
Poison Ivy first appeared in Batman #181, in a story called “Beware of—Poison Ivy!” written by Robert Kanigher and illustrated by Sheldon Moldoff (credited as Bob Kane). The comic’s cover was created by the renowned Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson. Infantino and Kanigher envisioned Ivy as a new female villain in Gotham, determined to become the city’s top female criminal, and she immediately shows interest in both Bruce Wayne and Batman—at one point, she even comments on Bruce’s attractiveness while admiring Batman’s physique. This early story is a fun, over-the-top adventure, and the Poison Ivy presented in Batman #181 is quite different from the character fans know today. However, it’s an important issue that any Batman enthusiast would be thrilled to own.