DC’s Major New Batman Retcon Fixes Poison Ivy After 60 Years

With the Darkseid-created Absolute Universe comes fresh designs and origins for Batman’s most iconic villains, and now fans get their first in-story glimpse of Poison Ivy, along with the opening chapter of the Gotham City Siren’s new origin story.

Scott Snyder and artist Eric Canete’s Absolute Batman #17 is almost here, with a release date set for February 18, 2026. This issue kicks off The Seventh Kingdom, a new Poison Ivy-centric story arc in Absolute Batman. Until then, fans can get a taste from the five-page preview DC Comics has released.

The preview offers the first in-story look at Ivy as a child, as well as an introduction to the rogue Poison Ivy. It includes glimpses of her childhood (the possible catalyst for her turn to villainy) along with a close-up and terrifying display of the Siren’s powers in action.

Poison Ivy’s New Absolute Origin Story Drops

Absolute Batman #17 Releases February 18, 2026

Absolute Batman #17 opens with a flashback of a young Pamela visiting Gotham City with her mother. Ivy’s narration reveals she is ten years old at the time, celebrating her birthday with a rare trip to the city, an unusual break from her typical routine of living in isolation with her mother in the woods of Kane County.

The flashback highlights the deep love Pamela has for her mother and hints at the origins of her “Poison Ivy” moniker. Her mother called her “Ivy” because of her habit of climbing the trees behind their cabin. Ivy’s narration also reveals that her mother was “already sick” during this trip, a fact the ten-year-old Pamela didn't know at the time.

The implication is that Ivy’s mother eventually dies from her illness, and her death likely serves as the catalyst for Pamela’s eventual transformation into a superpowered rogue. The next page returns to the present, revealing exactly who Poison Ivy has become.

Absolute Batman Reveals Its First Glimpse of Poison Ivy & Her Powers

MegaCon Orlando 2026 Mark Brooks Foil Virgin Variant for Absolute Batman #17 (2026)

Readers then get their first glimpse of an adult, superpowered Poison Ivy as she emerges from the shadows, using her plants to attack a police officer who has stumbled upon what appears to be a creature hatchery. While this scene doesn’t offer a fully clear look at Ivy, it still marks her in-narrative debut in the Absolute Universe.

The full issue, releasing Wednesday, will likely provide a more detailed view of Absolute Poison Ivy, but fans can already see the character on various covers. Despite the somewhat limited first narrative glimpse, it is clear that this version of Ivy is just as powerful, if not more so, than her Prime Earth counterpart.

When Batman investigates the building Ivy has overtaken, he discovers that the police officers who entered before him have been transformed into plant-controlled zombies that attack on sight. While Poison Ivy has performed similar feats before, the Absolute version executes them with unprecedented ease, highlighting her terrifying new level of power.

Absolute Batman #17 from DC Comics is available February 18, 2026!