Huntress #5

[aeka]

And now to contrast Barbara Gordon's fight with Gretel, how about 4 pages of Helena Wayne's own personal brand of justice against the Chairman of Kufra himself?

Aside from some cliche dialogue and some blantant misogyny, this was actually a pretty good issue. In fact it was shit tonnes better than the last three issues, which makes me wonder why this mini didn't pick up pace sooner.

As for Helena Wayne's characterisation in this issue...let's just say this issue will either make or break the deal for any pre-existing Huntress fans. I don't think I need to clarify my position on this comm since this is *me* we're talking about, but I will say that this definitely has me excited for the series' conclusion next month, and even moreso with Power Girl making an appearance.

And so the hunting ends...









Looks like killing that female sex worker hit a nerve with Helena if she teared up and killed the bastard herself with no seconds hesitation. (Is this a hint at Earth-2 Selina having the post-Crisis Selina's sex worker origin? Further hint of how she might have died on Earth-2?)

Can't say I'm actually surprised they went this route with Helena if her characterisation as the post-Crisis Helena Bertinelli was any indication, or to go back even earlier yet, Joey Cavalieri's take on the pre-Crisis Helena Wayne. At best, this either hints that she was either mostly raised by Selina, or Earth-2 Bruce is just like his Golden Age incarnation who started off his Batman career mercilessly killing foes. Or if Earth-2 Bruce is as unwavering on his strict "no-kill" rule as the mainstream one, maybe Helena just had plenty of exposure growing up and this is her way of saying "fuck it, I'm playing by my own rules."

Either way, looks like she and Damian will get along just fine...or maybe not since Damian might think of his Earth-2 "half-sister" as competition, pre-existing misogyny issues aside. Not that he'd have much to worry about since I doubt main DCU Bruce would be anymore approving of Huntress this time around, Earth-2 daughter or not. XP

Comments

[darkknightjrk]

He isn't dead. It's a swerve move. If they wanted us to know for a fact she killed him, they would have actually shown the dead body with the arrow through the noggin.

[aeka]

He looked pretty dead to me when he got wheeled out by paramedics. It also makes sense considering she ends up with a bounty on her head and will have the entire Italian army on her ass next issue.

[darkknightjrk]

From what I'm reading of these scans, all we see is a bodybag. It could be for the woman that he killed.

[aeka]

I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be him in the body bag, otherwise why have Ibn Hassan specify "Father" just as they're rolling him out in a body bag on the telly? Also considering this was the Chairman of Kufra that got caught in this crossfire, I doubt they would be showing any bodies on telly from the incident if this was just an unknown sex worker. Plus, there'd be no point to her being pursued by the Italian army next issue if she didn't actually kill him in the climax.

[shadowpsykie]

my only problem is his son is looking outside the window and not at the tv. he could possibly be seeing his father hanging from the balcony....

that said, i don't mind him being dead, or that Helena pulled the trigger.

[darkknightjrk]

Maybe he was arrested or something else happened to him and Ibn is still reeling from it? Maybe the Italian army (whom I believe was in league with Hassan) want to frame her so they killed him for being a liability and laid it on her?

Not to mention that it would really kill the climax of the last issue of her choosing not to kill if it was invalidated the very next issue.

I think if we weren't supposed to question what happened, then they would have actually shown the guy dead with an arrow between the eyes.

[aeka]

I think if we weren't supposed to question what happened, then they would have actually shown the guy dead with an arrow between the eyes

Or you're simply just looking far more into things than the page actually warrants? I think the message here is pretty clear.

[shadowpsykie]

i don't mind her killing him... but i kinda agree with darkkightjrk (i JUST got what his name means!) the art suggest that while we are meant to think Helena killed him, its kinda open.

also the idea that she runs into the birds of prey later, suggests that maybe she was framed or she didn't really kill him. as Black Canary, Ivy, Katana, and Starling are all supposed to be guilty of murder but not really... or Helena could have actually killed him and either lie to the Birds, or straight up say "Look he was a piece of garbage and deserved what he got, i defy one of you to tell me he didn't"

[aeka]

Now that you mentioned Birds of Prey...I wonder if she'll be part of the Night of the Owls event crossover. I really don't want her to just show up for one issue of Birds and then Worlds' Finest from there. :/

[shadowpsykie]

i think she supposed to be there for an arc....

[darkknightjrk]

I won't say that's completely impossible--plus, Levitz is more old school so this could be just me expecting something that's more current in how that information is displayed.

But I'm still certain that there's something we're not seeing. Just make sure that if that is the case to write in your post for the next issue that I was right, is all I'm asking for. :P

[aeka]

Just make sure that if that is the case to write in your post for the next issue that I was right, is all I'm asking for. :P

Noted!

[junipepper]

Yeah, I think it's a swerve move too.

[omnipotent]

Man, I can't wait to pick this up. I've been really enjoying this mini.

[shadowpsykie]

hm, those tears are very subtle.... nice catch

though at the same time this might also be nod to Helena B's rape when she was a child....

either way a soft spot for children, and women who have been exploited rings true with either Helena.

And i don't have a problem with either killing, so long as they don't kill left and right. This guy... send two arrows, one in each eye....

as far as bat/cat specualtion... i think this says more about Helena than it does about either of her parents. i think she is her own person and makes her own choices. maybe both her parents are dead (didnt she become huntress after they died?) so she's like "Screw it, crime won't abide by the rules, neither will i"

[aeka]

though at the same time this might also be nod to Helena B's rape when she was a child....

I thought of that as well, especially since that was part of Helena B's original origin and a part of her motivation for becoming the Huntress in Joey Cavalieri's original series. Hopefully they don't revive that concept again in this reboot since I'm honestly tired of that trope as a motivator for female heroes. >.o

as far as bat/cat specualtion... i think this says more about Helena than it does about either of her parents. i think she is her own person and makes her own choices. maybe both her parents are dead (didnt she become huntress after they died?) so she's like "Screw it, crime won't abide by the rules, neither will i"

True. I was thinking of the fact that she did tear up a bit in that last page, which made me think that the chairman's treatment of the sex worker somehow made the matter more personal to her.

[shadowpsykie]

True. I was thinking of the fact that she did tear up a bit in that last page, which made me think that the chairman's treatment of the sex worker somehow made the matter more personal to her.

Actually it wasn't just the sex worker. yeah that got her started... but the tears started to form (an i really must compliment To on his art here, its remarkable) after saying "There were so many ways you could have helped them... and left them thier souls" its more how the women themselves were treated than the one sex worker.

again yes it could very well be a nod to Selina, or a nod to Helena B. or just to the fact that Helena maybe as a woman takes special interest in how women are treated. truth is until we know more, we don't know...

[aeka]

again yes it could very well be a nod to Selina, or a nod to Helena B. or just to the fact that Helena maybe as a woman takes special interest in how women are treated. truth is until we know more, we don't know...

Or option D, all of the above?

Now that you quoted Helena's "There were so many ways you could have helped them... and left them thier souls," line, sounds like that may have been in reference to herself as well. Guess we'll have to wait and see what Levitz has cooked up this time? :P

[shadowpsykie]

yeah i know. either way she takes this personally and a helena that takes it personally is a Helena i do NOT want to be on the recieving end of....

[shadowpsykie]

i'm a little bothered by something... the Huntress costume, this current one is definately Helena B's.... mainly the "Cross" and even the dialogue box uses the cross..

for me the "cross" has always been something of Helena B's because of her catholicism... its something i have always liked... now knowing she is Helena W... it seems wrong for her to have that.... if that makes anysense at all...

i guess you could argue the cross-bow... but that feels like a stretch... i don't know... give her a variation of her other costume... this feels off....

[darkknightjrk]

Maybe after the deaths of her parents this Helena became more religious?

[shadowpsykie]

i could buy that... but it would have to be legit and not just, "let's make he a little more like Helena B"

[aeka]

Post-Crisis Selina was also raised Catholic and her sister Maggie (who would be Helena's aunt in this continuity) was also a nun prior to marriage.

So if my theory of Earth-2 Selina being the post-Crisis Selina has any validity to it, Catholicism can still be a part of her history.

[shadowpsykie]

okay, i can see that. little less bothered by it... but i hope it is expanded on and/or explored more.... (moments like Helena praying before her fight with shiva were nice moments and very powerful too).

i just don't want it to be not explained...

[aeka]

I'm pretty sure Levitz will be doing plenty of that in Worlds' Finest, so we'll just have to wait and see. I'm pretty curious about the cross myself actually.

[shadowpsykie]

*nods* i just want it to make sense and not be a "ey it would be cool..."

[jlbarnett]

Is the guy blind? Cause it looks to me the only way she wins is because he's an idiot and lets her plug in a weapon. This doesn't make her look all that good.

[aeka]

Considering this guy's view of women is that they are "weak" and even made a sexist jab at Helena, it is possible he simply got overconfident and didn't bother to stop her because--in his mind--she's weaker than he is, and tried to conform to the stereotype that men are stronger.

[junipepper]

But hey, it sure was kind of him to take her down right in front of that conveniently located outlet... ;-)

[jaybee3]

Marcus To's art can seemingly make any story read good. I'm not sure if I like this development - how many of Bruce Wayne's "kids" (Earth-2 or not) being out right killers do we need (Jason, Damien, Helena)?

"Either way, looks like she and Damian will get along just fine...or maybe not since Damian might think of his Earth-2 "half-sister" as competition, pre-existing misogyny issues aside."

The main reason I desperately wanted pre-reboot little Helena Kyle to return (since Bruce obviously knew where she went having arranged the adoption and all) and for her to be retconned as Bruce's all along was just so Damien could discover her and see what his reaction would be. The back of my mind says Damien would love to have a non-cloned blood sibling (since blood ties is so important to him), no matter what her personality was like.

[shadowpsykie]

I'm not sure if I like this development - how many of Bruce Wayne's "kids" (Earth-2 or not) being out right killers do we need (Jason, Damien, Helena)?
she;s not an out and out killer though... so far (unless you count the boat that blew up) this guy is the only one she killed. I don't kind her killing, so long as she doesn't become the punisher, or preboot Jason (reboot jason is less killy and more maimey)

[gerardotejada]

I dont know, there are worst things than death.
I am tired of Punisher clones, besides even Bertinelli was more about the violence than the killing

[omnipotent]

I don't think Helena will make a habit out of killing though, or take it to quite the extremes that Damian and Jason have.

[aeka]

Yeah I don't think she's as eager to kill as Jason and Damian are either. If that was the case she would have been killing thugs straight up instead of just leaving it to circumstance if they die or not. Here she experienced a trigger and acted on it.

[midnightvoyager]

"I have found it! The most only-situationally-useful weapon EVER!"

I swear, the killing didn't even register to me, I can't see anything past the world's dumbest fight scene. Really? Why do you even HAVE that thing? Why was it the ONLY thing you could use to get out of that situation?

You do know that electricity can travel from one person to another, right?

wtf.