with plants. She also finds herself falling for a fellow student named Alice. Using her chemistry knowledge and power over plants, Pamela eventually decides to retaliate against the men who have wronged her. She takes on the name Poison Ivy and leaves her old life behind. Critical reception Benton Jones' review for Comic Book Resources