Huntress - Year One #5 - DC

Well, this is Helena's first encounter with . . . Bruce Wayne. Helena has kept her arrival in Gotham a secret, but then she hears about Tony's wedding and decides to crash the reception. As it turns out it's being held at Wayne Manor. Bruce is trying to bring down Nino, Gotham's crime boss, and Tony's father. He's holding the reception at his house because, as Bruce Wayne, he's trying to set him up. Unfortunately, when they're talking about their plans . . that's when Helena shows up. So she thinks that Bruce is just as dirty as Nino. Needless to say, thier first encounter isn't amicable. At the same event she meets Batgirl, Barbara, for the first time, and . . indirectly, Selina. None of them know what to make of this new girl on the scene. However, Catwoman is the first one to extend the hand of kindness to her. Helena asks her why, and she replys, ". . . because I don't want you getting beaten or co-opted by the Bat. You will be if you don't have a strong operation. We need more strong women in Gotham. Especially ones who answer to no one." Nino ends up dead, and Tony's going to be the new Dom. But the issue ends when Helena is looking into how the Mayor is connected to the family. He's got notes in his desk about how he helped during the recovery when Gotham's levies broke. The problem is . . that hasn't happened yet. Ivory Madison has given us a pretty thorough understanding of Helena's motivations. My only complaint about her writing is that I think some things are a bit over explained. I'm sure that's fine, especially for someone who may not be familiar with this character, but for those of us that are . . it was a bit long-winded. But, I do understand why she did it. I still think it's a great story. I'm also impressed with Cliff Richards pencils. I think the pace of this book may have gotten to him though . . . 6 issues in 12 weeks. The pencils on this issue are quite as strong as those on the first. I still think he's a pretty good artist though. That's a lot of pages to do in a 3 month period. Only 1 more issue to go though. Personally, I think the Huntress is strong enough for her own book, but . . I'm only one voice.