Inside the Guide: Batman #181

Some of the great comic book villains have proven that though they do harm, their motivation can be sympathetic – even realistic. Poison Ivy is one such villain who uses her immense power to protect the earth, even if it means violence against humans.

Poison Ivy can exude venomous floral toxins and pheromones to enthrall or poison men and she can rapidly grow plants to extreme sizes. Once characterized as a villainess, since the New 52 she has been mostly depicted as an antiheroine.

She was introduced in Batman #181 (June 1966), which carried a cover price of 12¢. When Robert M. Overstreet published The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #1 in 1970, a Near Mint copy was valued at 50¢. Ten years later it was priced at $1.50, then Ivy’s debut took a big leap in 1990’s the Guide #20 when it rose to $20.

By 2000, Batman #181 had risen to seven times that amount at $140 in the Guide #30. The book continued its momentum in 2010’s the Guide #40, valued at $475. Just a few years ago in the Guide’s milestone 50th edition, it grew to $3,000. By 2022, Poison Ivy’s debut more than doubled in the Guide #52 with a Near Mint copy valued at $7,000.