Significant Poison Ivy Issues

[El Sombrero]

Hey guys!

My girlfriend is a HUGE Poison Ivy fan, and I'm looking for help shopping for Christmas presents. I'm not well read on Poison Ivy or much of the DC Universe, really, (Though I am loving the New 52 so far!), so I'm not sure what to look for.

I know I'm going to buy her a copy of Batman 181, because that's Ivy's first appearance. Other than that, are there any significant Ivy related issues that would be important for an Ivy lover?

Batman 181 could set you back a decent amount of money. I'm not sure how much you're looking to spend here, but if she understands the value of that issue, that could certainly be the entire gift right there. I would also make sure she understands the value of the issue...like, don't rub it in that she needs to keep it in good condition, because it's ultimately her gift and that would sound lame, but on the other hand, hopefully you don't find a comic you just spent $100 on in the bathroom as toilet reading, etc. You will also need to get a sense of what condition you want to buy the comic in, and again, hopefully she will understand if the comic has some wear & tear, it still cost you a decent amount of money. If your GF is a comic collector then she probably understands this stuff, just making sure.

I would co-sign whatever nepenthes said, and if you want a complementary gift, I think something non-comics based, like a statue, action figure, or art print, may be a better call. Batman 181 is such a significant comic that it would dwarf whatever other comics you would get her.

[ngroove]

Batman 181 could set you back a decent amount of money. I'm not sure how much you're looking to spend here, but if she understands the value of that issue, that could certainly be the entire gift right there. I would also make sure she understands the value of the issue...like, don't rub it in that she needs to keep it in good condition, because it's ultimately her gift and that would sound lame, but on the other hand, hopefully you don't find a comic you just spent $100 on in the bathroom as toilet reading, etc. You will also need to get a sense of what condition you want to buy the comic in, and again, hopefully she will understand if the comic has some wear & tear, it still cost you a decent amount of money. If your GF is a comic collector then she probably understands this stuff, just making sure.

I would co-sign whatever nepenthes said, and if you want a complementary gift, I think something non-comics based, like a statue, action figure, or art print, may be a better call. Batman 181 is such a significant comic that it would dwarf whatever other comics you would get her.

DUDE, he's getting it for his GIRLFRIEND - A GIFT - if it eventually gets him, at the very least, grateful hugs and kisses, I'm sure it will definitely be well WORTH IT!

Nothing brightens a smile, twinkle in eyes, and warmest "Thank Yous" gifters has been waiting for, better than a gift from the heart.

[El Sombrero]

DUDE, he's getting it for his GIRLFRIEND - A GIFT - if it eventually gets him, at the very least, grateful hugs and kisses, I'm sure it will definitely be well WORTH IT!

Nothing brightens a smile, twinkle in eyes, and warmest "Thank Yous" gifters has been waiting for, better than a gift from the heart.

I understand that, I'm just making sure that the guy knows how much the issue will probably cost, and how bad condition it will probably be in, and that his girlfriend understands these things as well. If he gets the sense that his girlfriend may not really care about "first appearances" and stuff like that, it may be better to go in a different direction, because she may not really understand or appreciate why he spent like a hundred dollars on 20-something faded and beaten up pages. I'm not sure how you got the sense that my post was undermining the "gift giving" aspect of all this.

[An Ear In The Fireplace]

If you're going to get 181 then you ought to get 183, since it picks up from where 181 leaves off. I read both of these comics when I was a kid and then when I was an older person I tried to find them. I didn't have a problem getting 181 (mind you this was thirty years ago), but I assumed that the other comic I had read as a kid must have been 182 yet that's a Giant. I finally figured out 183 was the one that I needed--the second story is cover featured, rather than the Poison Ivy story. While 181 can cost quite a bit, 183 goes for much less. So if you're going to be a good boyfriend and get 181, you might as well go all the way and get 183 (which is an even more out there tale, with all kinds of weird sexual tension between Ivy and Batman/Bruce).

[Filip]

Batman Legends of the Dark Knight HotHouse
Harley and Ivy
Batman and Poison Ivy: Casting Shadows
Gotham City Sirens
Detective Comics #751, #752, #823
Fruit of the Earth (which is collected in No Man's Land vol. 2)
DC Secret Origins #36 (story by Neil Gaiman)