Ray: Poison Ivy is obviously going through it in her main series, finding herself not just hunted by her enemies but betrayed by her friends. She’s even found herself at the center of a civil war between the Green and the Grey, so it’s no surprise she’s seeking out some extra counsel in the form of the Tree of Knowledge. This powerful, ancient being was first encountered at the end of Ivy’s initial arc, as she died and found herself communing with nature like never before. And now, she wants to know why the Green has seemingly abandoned the world, preferring to take an isolationist approach. The truth, as brilliantly drawn by iconic artist Mark Buckingham, is revealed here. It takes us back to ancient times, when a red-haired sorceress lives in the woods, using her symbiotic relationship with the forest to make simple potions for the small village that lives in cooperation with the plant world.

But all good things must come to an end, and soon the sorceress – now known as the Lady of the Lake – gets a visit from a charming young king who wants to build a kingdom just outside of the woods. The inspirations for this story and the characters in it are pretty clear, but it never says specifically who this king is supposed to be. The sorceress does her best to instill in him the need to respect nature, but that becomes trickier as his kingdom grows – and he plans to get married, to a beautiful woman from a faraway kingdom. She brings with her a court magician with his own interest in the world of the woods, and a battle of court intrigue and power struggles ensues. The sorceress tries to keep her forest safe, but the expansion of man’s reach leaves her little chance, and in the end destruction comes from an unexpected source. The fusion of old fantasy with Ivy’s story is surprisingly seamless and packs a real emotional punch.

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Source: geekdad.com