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Huntress Year One #1
Posted 18 Jun 2008
Writer: Ivory Madison
Artist: Cliff Richards (pencils)
Artist: Matthew Clark (cover)
Letters: Sal Cipriano
Ink: Art Thibert
Colors: Jason Wright
Publisher: DC Comics
1.00 out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by Sara Michelle Kowalczyk
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Debut writer Ivory Madison gives comics a shot, and fails
miserably. According to Ivory’s Newsarama interview, Huntress: Year One (Y1) is based on
Greg Rucka’s Huntress: Cry for
Blood story line, which I am not yet familiar with, but have
read some rave reviews. Ivory claims Greg’s tale provides the
“building blocks” for her interpretation as well as the
earlier Helena Wayne, Earth 2 incarnation of Huntress.
“The representation of Huntress
is outdated, boring, and frumpy, especially considering the fact that
Helena is twenty years old.”
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Huntress: Y1 #1 opens with
our heroine, scratch that, “hero,” Helena Bertinelli
hunting a deer (note the not-so-subtle allusion) on her adoptive
family’s farm in Sicily. From that point on, Ivory pretty much
reiterates everything we already know about Helena’s origins. In
a final, decisive moment, Helena assumes her mantle, “There
comes a point when, to survive, the hunted must become the
huntress.”
Ivory scripts Helena with over-used, cliché narration and
typecasts her as an uber-feminist. Personally, I think this stance is
extremely unnecessary. Huntress is an independent, intelligent woman.
She fights alongside prominent DCU women in the Birds of Prey series. ‘Nuff
said, the reader already knows she is most likely a feminist.
It’s possible that Ivory emphasizes Helena’s views because
of her abusive father, however, courage and strength of character are
equally sufficient qualities.
Cliff Richards ( Buffy the Vampire
Slayer , Wonder Woman )
does a great job capturing the evocative, mafia noir feel of Huntress: Y1 #1. Some of the best
pages in the book are his captionless layouts. I loved Cliff’s
first panel. He renders Helena with an overlay of her alter ego,
Huntress. I also liked the scene where a young Helena is surrounded by
her murdered family; it’s very graphic, but at the same time
haunting and reminiscent of Bruce Wayne. Art Thibert echoes
Cliff’s dark vision. Matthew Clark’s cover portrays
Huntress (in costume) as she should be, a fearless woman who has dealt
with loss and grief.
I did not appreciate Ivory’s interior art direction on
Helena’s character. I’m a fan of dressing female
characters in modern trends that are also fashionable. Ivory dresses
Helena in a hunting vest, gloves, and hiking boots. At the end of the
book, she wears a loose fitting sweater and jeans. In my opinion,
Ivory does not do Huntress, one of most alluring women in the DCU,
justice. Her representation of Huntress is outdated, boring, and
frumpy, especially considering the fact that Helena is twenty years
old.
Although Huntress: Y1 #1
offers some beautiful artwork, it lacks adequate storytelling.
It’s unimaginative, pointless, and definitely not a tribute to
Huntress. Huntress is a hard-hitting vigilante, modeled after Batman
himself. I do not recommend reading this book or any other book in the
miniseries. Instead, I encourage everyone to pick up the inspiration
for Huntress: Y1 , Greg
Rucka’s Huntress: Cry for
Blood .
—CCdC—
Cover image used without explicit permission in accordance with the "Fair Use" provision of US copyright law.
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