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Huntress: Year One #1-6
Birds of Prey - Huntress - Tome 0
Fille de Franco Bertinelli, parrain d'une des familles les plus puissantes de la pègre de Gotham, Helena n'a que huit ans lorsqu'elle assiste, impuissante, à l'assassinat de sa famille.
Unique rescapée de ce drame, la petite fille est alors envoyée en Sicile auprès de ses cousins, des d'assassins qui l'élèvent selon leurs propres codes. Chasseuse et combattante hors-pair, Helena, devenue Huntress, livrera désormais une guerre sans merci aux criminels, allant jusqu'à exécuter ses cibles, ce qui n'est pas du goût de Batman...
Unique rescapée de ce drame, la petite fille est alors envoyée en Sicile auprès de ses cousins, des d'assassins qui l'élèvent selon leurs propres codes. Chasseuse et combattante hors-pair, Helena, devenue Huntress, livrera désormais une guerre sans merci aux criminels, allant jusqu'à exécuter ses cibles, ce qui n'est pas du goût de Batman...
152 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
7 people are currently reading
732 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
January 6, 2023
A messy and overly bloated plot that never seems to find its footing. Like with seemingly every comicbook character origin story, it's a journey built on tragedy, only it doesn't create a hero this time, but a vengeful women set on retribution. The conflict, broken down to its simplest form is: men = bad. Every male character in this is an awful person, and Madison reminds the reader of this every chance they get. It gets to the point where I'm unsure as to what it's trying to promote and communicate to the reader. As for the saving graces, Helena herself is an interesting protagonist who gets to develop amongst a sea of one too many forgettable characters, and the cameos from the Batfam provide some good moments for general DC fans. Lacking in many areas, the best thing it does is invest the reader in a character that deserves better stories.
TRIGGERS: domestic violence, rape, child grooming
P.S shout out to other Molly for getting me to read all of the Huntress things. You know who you are 😌
TRIGGERS: domestic violence, rape, child grooming
P.S shout out to other Molly for getting me to read all of the Huntress things. You know who you are 😌
October 1, 2020
What comic book creators need to learn is the 'show don't tell' technique and apply it sometimes. Needlessly adding unnecessary or repititive monologues in every other panel doesn't make it immerse, but downright monotonous and boring.
The book is a messy, rushed plot with some decent artwork.
The book is a messy, rushed plot with some decent artwork.
May 29, 2024
“They say you should never leave the sin of your enemy alive because he’ll grow up to take revenge. They don’t say anything about daughters.”
“Sometimes, there really are good guys.”
“You settle for being good. I’m going to be the best.”
Helena Bertinelli my glorious queen 🙇🙇
The writing in this was just glorious, magnificent dialogue and character work!
“Love isn’t a feeling, it’s the choices you make. It’s sacrifice. It’s loyalty. If she believes god’s love can save the world, then I will die in service to her vision. That’s the choice I have made.”
Also this conversation between Helena and Bruce?!?!
“Your parents would be ashamed of what you’ve become.”
“You may not talk about them.”
“Fine. God is ashamed of you.”
“God is dead.”
And the last scene where she literally tears someone’s tongue out and then proceeds to baptize herself???
No ones doing it like her.
“Sometimes, there really are good guys.”
“You settle for being good. I’m going to be the best.”
Helena Bertinelli my glorious queen 🙇🙇
The writing in this was just glorious, magnificent dialogue and character work!
“Love isn’t a feeling, it’s the choices you make. It’s sacrifice. It’s loyalty. If she believes god’s love can save the world, then I will die in service to her vision. That’s the choice I have made.”
Also this conversation between Helena and Bruce?!?!
“Your parents would be ashamed of what you’ve become.”
“You may not talk about them.”
“Fine. God is ashamed of you.”
“God is dead.”
And the last scene where she literally tears someone’s tongue out and then proceeds to baptize herself???
No ones doing it like her.
June 10, 2016
Pleasantly surprised by this comic.
This was not the first Huntress comic I have read, but it is the best one. I didn't like Huntress: Crossbow at the Crossroads very well at all because it didn't really hit on anything important or unique about Helena. This Year One comic did just that. She stands out from Batman, Batgirl, and Catwoman in this. It highlights the key events in her life that turned her into the Huntress, as well as her independence from men and her strong Catholic beliefs.
The artwork was good and the dialogue flowed very well. I also really liked the Batman, Batgirl, and Catwoman cameos. It shows these characters from her perspective, which isn't necessarily positive.
I would definitely recommend this to fans of vigilantes, female DC character fans, and (of course) Huntress fans. I can definitely say that after reading this comic, I am a fan of Helena Bertinelli/the Huntress.
This was not the first Huntress comic I have read, but it is the best one. I didn't like Huntress: Crossbow at the Crossroads very well at all because it didn't really hit on anything important or unique about Helena. This Year One comic did just that. She stands out from Batman, Batgirl, and Catwoman in this. It highlights the key events in her life that turned her into the Huntress, as well as her independence from men and her strong Catholic beliefs.
The artwork was good and the dialogue flowed very well. I also really liked the Batman, Batgirl, and Catwoman cameos. It shows these characters from her perspective, which isn't necessarily positive.
I would definitely recommend this to fans of vigilantes, female DC character fans, and (of course) Huntress fans. I can definitely say that after reading this comic, I am a fan of Helena Bertinelli/the Huntress.
July 15, 2017
One of the darker but still entertaining and intelligently-written superhero comics I've read with a woman in the starring role, and one of the first that's an origin story. It's also my first mafia book.
'Huntress: Year One' is short but satisfying, even in a story involving the mafia where criminal organisations are cross-linked and spread throughout the world. And in a superhero origin book, there will be a few loose ends.
Huntress is a magnificently gritty, hard-as-nails heroine (though she prefers to be called hero) who takes shit from no one. She is as violent as I've seen her in Gail Simone's 'Birds of Prey' storylines, although there is less of her devil-may-care attitude in her 'Year One' introduction. Here, she takes things in her tragic life much more seriously.
Helena Bertinelli - mafia princess and lone survivor of a family assassination as a little girl - takes everything into consideration. She seeks revenge and retribution in a man's mob-infested world. Even when she falls in love with a man against her better judgement, she is still willing to kill him because he is as flawed as the rest in their connections to a mafia crime syndicate. Yes, Helena is a heroine who will torture and kill her enemies; though she uses fitting punishments more effectively than anything else at her disposal. All the while she carries a cross and a belief in God with her. This makes her ever the more complex and badass, and it's something rarely ever seen in a female lead in anything, much less a superhero comic book. Even at the age of eight, just before her family were massacred right in front of her, she prayed at the dinner table for her abusive father to be dead - outloud in his presence. Huntress's killing policy is one of the things that sets her miles apart from Gotham's more prestigious protector, Batman.
Misogyny is ripe in the story of Huntress. Men beware her crossbow. She will not let herself or other women suffer in the patriarchy like she always had.
Not all men are evil in 'Huntress: Year One', however, and Huntress isn't a heartless, stoic killer. Her relationship with her adoptive brother is wonderfully done; that along with her feelings over a doomed romance show her softer, more vulnerable side. Underneath the violence, Helena is a ball of pain and suffering. She is human.
Looking at some DC background information, I find it interesting that Huntress was once the daughter of Batman and Catwoman, named Helena Wayne, in Earth-2: until that universe was wiped out from continuity. DC - and Marvel as well - appear to be stubbornly against the idea of superheroes getting married and having children; as it shows their age, I presume. I would argue that any icon can be made timeless depending on good writing, which heroes with families have shown us in the past. Families offer a myriad of opportunities for limitless story and character possibilities - the opposite is not true at all! Still, Huntress must have been popular enough to be granted a revamped version in the Earth-1 continuity. Indeed she is one of the genuinely dynamic DC heroines out there worthy of her own title.
'Huntress: Year One' loses a point for its portrayal of Batgirl. I love Barbara Gordon, so to see her in this comic, where she fails in simple tasks and is scolded by Bruce Wayne like a child, really shook me the wrong way. She's a foil for Huntress, but she also seems to exist to make Huntress look more competent in comparison. I know Barbara is supposed to have only gotten started on her vigilante crusade here. However I was thrown from this perspective by how mature she looks in her civilian form, even being directly involved in police work. Batman being a big, brooding ass refusing to share crime fighting in Gotham doesn't help matters, even though it is for understandable reasons. 'Huntress: Year One' is about a woman's crusade to save other women from a corrupt man's world, and yet little love and respect is given to the women victims themselves; and nowhere is this more apparent than with Batgirl, and Batman's undermining of her. This is swept under the rug, obliterating any possibility for Huntress to perhaps talk to Batgirl about becoming her own individual and not letting a man from higher-ups get her down like dirt on his shoe. Feels like a missed opportunity to me.
So yeah, 'Huntress: Year One' does not do my Batgirl justice. However...
Catwoman, aka Selina Kyle, is great. I never cared much for her character before, but she is a hoot whenever she shows up in this. A self-confident thief, Catwoman gives Huntress advice and lets her in on Batman's weaknesses. Plus she smokes in her costume while up on roofs like no one's business. What a cool cat.
In a way, both Catwoman and Batman serve as parental figures for the orphan Huntress in her origin tale - perhaps a nod to them actually being her parents in her earlier incarnation.
In terms of how women other than Huntress herself are portrayed, Catwoman makes up for Batgirl's poor, wasted appearance.
To conclude, 'Huntress: Year One' is a fine stand-alone title comic, with sombre and meticulous artwork to accompany the mafia revenge plot. It does get confusing in places, as there is the skipping and jumping about in time and trying to keep up with the many bad guys' plans. But I rolled with it all and it turned out to be fairly simple to follow in retrospect.
Dark, sophisticated and horrific, starring an anti-heroine who doesn’t need superpowers to be awesome. She gets stuff done, and in a bloody and bizarrely biblical style.
Final Score: 4/5
'Huntress: Year One' is short but satisfying, even in a story involving the mafia where criminal organisations are cross-linked and spread throughout the world. And in a superhero origin book, there will be a few loose ends.
Huntress is a magnificently gritty, hard-as-nails heroine (though she prefers to be called hero) who takes shit from no one. She is as violent as I've seen her in Gail Simone's 'Birds of Prey' storylines, although there is less of her devil-may-care attitude in her 'Year One' introduction. Here, she takes things in her tragic life much more seriously.
Helena Bertinelli - mafia princess and lone survivor of a family assassination as a little girl - takes everything into consideration. She seeks revenge and retribution in a man's mob-infested world. Even when she falls in love with a man against her better judgement, she is still willing to kill him because he is as flawed as the rest in their connections to a mafia crime syndicate. Yes, Helena is a heroine who will torture and kill her enemies; though she uses fitting punishments more effectively than anything else at her disposal. All the while she carries a cross and a belief in God with her. This makes her ever the more complex and badass, and it's something rarely ever seen in a female lead in anything, much less a superhero comic book. Even at the age of eight, just before her family were massacred right in front of her, she prayed at the dinner table for her abusive father to be dead - outloud in his presence. Huntress's killing policy is one of the things that sets her miles apart from Gotham's more prestigious protector, Batman.
Misogyny is ripe in the story of Huntress. Men beware her crossbow. She will not let herself or other women suffer in the patriarchy like she always had.
Not all men are evil in 'Huntress: Year One', however, and Huntress isn't a heartless, stoic killer. Her relationship with her adoptive brother is wonderfully done; that along with her feelings over a doomed romance show her softer, more vulnerable side. Underneath the violence, Helena is a ball of pain and suffering. She is human.
Looking at some DC background information, I find it interesting that Huntress was once the daughter of Batman and Catwoman, named Helena Wayne, in Earth-2: until that universe was wiped out from continuity. DC - and Marvel as well - appear to be stubbornly against the idea of superheroes getting married and having children; as it shows their age, I presume. I would argue that any icon can be made timeless depending on good writing, which heroes with families have shown us in the past. Families offer a myriad of opportunities for limitless story and character possibilities - the opposite is not true at all! Still, Huntress must have been popular enough to be granted a revamped version in the Earth-1 continuity. Indeed she is one of the genuinely dynamic DC heroines out there worthy of her own title.
'Huntress: Year One' loses a point for its portrayal of Batgirl. I love Barbara Gordon, so to see her in this comic, where she fails in simple tasks and is scolded by Bruce Wayne like a child, really shook me the wrong way. She's a foil for Huntress, but she also seems to exist to make Huntress look more competent in comparison. I know Barbara is supposed to have only gotten started on her vigilante crusade here. However I was thrown from this perspective by how mature she looks in her civilian form, even being directly involved in police work. Batman being a big, brooding ass refusing to share crime fighting in Gotham doesn't help matters, even though it is for understandable reasons. 'Huntress: Year One' is about a woman's crusade to save other women from a corrupt man's world, and yet little love and respect is given to the women victims themselves; and nowhere is this more apparent than with Batgirl, and Batman's undermining of her. This is swept under the rug, obliterating any possibility for Huntress to perhaps talk to Batgirl about becoming her own individual and not letting a man from higher-ups get her down like dirt on his shoe. Feels like a missed opportunity to me.
So yeah, 'Huntress: Year One' does not do my Batgirl justice. However...
Catwoman, aka Selina Kyle, is great. I never cared much for her character before, but she is a hoot whenever she shows up in this. A self-confident thief, Catwoman gives Huntress advice and lets her in on Batman's weaknesses. Plus she smokes in her costume while up on roofs like no one's business. What a cool cat.
In a way, both Catwoman and Batman serve as parental figures for the orphan Huntress in her origin tale - perhaps a nod to them actually being her parents in her earlier incarnation.
In terms of how women other than Huntress herself are portrayed, Catwoman makes up for Batgirl's poor, wasted appearance.
To conclude, 'Huntress: Year One' is a fine stand-alone title comic, with sombre and meticulous artwork to accompany the mafia revenge plot. It does get confusing in places, as there is the skipping and jumping about in time and trying to keep up with the many bad guys' plans. But I rolled with it all and it turned out to be fairly simple to follow in retrospect.
Dark, sophisticated and horrific, starring an anti-heroine who doesn’t need superpowers to be awesome. She gets stuff done, and in a bloody and bizarrely biblical style.
Final Score: 4/5
August 3, 2017
The Huntress has come a long way from the Bronze-Age lovechild of Batman and Catwoman—to say nothing of her earliest appearance as a one-note villainess in 1947. In her current post-Crisis, pre-New 52 incarnation, the purple-clad heroine is a mafia princess orphaned as a little girl by the mob and now wages war against organized crime. In The Huntress: Year One, newcomer Ivory Madison tenders a six-issue miniseries detailing the origins and inaugural year of Helena Bertinelli’s alter ego, the Huntress, a deliciously badass character deserving of her own monthly title but, regrettably, still struggling to find her proper place within the DC Universe.
As the eight-year-old daughter of a Sicilian crime family, Helena Bertinelli was unaware of the dangerous life she lived—that is, until a masked assassin guns down her parents and older brother during a quiet pasta dinner, leaving her the only survivor. The silent panels sequencing her family’s annihilation are powerful and underscore the merciless violence. Rather than killing her, the hitman makes off with Helena’s crucifix as she cries alone amidst a splatter of bloodied corpses and spaghetti sauce. Fast-forward twelve years, on the eve of her twenty-first birthday, Helena, now the ward of the Asaro family, is about to receive a substantial inheritance. But the aging mafia dons have other plans for the Bertinelli fortune. Donning a sleek costume and a handy crossbow, the hunted has become the hunter, and like a wraith in the night Helena tracks both the man who ordered the hit on her family and the triggerman himself. An initially intriguing story takes a decisive nose-dive after a deadly confrontation with her family's killer during the Venetian Carnival leaves the fledgling heroine with no choice but to return to Gotham City, thereby ensuring a fateful rendezvous with Batman.
In the course of the story, Helena reveals both her resourcefulness and ruthlessness. As a woman of principle and faith, she is demonstrably more violent than most heroes—a vigilante in the truest sense. Helena is a survivor, a fierce warrior whose beginnings greatly echo those of Bruce Wayne; though in Helena’s case, witnessing the deaths of her beloved kin has instilled in her a righteous anger that fuels Helena’s penchant for bloodshed, as evidenced in a literal cat-got-your-tongue moment near the end of the book. Helena’s wrathful vengeance is a stark contrast to Batman’s cool restraint.
The second half of the book features cameos from the Bat-Family, though it seems like Madison went out of her way to cram every familiar character—Bruce Wayne/Batman, Catwoman, Batgirl, Alfred, stop me if I’m forgetting anyone!—into a rather rushed finale. Despite the occasionally campy dialogue, Madison makes superb use of present-day Helena’s narrative captions, particularly during flashback sequences, thus giving readers a real sense of the character's complexity. What's more, her Italian-American ethnicity and Catholic faith distinguishes her from most other mainstay superheroes.
Artistically speaking, Year One is a success. Jason Wright's colors are vibrant and hold true to the book’s pervasive moodiness and noir-ish milieu; and the crisp, shadow-tinged art of Cliff Richards is more than capable of telling a story, even one that does little to redefine the character. The Huntress’ roots were previously explored in Greg Rucka’s superior miniseries, Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood (2000), which begs the question as to the purpose of this latter-day origin tale outside of its showing readers how Helena acquired her costume and how the Huntress moniker carries certain sentimental value. Madison’s vision of the Huntress’ backstory is intelligent and for the most part coherent, though largely uninspired.
As the eight-year-old daughter of a Sicilian crime family, Helena Bertinelli was unaware of the dangerous life she lived—that is, until a masked assassin guns down her parents and older brother during a quiet pasta dinner, leaving her the only survivor. The silent panels sequencing her family’s annihilation are powerful and underscore the merciless violence. Rather than killing her, the hitman makes off with Helena’s crucifix as she cries alone amidst a splatter of bloodied corpses and spaghetti sauce. Fast-forward twelve years, on the eve of her twenty-first birthday, Helena, now the ward of the Asaro family, is about to receive a substantial inheritance. But the aging mafia dons have other plans for the Bertinelli fortune. Donning a sleek costume and a handy crossbow, the hunted has become the hunter, and like a wraith in the night Helena tracks both the man who ordered the hit on her family and the triggerman himself. An initially intriguing story takes a decisive nose-dive after a deadly confrontation with her family's killer during the Venetian Carnival leaves the fledgling heroine with no choice but to return to Gotham City, thereby ensuring a fateful rendezvous with Batman.
In the course of the story, Helena reveals both her resourcefulness and ruthlessness. As a woman of principle and faith, she is demonstrably more violent than most heroes—a vigilante in the truest sense. Helena is a survivor, a fierce warrior whose beginnings greatly echo those of Bruce Wayne; though in Helena’s case, witnessing the deaths of her beloved kin has instilled in her a righteous anger that fuels Helena’s penchant for bloodshed, as evidenced in a literal cat-got-your-tongue moment near the end of the book. Helena’s wrathful vengeance is a stark contrast to Batman’s cool restraint.
The second half of the book features cameos from the Bat-Family, though it seems like Madison went out of her way to cram every familiar character—Bruce Wayne/Batman, Catwoman, Batgirl, Alfred, stop me if I’m forgetting anyone!—into a rather rushed finale. Despite the occasionally campy dialogue, Madison makes superb use of present-day Helena’s narrative captions, particularly during flashback sequences, thus giving readers a real sense of the character's complexity. What's more, her Italian-American ethnicity and Catholic faith distinguishes her from most other mainstay superheroes.
Artistically speaking, Year One is a success. Jason Wright's colors are vibrant and hold true to the book’s pervasive moodiness and noir-ish milieu; and the crisp, shadow-tinged art of Cliff Richards is more than capable of telling a story, even one that does little to redefine the character. The Huntress’ roots were previously explored in Greg Rucka’s superior miniseries, Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood (2000), which begs the question as to the purpose of this latter-day origin tale outside of its showing readers how Helena acquired her costume and how the Huntress moniker carries certain sentimental value. Madison’s vision of the Huntress’ backstory is intelligent and for the most part coherent, though largely uninspired.
February 7, 2022
The plot is incomprehensible. Helena Bertinelli is trying to get revenge on the mafia members who killed her family. Helena several times early on in her crusade makes a very public display of what she intends to do and yet the people who witness this decide they're more scared of this 18-year-old nobody than the entire Italian Mafia and choose to say nothing. It's totally absurd.
There's a huge feminist angle but falls flat on its face. Why is it a laughable attempt at feminism? Let's start with the incredibly skin-tight costume that has seemingly no armor and giant heels. From there we can move to how Helena falls in love with a guy she'll be the first to admit that she knows nothing about other than he's hot, spoiled, uncontrolled, ignorant and his dad is a rapist. Now I'm not saying uncontrolled means the son is definitely a rapist like his father, just you would think all that would give her pause, but no, she's head over heels. And lastly, we get to the terrible scene where Helena is explaining in Italian how the words for actress and heroine in Italian are sexist. The scene ends with her friend who she's debating calling her the greatest hunter ever. She corrects him by saying she's a huntress. Is it supposed to be funny that she doesn’t care about feminism and it’s just a prop to her?
I could continue ranting about all the nonsense that happens in this story but there'd be no point.
The art also sucks. Many times characters will look like caricatures of themselves that a boardwalk artist has drawn.
There's a huge feminist angle but falls flat on its face. Why is it a laughable attempt at feminism? Let's start with the incredibly skin-tight costume that has seemingly no armor and giant heels. From there we can move to how Helena falls in love with a guy she'll be the first to admit that she knows nothing about other than he's hot, spoiled, uncontrolled, ignorant and his dad is a rapist. Now I'm not saying uncontrolled means the son is definitely a rapist like his father, just you would think all that would give her pause, but no, she's head over heels. And lastly, we get to the terrible scene where Helena is explaining in Italian how the words for actress and heroine in Italian are sexist. The scene ends with her friend who she's debating calling her the greatest hunter ever. She corrects him by saying she's a huntress. Is it supposed to be funny that she doesn’t care about feminism and it’s just a prop to her?
I could continue ranting about all the nonsense that happens in this story but there'd be no point.
The art also sucks. Many times characters will look like caricatures of themselves that a boardwalk artist has drawn.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2015
I LOVE this Huntress origin story. My first encounter with the Huntress was "Huntress: Crossbow at the Crossroads" by Paul Levitz, where Helena sorely lacks personality. But when I read Gail Simone's version of her in "Birds of Prey", I fell in love with her. Now, after "Huntress: Year One", I'm loving her even more. She's darker and bloodier than her other versions, and I like it. There are parts in the story where I literally holler because of how satisfyingly bad-ass Huntress is being. She's a woman growing up in a highly patriarchal society who won't take shit from anyone. The telling of her backstory is great, and her journey to becoming The Huntress is riveting.
What keeps this from being a five-star book is Batman/Bruce Wayne and Batgirl/Barbara Gordon. Normally I love both those characters, but they annoy me here. Bruce snaps at Batgirl, acts like a brat who doesn't want to share the playground, and takes himself way too seriously. My problem with Batgirl isn't as big - just that Helena seems to beat her up far too easily (I know Batgirl's still new to the job here, but come on). Catwoman, on the other hand, is a delight.
The art isn't anything exceptional - just the usual comic book art style. It's decent. The cover makes Helena look sour, so just ignore it.
I highly recommend this to anyone interested in Huntress/Helena Bertinelli, and who doesn't mind some bloodshed. This is a darker story where the protagonist DOES kill, but to me, it's refreshing.
What keeps this from being a five-star book is Batman/Bruce Wayne and Batgirl/Barbara Gordon. Normally I love both those characters, but they annoy me here. Bruce snaps at Batgirl, acts like a brat who doesn't want to share the playground, and takes himself way too seriously. My problem with Batgirl isn't as big - just that Helena seems to beat her up far too easily (I know Batgirl's still new to the job here, but come on). Catwoman, on the other hand, is a delight.
The art isn't anything exceptional - just the usual comic book art style. It's decent. The cover makes Helena look sour, so just ignore it.
I highly recommend this to anyone interested in Huntress/Helena Bertinelli, and who doesn't mind some bloodshed. This is a darker story where the protagonist DOES kill, but to me, it's refreshing.
August 27, 2023
Let women have hobbies, Bruce.
March 10, 2009
The Huntress is one of my favourite characters out of the er, "very extended" Bat family. She's evolved very much since her first appearance on Earth-2 as Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle's daughter. Sometimes I find that regrettable, as I like Helena Wayne too.
Now the only living member of the Bertinelli family, Helena witnessed the cold-blooded slaughter of her parents and brother by a hitman when she was a child, and she has been burning to avenge their deaths ever since.
I thought Cry for Blood was excellent in giving us a brief background into Helena's origins in the underworld, but Madison's take on it is perhaps grittier and more energetic. Certainly she makes Helena's mafia connections complex and explores the internal struggle for familial loyalty and personal aspirations.
Huntress' first encounter with Batman is a turning point in the narrative. Clearly there is a great deal of antagonism between the two vigilantes, both with their own agenda in serving justice. Batgirl and Catwoman also make appearances, the latter especially acting as a kind of buffer between Huntress and Batman.
Now the only living member of the Bertinelli family, Helena witnessed the cold-blooded slaughter of her parents and brother by a hitman when she was a child, and she has been burning to avenge their deaths ever since.
I thought Cry for Blood was excellent in giving us a brief background into Helena's origins in the underworld, but Madison's take on it is perhaps grittier and more energetic. Certainly she makes Helena's mafia connections complex and explores the internal struggle for familial loyalty and personal aspirations.
Huntress' first encounter with Batman is a turning point in the narrative. Clearly there is a great deal of antagonism between the two vigilantes, both with their own agenda in serving justice. Batgirl and Catwoman also make appearances, the latter especially acting as a kind of buffer between Huntress and Batman.
February 4, 2014
If you are a girl(or boy, don't want to discriminate) that doesn't think they could ever enjoy a superhero comic this is the one for you. I can honestly say this is the only comic I have ever been able to relate too. It has the perfect balance of action, backstory, star-crossed loving and revenge a person could ever want in my opinion. The storyline is very relatable and give solid food for thought like on page 32 where Hel's uncle says "We all think we're the good guys". He's trying to explain that her foster brother Sal, the person she adores and idolizes, did what he did because he thought it was right, that does not make it okay. I personally agree with that statement, it also sets up a little bit about what ends up happening to Sal towards the end of the comic.
I don't want to give away too much, but I'm sure of you're a fan of D.C. Comics, BA hero girls, or mob related revenge, this comic is made for you.
I don't want to give away too much, but I'm sure of you're a fan of D.C. Comics, BA hero girls, or mob related revenge, this comic is made for you.
November 7, 2023
kinda loved it, kinda hated it.
confusing but powerful,
weird but lovely.
yeah. huntress.
confusing but powerful,
weird but lovely.
yeah. huntress.
May 10, 2009
This miniseries starts out as a retread of the flashback scenes in Batman / Huntress - Cry for Blood: Helena, who was sent off to Sicily after her immediate family is murdered, is still there and now dealing with the loss of her second family, this time to prison in a crackdown on mob hitmen. Aside from an amusing moment where Barbara Gordon is in town for a "Mafia Continuing Education Training" with a bunch of government lawyers and legal librarians, the first two-thirds of the book are Helena creating herself as Huntress against the Sicilian organized crime families. It's not about Batman, although it is about Gotham -- people keep blaming her Gotham upbringing every time she does something unladylike, and when she first puts on her newly commissioned uniform the man she confronts smirks and says, "You must be an American...we don't have capes in Sicily." So that's pretty awesome, and the art is nice: it's decent for DC standards these days, and I really like how everything in the entire book is dark (I don't think there's anything brighter than twilight through the whole thing, and most of it's at night and/or underground).
And then Helena chases the mob back to Gotham, runs smack up against Batman and Batgirl, and the whole thing goes a little crazy.
Here's an example of Bruce Wayne's dialogue, addressing Batgirl after she breaks in to rescue him (in civilian guise) from Huntress: "You're fired."
Batgirl: "What?"
Bruce: "Damn it, you almost blew my cover -- did you think I couldn't handle it? Are you crazy? Are you crazy?"
So, yeah. Crazy. Barbara's mostly in this to give Helena a foil, which means that she gets beat up a lot and accomplishes nothing of any use.
(Although she does get one actual good exchange with Bruce:
Batman, meeting up with Batgirl on top of a building: "Bruce had a body bug on Nino, and that's how we were going to find out where the hard evidence is, but now Nino's dead. What's the look on your face for?
Batgirl: "I think it's funny how you talk about 'Bruce' as if he isn't you."
Batman: "It's not funny."
Batgirl: "Okay, it's not funny.")
Now, Selena is actually interesting. She drops in to partially break up a fight between Huntress and Batman and gives Huntress of page's worth of really good advice on fighting Batman, and then finishes her speech off with: "Now run. You can't beat him. Trust me." Then she leads Huntress away and gives her another speech about how she wants to see more strong women who answer to no one in Gotham.
Then there's a lot of violence and the story ends with a whole bunch of unanswered questions about the mob families back in Sicily.
On a side note, an odd continuity question: There's no mention of Robin, and at one point a mob boss needles Bruce about marrying his date (Selina Kyle) and having kids -- which is a funny dig at Earth-2 Huntress, who's Bruce and Selina's daughter -- although it could be explained by having a ward not considered a proper heir. (It also explicitly breaks continuity with Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood in that Helena never sees Batman until she's already Huntress, but I like that change even though in general I think that Cry for Blood is a better story.)
The one thing I really liked about this miniseries was how it used Helena's origin story to inform so much of her vigilante style. Of the assassin who killed her family when she was eight she says: "The man stood in the doorway. In hindsight, there was a moment when I could have done something. I don't let that moment pass anymore. These days, I tend to pistol-whip first, ask questions later. Call me crazy, but...no one...will ever...do that to me. Never, ever again."
And then Helena chases the mob back to Gotham, runs smack up against Batman and Batgirl, and the whole thing goes a little crazy.
Here's an example of Bruce Wayne's dialogue, addressing Batgirl after she breaks in to rescue him (in civilian guise) from Huntress: "You're fired."
Batgirl: "What?"
Bruce: "Damn it, you almost blew my cover -- did you think I couldn't handle it? Are you crazy? Are you crazy?"
So, yeah. Crazy. Barbara's mostly in this to give Helena a foil, which means that she gets beat up a lot and accomplishes nothing of any use.
(Although she does get one actual good exchange with Bruce:
Batman, meeting up with Batgirl on top of a building: "Bruce had a body bug on Nino, and that's how we were going to find out where the hard evidence is, but now Nino's dead. What's the look on your face for?
Batgirl: "I think it's funny how you talk about 'Bruce' as if he isn't you."
Batman: "It's not funny."
Batgirl: "Okay, it's not funny.")
Now, Selena is actually interesting. She drops in to partially break up a fight between Huntress and Batman and gives Huntress of page's worth of really good advice on fighting Batman, and then finishes her speech off with: "Now run. You can't beat him. Trust me." Then she leads Huntress away and gives her another speech about how she wants to see more strong women who answer to no one in Gotham.
Then there's a lot of violence and the story ends with a whole bunch of unanswered questions about the mob families back in Sicily.
On a side note, an odd continuity question: There's no mention of Robin, and at one point a mob boss needles Bruce about marrying his date (Selina Kyle) and having kids -- which is a funny dig at Earth-2 Huntress, who's Bruce and Selina's daughter -- although it could be explained by having a ward not considered a proper heir. (It also explicitly breaks continuity with Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood in that Helena never sees Batman until she's already Huntress, but I like that change even though in general I think that Cry for Blood is a better story.)
The one thing I really liked about this miniseries was how it used Helena's origin story to inform so much of her vigilante style. Of the assassin who killed her family when she was eight she says: "The man stood in the doorway. In hindsight, there was a moment when I could have done something. I don't let that moment pass anymore. These days, I tend to pistol-whip first, ask questions later. Call me crazy, but...no one...will ever...do that to me. Never, ever again."
March 12, 2012
I couldn't decide between two or three stars at first. It had its good moments- the religious themes were interesting and the Huntress' journey of vengeance was not a bad read. But then there are moments where she expresses repetitive feminist sentiments to the point of sounding like a broken record. There's also an out-of-place romance thrown into mix and a muddled web of mafia nonsense.
July 15, 2018
Every character in this book is an unlikeable, annoying, hypocritical idiot that I didn't care about at all, the story doesn't try very hard to make sense and the art is unimpressive to say the least. There is absolutely nothing I liked about this comicbook.
June 9, 2015
Very well done. Nice art, good story. 3.5 stars.
February 13, 2020
I just found this to be messy and all over the place.
March 7, 2026
I’m not sure that Helena’s story needed all the embellishment this book gave it (in comparison to Huntress: Cry for Blood). I think this version of the story attempts to make Helena seem more heroic by the end, but I’m not sure it actually achieves that goal. I think it attempts to make more of a feminist statement but doesn’t do much more than the previous version of the story to achieve that. In fact, I really don’t like that this version adds a rape and a love story. You really don’t need Helena’s vengeance to be focused on someone she once loved, and you REALLY don’t need to include a teen girl getting raped to establish that the mafia Helena spends the entire book fighting against is bad.
I really did like Catwoman’s inclusion in this story, but Batgirl’s inclusion added nothing of note (except one weird jealous comment from Catwoman). I liked Catwoman’s inclusion for her perspective on power and independence in the Gotham vigilante scene, but again, it was totally unnecessary to try to draw parallels between Helena’s love story and BatCat.
I didn’t hate this, but it dragged. There were so many minor issues I had with it that they unfortunately add up to a worse rating than I expected to give it.
I really did like Catwoman’s inclusion in this story, but Batgirl’s inclusion added nothing of note (except one weird jealous comment from Catwoman). I liked Catwoman’s inclusion for her perspective on power and independence in the Gotham vigilante scene, but again, it was totally unnecessary to try to draw parallels between Helena’s love story and BatCat.
I didn’t hate this, but it dragged. There were so many minor issues I had with it that they unfortunately add up to a worse rating than I expected to give it.
July 5, 2017
-Dug Helena, even though I'm not altogether down with how Ivory Madison handled her reinvention. She was BADASS, though, nonetheless.
-Art was *squeals* AMAZING. Cliff Richards is a DC fanboy and it shows.
Review to come.
-Art was *squeals* AMAZING. Cliff Richards is a DC fanboy and it shows.
Review to come.
August 30, 2025
🅡🅔🅥🅘🅔🅦
Huntress: Year One
2008
GN
Rating: 4/5
Huntress: Year One is an engaging and emotional dive into the origin of Helena Bertinelli, a character whose journey from a grieving daughter to a fierce vigilante is compelling and ultimately tragic. Ivory Madison does an excellent job in fleshing out Helena’s backstory, capturing the pain of losing her family and the internal struggle she faces. The writing is sharp, and offers a fresh perspective on the Huntress as a complex character.
The artwork adds an additional layer to this gripping story. The blend of detailed work and colour choices creates a moody, noir-inspired atmosphere that perfectly suits Helena’s dark, troubled past. Each panel is filled with emotion, and the action scenes are intense and well-executed. The artists do a great job of portraying the external battles and the internal conflict that defines Helena.
The stand out is the way the story handles Helena’s moral dilemma. Madison explores themes of justice, vengeance, and redemption in a way that’s realistic. Helena’s relationship with her mentor, as well as her interactions with Gotham’s criminal underworld, add depth to her character and provide a sense of personal stakes. It’s a journey of growth and self-discovery, as she learns what it truly means to be a hero.
Huntress: Year One is a standout story for gritty vigilante heroes. It’s an emotionally charged and thoughtful origin tale that will appeal to long-time fans and newcomers to her world. There’s strong writing from Madison and excellent artwork, the comic is a must-read for anyone who appreciates complex characters and dark, gritty storytelling. My only complaint is the Batman connection, which feels more like a part II introduction for the characters.
#huntress#2008#comics#comicbooks#comicbookcommunity#comicbooklover#booklover#bookworm#comicbookreview#comicbookcollection#comicbookcollector#comicbookcollecting#dupreewenttothemovies#books#bookrecommendations#readingtime#readingaddict#readingcommunity#readinglist#readingbooks#readingisfun#alwaysreading#ilovereading#lovereading#readreadread#readersgonnaread#ivorymadison#book#dc#graphicnovel
Huntress: Year One
2008
GN
Rating: 4/5
Huntress: Year One is an engaging and emotional dive into the origin of Helena Bertinelli, a character whose journey from a grieving daughter to a fierce vigilante is compelling and ultimately tragic. Ivory Madison does an excellent job in fleshing out Helena’s backstory, capturing the pain of losing her family and the internal struggle she faces. The writing is sharp, and offers a fresh perspective on the Huntress as a complex character.
The artwork adds an additional layer to this gripping story. The blend of detailed work and colour choices creates a moody, noir-inspired atmosphere that perfectly suits Helena’s dark, troubled past. Each panel is filled with emotion, and the action scenes are intense and well-executed. The artists do a great job of portraying the external battles and the internal conflict that defines Helena.
The stand out is the way the story handles Helena’s moral dilemma. Madison explores themes of justice, vengeance, and redemption in a way that’s realistic. Helena’s relationship with her mentor, as well as her interactions with Gotham’s criminal underworld, add depth to her character and provide a sense of personal stakes. It’s a journey of growth and self-discovery, as she learns what it truly means to be a hero.
Huntress: Year One is a standout story for gritty vigilante heroes. It’s an emotionally charged and thoughtful origin tale that will appeal to long-time fans and newcomers to her world. There’s strong writing from Madison and excellent artwork, the comic is a must-read for anyone who appreciates complex characters and dark, gritty storytelling. My only complaint is the Batman connection, which feels more like a part II introduction for the characters.
#huntress#2008#comics#comicbooks#comicbookcommunity#comicbooklover#booklover#bookworm#comicbookreview#comicbookcollection#comicbookcollector#comicbookcollecting#dupreewenttothemovies#books#bookrecommendations#readingtime#readingaddict#readingcommunity#readinglist#readingbooks#readingisfun#alwaysreading#ilovereading#lovereading#readreadread#readersgonnaread#ivorymadison#book#dc#graphicnovel
February 11, 2017
Wow this was bad at least now I know why Huntress doesn't have many solo adventures.
June 13, 2014
I have to admit to being skeptical when I picked this one up. I love Huntress, she is one of my favorites. The fact that she is the offspring of Catwoman (who is my number 1 favorite) and Batman has always been a great back story, in my humble opinion. Hearing that Huntress was getting a revamping of her backstory worried me a bit. She is no longer of the Kyle/Wayne clan but is now the daugter of the mob. Her family is killed in front of her at a young age (sound familiar?) and she is sent to live with a family of assassins who raise her as their own. From this a need for vengence forms. I was pleasantly surprised at the new life that has been breathed into the character without changing any of the attributes that I love. Huntress remains one of my favorites.
November 19, 2011
Ivory Madison takes on the diffuclt task of exploring the early years of the Huntress's career. Focusing on Helena Betinelli's family of Italian gangsters, the tale twists through a secret society and a troubled fried before tossing her into a bout with both Batman and Catwoman. As much as I enjoy Huntress, this volume left me slightly cold. The complexities of the Catholic killer are sidetracked for extra appearances by the Dark Knight, Barbara Gordon, and Gotham City. I'll stick with the DCnU version hitting stands now, for a clearer picture of the Huntress.
May 20, 2010
Gives the origin story of the Huntress as reimagined after the big DC continuity cut. Instead of being the daughter of Bruce and Selina Kyle she is the last remaining member of the Bertinelli mob family. I liked the story and it was neat to see Batman and Cat Woman pulling at Helena to be a certain way and she still decided to be her own person. Her story is sad and it's made her tough. I see how she became what she is.
January 24, 2012
I love Huntress from Birds of Prey and the new 52, but I couldn't even finish this book.
August 9, 2018
Wow. This was terrible, every other page is written with feminist diatribes. F
September 1, 2021
What a great introduction to Helena Bertinelli— the Huntress! Once a mafia princess, Helena became the sole survivor of a hit by a rival family that left the remaining members of the Bertinelli family dead. When we meet Helena, she is focused, a little surly, and lacks direction in life. She’s stagnating and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. She has shades of T2’s Sarah Connor or Halloween 2018’s Laurie Strode in how she carries herself, always on guard and unable to feel “safe.”
Really surprised the see the mixed reception to this book online. I found the writing to be excellent. Helena’s character is well defined. She’s full of anger. She doesn’t know what to do with herself and finally snaps, decides she has to take agency in her own life, and strikes out as the Huntress. Then she decides to do something about it. She’s written as sympathetic, even as her vengeance leads her to murder.
Helena does express a handful of times how she “hates dresses.” This is often a lazy way for an author to show their character is “not like the other girls”, but the narrative doesn’t treat other, more feminine women, as lesser in comparison. It also strongly makes sense of Helena. She saw women in her family expected to be beautiful and obedient. When they weren’t, they were punished. Helena tells the man she loves that she doesn’t want to die like her mother did. She offers to teach a younger cousin how to defend herself after she is assaulted. She constantly pushes for the women around her to empower themselves and fight against the system which oppresses them.
There are some strong feminist themes depicted (makes me wonder if some of the one stars don’t like that. Just gonna sip my tea over here…) It’s not just Helena’s actions but also the way other women are depicted. The mafia world is violently patriarchal, and Helena’s existence upsets that balance. Powerful men treating women as disposable is a major theme throughout the book, and the third act, when Helena returns to Gotham, explores women’s rage and the different ways it manifests. Helena’s rage leads her to violence. She wants to hurt the people who hurt her. Barbara’s rage leads her to heroism. She wants to protect the people who can’t protect themselves but refuses to cross a line. Selina’s rage leads her to hedonism. She takes what she wants and lives how she chooses, no matter what anyone may think of her.
Let’s talk about those other ladies for a moment, shall we? Barbara Gordon and Selina Kyle feature prominently in the last act, and the author shows a solid grasp not only on their personalities, but also where they should be in their character arcs at this point in the nebulous DC timeline. Barbara is working as Bruce’s main partner (Dick is assumedly Robin, leading the Teen Titans). She’s competent and enthusiastic, but still a rookie. In many ways, she’s a mirror of Helena. Both are around the same age, donned a costume to fight crime, and believe strongly in their ideologies. Except Helena is pursuing a vendetta, and Barbara believes she has the moral right.
You can see the stirrings of their eventual relationship in Birds of Prey. I love it.
Selina is in that “not a villain, not yet a anti-hero” phase. She basically does whatever she wants in the story, and though it’s never outright stated, Batman clearly lets her. Their relationship isn’t a major focus, but there is a really great moment where Catwoman helps Huntress evade Batman. When they reach a certain rooftop, Catwoman tells Huntress that Batman never chases her any farther. It’s an interesting moment that sheds some light on Batman and Catwoman’s odd relationship.
Batman tries to be the angel on Helena’s shoulder, while Catwoman is delighted to be the devil. She has an instant interest in Helena, drawn to the idea of an independent, morally ambiguous woman in Gotham. The two strike an almost, but not quite, friendship which was fun to see. Even when in conflict, there’s surprising moments of women supporting women, and a lot of conversations where women are discussing things with one another with no relation to men. The Bechdel Test was broken in the best way, multiple times.
The story is compelling and kept me glued to the page. Ivory Madison really knew what she was doing here and had a deft hand. I am extremely disappointed that she hasn’t done more, because I think she has a wonderful narrative voice.
Aiding the story is gorgeous artwork with wonderful coloring. This was a real treat after the last book I read left an unpleasant visual aftertaste, with ugly line work and gratuitous cheesecake. The art here was made to match the story and tone. It was extremely refreshing to enjoy a story with three gorgeous women in major roles, all drawn powerfully, and placed with great cinematic thought into their panels but without cheapening them by focusing on their T + A.
Just a totally great read all around. Highly recommend.
Really surprised the see the mixed reception to this book online. I found the writing to be excellent. Helena’s character is well defined. She’s full of anger. She doesn’t know what to do with herself and finally snaps, decides she has to take agency in her own life, and strikes out as the Huntress. Then she decides to do something about it. She’s written as sympathetic, even as her vengeance leads her to murder.
Helena does express a handful of times how she “hates dresses.” This is often a lazy way for an author to show their character is “not like the other girls”, but the narrative doesn’t treat other, more feminine women, as lesser in comparison. It also strongly makes sense of Helena. She saw women in her family expected to be beautiful and obedient. When they weren’t, they were punished. Helena tells the man she loves that she doesn’t want to die like her mother did. She offers to teach a younger cousin how to defend herself after she is assaulted. She constantly pushes for the women around her to empower themselves and fight against the system which oppresses them.
There are some strong feminist themes depicted (makes me wonder if some of the one stars don’t like that. Just gonna sip my tea over here…) It’s not just Helena’s actions but also the way other women are depicted. The mafia world is violently patriarchal, and Helena’s existence upsets that balance. Powerful men treating women as disposable is a major theme throughout the book, and the third act, when Helena returns to Gotham, explores women’s rage and the different ways it manifests. Helena’s rage leads her to violence. She wants to hurt the people who hurt her. Barbara’s rage leads her to heroism. She wants to protect the people who can’t protect themselves but refuses to cross a line. Selina’s rage leads her to hedonism. She takes what she wants and lives how she chooses, no matter what anyone may think of her.
Let’s talk about those other ladies for a moment, shall we? Barbara Gordon and Selina Kyle feature prominently in the last act, and the author shows a solid grasp not only on their personalities, but also where they should be in their character arcs at this point in the nebulous DC timeline. Barbara is working as Bruce’s main partner (Dick is assumedly Robin, leading the Teen Titans). She’s competent and enthusiastic, but still a rookie. In many ways, she’s a mirror of Helena. Both are around the same age, donned a costume to fight crime, and believe strongly in their ideologies. Except Helena is pursuing a vendetta, and Barbara believes she has the moral right.
You can see the stirrings of their eventual relationship in Birds of Prey. I love it.
Selina is in that “not a villain, not yet a anti-hero” phase. She basically does whatever she wants in the story, and though it’s never outright stated, Batman clearly lets her. Their relationship isn’t a major focus, but there is a really great moment where Catwoman helps Huntress evade Batman. When they reach a certain rooftop, Catwoman tells Huntress that Batman never chases her any farther. It’s an interesting moment that sheds some light on Batman and Catwoman’s odd relationship.
Batman tries to be the angel on Helena’s shoulder, while Catwoman is delighted to be the devil. She has an instant interest in Helena, drawn to the idea of an independent, morally ambiguous woman in Gotham. The two strike an almost, but not quite, friendship which was fun to see. Even when in conflict, there’s surprising moments of women supporting women, and a lot of conversations where women are discussing things with one another with no relation to men. The Bechdel Test was broken in the best way, multiple times.
The story is compelling and kept me glued to the page. Ivory Madison really knew what she was doing here and had a deft hand. I am extremely disappointed that she hasn’t done more, because I think she has a wonderful narrative voice.
Aiding the story is gorgeous artwork with wonderful coloring. This was a real treat after the last book I read left an unpleasant visual aftertaste, with ugly line work and gratuitous cheesecake. The art here was made to match the story and tone. It was extremely refreshing to enjoy a story with three gorgeous women in major roles, all drawn powerfully, and placed with great cinematic thought into their panels but without cheapening them by focusing on their T + A.
Just a totally great read all around. Highly recommend.
April 7, 2026
Ivory Madison is a female writer who writes women worse than men do. It's not hard to understand why this is the only book she's ever done for DC. Huntress Year One is a retelling of Huntress's origin (Already told twice before, in the first six issues of Huntress Vol 1 and in the graphic novel Huntress Cry For Blood) but doesn't add anything new to the story, nor does it put it in another perspective.
The only thing this book adds to the Huntress mythology, is constant, on the nose, feminist posturing that adds nothing to the story except preach at you. The book introduces a new character into Helena's adolescence, Justine, who doesn't do anything meaningful except tell us that the Italian word for actress is sexist because it has no female form - Something that seems awfully out of date in 2026, when women claim that the word actress is sexist and prefer to be called an actor.
In stark contrast to this posturing, is a romantic subplot that completely destroys the character Tony Angelo, and by extension, Helena too. In the original continuity, Tony Angelo was her fathers bodyguard who had sworn to protect and raise her. In this timeline, that role is given to a new character, Sal Asaro, who barely gets any screen time, and Tony Angelo is reduced to merely a love interest that Helena is smitten with because hes… I actually have no idea why she likes him. He's a gangster and his father is a rapist, which brings us to my next point.
Madison thankfully retcons Helena's rape at eight years old but its a pointless gesture, as the book is still filled with rape. Nino Angelo rapes a teenager and the group of men who conspire to rob Helena's fortune bring a woman down into the vault with them seemingly just so they can rape her. Because they're evil, and that's what evil people do, despite it being completely fucking absurd. Also, Madison thinks that having an entire family exterminated isn't evil enough, so the first time we meet Mandragora, he's killed his wife, just incase you didn't get that he's an evil man who hates women.
The book also ruins Omerta. Turning him from a guy who had a personal connection to Helena and her father (being their lawyer) who was deeply involved in the conspiracy, to just being literally some guy. The book becomes particularly egregious in the last three, incredibly rushed issues. Once Helena gets to Gotham, Madison makes sure to cram in every character she can, regardless of whether there is enough room for them in the story or even if it makes chronological sense.
This is meant to be Year Three, or Year Four. Yet there is no sign of Robin, but Barbara Gordon is Batgirl, and she has a fight with The Huntress. This is particularly bizzare, because by the time Huntress first appears in Gotham City, Barbara Gordon is paralyzed and has been the Oracle for many years. One of Batman's fears for Helena is that she will meet a same fate as Barbara, so having Batgirl be present doesn't fit with her relationship to Batman at all. Batman is also an idiot in this book who lets Helena cut out Omerta's tongue infront of him, does nothing to stop it, and then just lets Helena walk away.
The art in this book is also weird. Its objectively good art, I think, but something about it is off. Like the more you look at it, the more you see how silly the characters look.
The only thing this book adds to the Huntress mythology, is constant, on the nose, feminist posturing that adds nothing to the story except preach at you. The book introduces a new character into Helena's adolescence, Justine, who doesn't do anything meaningful except tell us that the Italian word for actress is sexist because it has no female form - Something that seems awfully out of date in 2026, when women claim that the word actress is sexist and prefer to be called an actor.
In stark contrast to this posturing, is a romantic subplot that completely destroys the character Tony Angelo, and by extension, Helena too. In the original continuity, Tony Angelo was her fathers bodyguard who had sworn to protect and raise her. In this timeline, that role is given to a new character, Sal Asaro, who barely gets any screen time, and Tony Angelo is reduced to merely a love interest that Helena is smitten with because hes… I actually have no idea why she likes him. He's a gangster and his father is a rapist, which brings us to my next point.
Madison thankfully retcons Helena's rape at eight years old but its a pointless gesture, as the book is still filled with rape. Nino Angelo rapes a teenager and the group of men who conspire to rob Helena's fortune bring a woman down into the vault with them seemingly just so they can rape her. Because they're evil, and that's what evil people do, despite it being completely fucking absurd. Also, Madison thinks that having an entire family exterminated isn't evil enough, so the first time we meet Mandragora, he's killed his wife, just incase you didn't get that he's an evil man who hates women.
The book also ruins Omerta. Turning him from a guy who had a personal connection to Helena and her father (being their lawyer) who was deeply involved in the conspiracy, to just being literally some guy. The book becomes particularly egregious in the last three, incredibly rushed issues. Once Helena gets to Gotham, Madison makes sure to cram in every character she can, regardless of whether there is enough room for them in the story or even if it makes chronological sense.
This is meant to be Year Three, or Year Four. Yet there is no sign of Robin, but Barbara Gordon is Batgirl, and she has a fight with The Huntress. This is particularly bizzare, because by the time Huntress first appears in Gotham City, Barbara Gordon is paralyzed and has been the Oracle for many years. One of Batman's fears for Helena is that she will meet a same fate as Barbara, so having Batgirl be present doesn't fit with her relationship to Batman at all. Batman is also an idiot in this book who lets Helena cut out Omerta's tongue infront of him, does nothing to stop it, and then just lets Helena walk away.
The art in this book is also weird. Its objectively good art, I think, but something about it is off. Like the more you look at it, the more you see how silly the characters look.
October 10, 2024
I’m a sucker for these ‘Year One’ stories. This is another one!
Rather unusual is the introduction by Paul Levitz that freely admits that this story is a change from original of the Huntress being Batman’s daughter (on Earth 2).
The first story is just a retelling of her new crime family inspired origin. Similar to Batman’s. A crime family murders her whole crime family but leaves her alive.
It could be a lesson about letting go of the past. Or it could be propaganda… conditioning women to obey, without question, the men dragging them around.
The art is uniformly good.
When you’re twenty, you have the happy ending all figured out.
”In all the operas, women only matter if they are young, innocent, and die.”
A friend introduced me to the phrase ‘insta-love’ and it applies here as well. Suddenly out of nowhere, she meets a guy, but has to give him up because he is committed to his family and she doesn’t want that kind of life.
”Women are like bugs. Bugs who ask annoying questions.
It gets a little muddy after that…
I suppose ‘Year One’ for Huntress has to include her origin story.
I’m not sure what I expected of this book, but honestly it’s not what it is. It’s Huntress doing a lot of fighting and some killing, even fighting Bruce Wayne, but to not much purpose.
But finally this story gets interesting (I’d tell you which one but they don’t say). Huntress is attacked by Batman because he thinks she’s an assassin. But Catwoman comes in to distract him and let Huntress get away because Catwoman realizes that Huntress is clueless about how to work in Gotham.
But Catwoman takes a shine to her and helps her out. ”We need more strong women in Gotham.”
Huntress interferes with Batman trying to make a sting on the mob. Batgirl tires to help out and gets chewed out for it.
Huntress suspects that Bruce Wayne is either a patsy or trying to create a disaster for Gotham to hurt all lower-income people so that will become a ‘white city’.
The last story wraps it up pretty nicely and was definitely the best of all the stories. It gives the Huntress clear motivation and cements her relationship with Batman in a much cooler way than it is usually portrayed.
I think most of the book is pretty weak in leading up to the end however. I can see what it wants to do, but I don’t think it does it very well.
At the end of the day the last story made up for how unfocused the previous stories were.
I’m giving this 3 stars, the last story is 4 stars and the rest of the stories are 2 stars.
I’ll give it because it does seem a cool milestone in the Huntress saga.
There’s still no explanation for why she wears ‘Bat-ears’ however.
March 18, 2026
I had high hopes for this one. I loved the huntress in other comics and the DCAU, so I was pumped to read a solo story, giving her room to operate. The fact that a woman wrote it was a good choice, since male writers have sometimes made female characters into a projection of the male gaze. I knew that wouldn't happen here.
The fact that Helena Bertenelli was born into a family of mob members makes her origin story that much more unique. Rather than a cosmic spider-bite, I looked forward to a grounded and gritty origin with some morally complicated characters. Unfortunately, moral complexity is not what characterizes this book.
The character development is not great. It didn't do a good job of making me care about any of the characters. They lack complexity and fit bland archetypes that serve to be foils for Helena. Even the DC staples Batman, Batgirl and even syn are pretty forgettable. Huntress is also made into an uninteresting protagonist, with very little depth for someone with trauma and religious associations.
Religion is similarly given little depth. Huntress has a well-known and complex faith Catholic association, it's part of what makes her character unique. Catholicism is both her moral anchor and a source of conflict. However, religion is portrayed here as childish and immature, rather than making thoughtful critiques. I understand that viewpoint, but it feels more like the author preaching through the characters rather than the characters speaking themselves.
It's clear from the outset that a primary message is a rather uncomplicated men = bad and women = good. While a story that centers around the Sicilian mafia would be expected to have prominent male antagonists, even her male allies are reduced to ideological punching bags for Helena.
Rather than allowing the reader to discover the message for themselves through the story and actions of the characters, the Huntress gives repetitive and monotonous monologues to the audience. It feels preachy, even if the message is one that needs to be heard. The dialogue feels forced and unnatural coming from characters that have well-established perspectives and characteristics, namely Huntress and Batman.
On the bright side, I thought the artwork was pretty good.
The fact that Helena Bertenelli was born into a family of mob members makes her origin story that much more unique. Rather than a cosmic spider-bite, I looked forward to a grounded and gritty origin with some morally complicated characters. Unfortunately, moral complexity is not what characterizes this book.
The character development is not great. It didn't do a good job of making me care about any of the characters. They lack complexity and fit bland archetypes that serve to be foils for Helena. Even the DC staples Batman, Batgirl and even syn are pretty forgettable. Huntress is also made into an uninteresting protagonist, with very little depth for someone with trauma and religious associations.
Religion is similarly given little depth. Huntress has a well-known and complex faith Catholic association, it's part of what makes her character unique. Catholicism is both her moral anchor and a source of conflict. However, religion is portrayed here as childish and immature, rather than making thoughtful critiques. I understand that viewpoint, but it feels more like the author preaching through the characters rather than the characters speaking themselves.
It's clear from the outset that a primary message is a rather uncomplicated men = bad and women = good. While a story that centers around the Sicilian mafia would be expected to have prominent male antagonists, even her male allies are reduced to ideological punching bags for Helena.
Rather than allowing the reader to discover the message for themselves through the story and actions of the characters, the Huntress gives repetitive and monotonous monologues to the audience. It feels preachy, even if the message is one that needs to be heard. The dialogue feels forced and unnatural coming from characters that have well-established perspectives and characteristics, namely Huntress and Batman.
On the bright side, I thought the artwork was pretty good.
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