Huntress: Darknight Daughter TPB

[Indigo Al]

I won't get to the comic book store till next week, so I'm not prepared to talk about the content, but I was wondering if anyone has gotten it or is planning to get it.

Nowadays, lots of annoying legacy characters are running around the DCU, but back before the Crisis, Helena Wayne really captured the imagination...

[milly3cat]

I have ordered it and will pick it up in a couple days. looking forward to the wonder woman issues... :cool:

[astronato]

Spoilers............dont look..............




I was a kid during the bronze age and DC comics were bought for me but when i was older and buying comics for myself in the 80's I mostly bought Marvel comics.

Now as an adult I am fascinated with what I missed and all the Earth 2 business, so I bought this trade.

I liked it, but it wasn't exactly what I thought it might be.

Bruce and Selina die at the outset of the story. Their relationship with each other or their daughter isn't gone into in much detail. Not sure how long the Huntress book ran, but in this trade at least, there wasn't much in the way of flashbacks to Helenas childhood.

DC could start a series today with the daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle going to kindergarten and I would buy it. How interesting her life must have been.

The Joker shows up and he is tricked into thinking Batman is still alive. He is delighted because he didn't have a hand in killing him and now he has another chance. It was pretty cool but again, I'd have loved to see more detail. The Joker was robbed by cancer. How that effects him is a story in itself. Maybe there was more of that later in this series or another?

Dick Grayson comes back to Gotham from overseas and almost gets romantic with Helena and then splits. Did they ever go into the reasons Dick chose not to become Batman permanently? From this story it seemed like he was running away from Helena and Gotham. Dick being involved in politics is also very interesting but in these stories it's just mentioned.

Her rogues gallery was ok, she inherits Joker and Solomon Grundy. The Thinker and Lionmane were good but CrimeLord I didnt care for. He had a decent costume and a decent name but the medieval motiff doesn't mix well with the mob or crime noir in my opinion.

Sorry if this sounds like a rant about the way the books were written in the 70's, I love this stuff. It just seems like untapped story potential though.

I gotta say I have no interest in the current continuity Huntress. It's too bad there isn't an second ongoing continuity at DC where they can flesh these stories out in the modern style. I'd buy an Earth 2 set Bat book or elseworld story. And I'll buy a second Darknight Daughter trade if DC puts it out.

fun stuff.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7a/Huntressdkd.jpg

[astronato]

Also, Helena makes mention of the Knicks and the Gotham Trade towers. I know that in the modern DCU Gotham and New York both exist. Was that true, pre Crisis?

[carabas]

Not sure how long the Huntress book ran...
It didn't. Earth 2 Huntress never had a book, just back-up strips in other characters books.

[marshal99]

The TPB did not collect Batman family 17 which i thought was perhaps one of her better tales as the story involves her going to earth 1 to ask for advice from E1 batman and then later , he introduced her to batwoman and batgirl and the three of them have a teamup which was cool.

They also should have included her brave and bold appearance where she went to earth 1 to celebrate christmas with "uncle" bruce.

[Corrina]

And I was disappointed that the JSA story where Bruce died and the JSA avenged him wasn't included. (Adventure Comics, I think, back when it was a GIANT DOLLAR COMIC.)

But I hadn't read any of the Huntress solo stories before, save the very first few, so I was happy to have something new.

[marshal99]

Batman's death was more of a JSA story and the JSA did not avenge anything since batman took the villain along with him when he died. , and it was briefly reference in the huntress origin printed in the TPB if i'm not wrong.

[The Xenos]

See. I'm rather the opposite of the fans of Earth 2 Huntress. I'll take Helena Burtonelli over Helena Wayne anyday. I never got into the whole multiverse idea or the way they played out Batman and Catwoman having a daughter. Of course, that crappy Birds of Prey show with its stupid version didn't help.

[Green Lantern wannabe]

See. I'm rather the opposite of the fans of Earth 2 Huntress. I'll take Helena Burtonelli over Helena Wayne anyday. I never got into the whole multiverse idea or the way they played out Batman and Catwoman having a daughter. Of course, that crappy Birds of Prey show with its stupid version didn't help.

The plot was too convulated for the non-comic-reading audience, but the gals were great. :)

[Corrina]

Batman's death was more of a JSA story and the JSA did not avenge anything since batman took the villain along with him when he died. , and it was briefly reference in the huntress origin printed in the TPB if i'm not wrong.

Yes, but it was revealed that the man who killed Batman had been given his powers by Agents of Chaos, and the JSA, including Huntress and Earth-2 Robin spent an entire issue tracking them down and defeating them. (With the magic spells provided by Dr. Fate.)

[Kid Kyoto]

I'm also a bit disappointed over the stories left out. Batman's death is omitted, there's no interaction with her and the rest of the JSA or JLA just some lackluster solo stories.

We see her develop a bit, she gives up the trademark crossbow halfway through after she sees the joker using something similar to inject people with his venom. We also see her changing clothes or getting tied up in riped clothes quite a bit, I was a bit surprised to see that in a 70s book.

In all it was OK but I think the Power Girl book did a better job of showing off the character's history. Something like that would ahve been more interesting.

[marshal99]

There's a bit more detail on the earth 2 batman/catwoman wedding for those who are interested in Superman family 211 where the earth 2 superman and lois got the invite to the wedding and at the end of the issue , superman reveal his identity to selina kyle.

[Darth Joker]

If you were to take the best elements of each of the two Huntresses, I think that you'd have one truly exceptional character.

Imagine if Batman and Catwoman had a daughter who decided to take up the crime-fighting business... and was willing to kill criminals, going against Batman's moral code on killing.

You could get some very nice, poignant scenes between father and daughter here...

Batman: I will not have an inheritor of the Batman legacy killing in cold blood. When you kill in cold blood, you are no better than they are. You stoop to their level!

Huntress: If you had 'stopped to their level' a long time ago, how many fewer people would the Joker have killed?

And just take it from there...

Current Huntress has a bit of an edge to her, but her backstory honestly doesn't do much for me. It's not like her dad was Mr. Clean - unlike Thomas Wayne, he was involved in crime himself.

So, take current Huntress' edge, take classic Huntress' backstory, and mix and match the best aspects of each, and voila... you have a character that at least matches the JLU interpretation of the character. :)

[CMBMOOL]

A little JSA Classified story of mine about Helena Wayne:


Now bare with me, and please listen....


I feel that there are some untold tales left of the former Huntress that DC didn't show. Sure she was "guest Star" in Superman/Batman , but only as a flashback in Powergirl's mind.


I bet that the answers may lie in old Earth-2 Lois Lane diary, as there were some missing pages from that book as seen in JSA.


What if in a way the story from within that diary told of Clark's relationship with Huntress as an Uncle/niece relationship. Also mentioning that both Earth-2's Batman and Superman know of her identity, but didn't let on due to their current jobs.

Here what would have happen: During the Trial of the JSA, in which Helena defends the team for the charges her father accused them of, Clark takes her back to Metropolis to deliver her a present that Bruce wanted her to have in case of his death, within this present lies her mother's Cat of Nine tails whip and her father's hand made batrangs and smoke bombs. Also within it was a letter from Bruce explaining that he knew all along that Helena was the Huntress and this was due to help from both Dick Greyson and Clark Kent, and is the reason he didn't attack her when he was under the influence of Physco pirate was that he loved her and was proud of her keeping up with the leagcy of Batman. With these gifts it would finally show that she was the daughter of Batman and Catwoman. Later Powergirl comes to the Kent's house and learns the truth of Helena Wayne. This entire story is to reconn the relationship between the two heroines better.

So what do you think of the idea, a good one-shot story or a bad one ? :confused:

[Hellstormer]

It didn't. Earth 2 Huntress never had a book, just back-up strips in other characters books.
http://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=list&title=41595362624&snumber=1

http://image.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/41595362624.1.GIF
http://image.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/41595362624.2.GIF
http://image.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/41595362624.6.GIF
http://image.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/41595362624.19.GIF

What now!?

[carabas]

I see a 1989 coverdate on those and a not-dead Batman. Are you sure that's Earth 2 Huntress and not Helena Bertinelli?

[Hellstormer]

I see a 1989 coverdate on those and a not-dead Batman. Are you sure that's Earth 2 Huntress and not Helena Bertinelli?
Yes it's Earth-2 because the current Huntress didn't appear till 1994.

[Corrina]

i have those issues.

That's Helena Bertinelli.

[carabas]

In 1989, there wasn't an Earth 2. And Helena Wayne died in 1986.

From Sequential Tart (http://www.sequentialtart.com/archive/apr00/art_0400_3.shtml):
The Huntress #1-#19 (April 1989-October 1990). The series by Joey Cavalieri, Joe Staton and Bob Smith chronicles the early months of Helena Bertinelli's career as the Huntress. While seeking her family's murderers, the Huntress befriends La Bruja, a sorceress who knows everything that is going on in New York, and James Cooper, a scientific prodigy whose mother and brother are murdered by a gang. She also faces down the serial murderer called Wyvern and saves New York from nuclear annihilation. And she talks back to Batman. (Note: the series features a "Suggested for Mature Readers" label, but I've seen and heard worse on network television.)

[Hellstormer]

My mistake, I tohught her first appearence was in the 1994 mini nwo I see it says Huntress #1 (1989) Sorry.

[marshal99]

When Helena Wayne became huntress , Bruce Wayne was already retired and working as the commissioner , not to mention , during his later years , he grew bitter and dissapproves of capes and Huntress was working secretly without his knowledge , hence why she has to go to earth 1 to look for advice from "uncle" bruce instead of turning to her own father for help.

[Joe no Sleep]

If you were to take the best elements of each of the two Huntresses, I think that you'd have one truly exceptional character.

Imagine if Batman and Catwoman had a daughter who decided to take up the crime-fighting business... and was willing to kill criminals, going against Batman's moral code on killing.

You could get some very nice, poignant scenes between father and daughter here...

Batman: I will not have an inheritor of the Batman legacy killing in cold blood. When you kill in cold blood, you are no better than they are. You stoop to their level!

Huntress: If you had 'stopped to their level' a long time ago, how many fewer people would the Joker have killed?

And just take it from there...

Current Huntress has a bit of an edge to her, but her backstory honestly doesn't do much for me. It's not like her dad was Mr. Clean - unlike Thomas Wayne, he was involved in crime himself.

So, take current Huntress' edge, take classic Huntress' backstory, and mix and match the best aspects of each, and voila... you have a character that at least matches the JLU interpretation of the character. :)


Cool idea. I read this book ... wondered why Bolland gave her weird hair and scrawny build ... then realized this character is always his daughter. Like the episode of AVENGERS where we see Emma Peel's husband and he looks like John Steed.
So we'll probably see a story where Hugo Strange plants a dna rewrite in Franco Bertinelli diguised a s a flu shot and Bat's finds out but keeps it to himself . Sound familiar?

[Indigo Al]

In 1989, there wasn't an Earth 2. And Helena Wayne died in 1986.

From Sequential Tart (http://www.sequentialtart.com/archive/apr00/art_0400_3.shtml):
The Huntress #1-#19 (April 1989-October 1990). The series by Joey Cavalieri, Joe Staton and Bob Smith chronicles the early months of Helena Bertinelli's career as the Huntress. While seeking her family's murderers, the Huntress befriends La Bruja, a sorceress who knows everything that is going on in New York, and James Cooper, a scientific prodigy whose mother and brother are murdered by a gang. She also faces down the serial murderer called Wyvern and saves New York from nuclear annihilation. And she talks back to Batman. (Note: the series features a "Suggested for Mature Readers" label, but I've seen and heard worse on network television.)


I gotta say, I liked that series quite a bit. Staton's art was noirish and moody, and Helena B. was establishing herself as a superhero in her own right, without the Bat-family looming over her.