Written by Paul Levitz
Illustrated by Marcus ToLook out! By the end of this hot new miniseries, the Huntress will have the largest price on her head in DC Universe history.
What will the Huntress do that warrants such a death mark? And who puts it there? The jaw-dropping events will be revealed as the Huntress heads home to Italy and embarks on a mission that defines her life. Don’t miss out, because this story will tie in to upcoming events in BIRDS OF PREY!
The first post-New 52 minis are here, and along with Penguin comes Huntress. Huntress has always been a popular character with the fans of the Batman-universe, even if Batman isn’t particularly fond of her himself. Alas, she’s back in the DCnU with a miniseries that sends our heroine to Italy, and brings Paul Levitz and Marcus To along for the trip.
Does the book stack up, or does it take a bullet in the belly window? Check it after the cut.
I’ve had my issues with Paul Levitz in the New 52 already; I reviewed his relaunch of the Legion of Super-Heroes, which was the worst attempt at a “reboot” I’ve ever seen. Even though I love Marcus To’s work, I was worried that Huntress would somehow fall into the same rut that Legion did.
Thankfully, I was wrong.
Levitz took the opportunity to tell a story that was not only told in a way to engage the existing readers of the Batman-Universe, but new-reader friendly enough for anyone to read. Among the most welcome choices Levitz makes was to completely disconnect Helena from Gotham and, by extension, Batman. That was basically the problem I had with the Psylocke mini from last year, with the over-reliance on Wolverine being a detriment to the series; a reliance on Batman or even Nightwing would have done the same thing. However, Levitz manages to tell a story that lets Helena be her own person.
Now that the obligatory Batman mention is out of the way, let’s talk about the comic itself: Levitz is a great fit for the book. He starts to weave a story that fits perfectly within Helena’s backyard, and considering she’s always been a character that was entrenched in the mob and its dealings, it only made sense to send her to Italy to deal with the Mafioso there. Everything Levitz weaves in the book is a masterstroke. The plot and the dialogue made the book fun to read even after several readings, and the pacing of the book made for a brisk, action-packed read. The supporting characters and the characterization of Helena herself gave us a bunch of well-developed characters, from the lead to the villainous gangster who’s willing to kill if it suits their needs.
One of the best parts of the book was Huntress’ position as the outsider coming in to Naples and the consequences of her behavior. There was culture clash, mistaken identities (although she did that purposefully, and you can tell) — or, long story short, Levitz really succeeded everywhere in this book where he failed in Legion.
Then there’s Marcus To. To is a supremely talented artist who was perfect for this book as well as Levitz. His figures are beautiful without ever being degrading, and Helena’s duality of being powerful as well as sexy is the exclamation point on this statement. She’s never in poses that would explicitly make her look submissive or weak (for the sake of looking submissive or weak that is); she’s beautiful but self-assured and powerful in her own right.
One might even go so far as to say that this was the book that Catwoman deserved. One panel could even describe this perfectly: at one point, Huntress holds a guy by his throat with nothing but her foot, and while her leg extends over her head, she looks rather powerful whilst doing it. To’s work is so sexy yet empowering, you hardly notice the lack of a belly window when you first see her in costume. By the time you finish the book, you forget there ever was a belly window in the first place. (I don’t even understand the need for belly window, to be honest.)
To put it plainly, if you’re a fan of the Batman Universe, or empowered female characters, or even just comics in general? You should pick up this book. I can promise you won’t be disappointed.
Final Verdict: 8.0 — Buy before Helena takes you down
