Helena Bertinelli's True Fate SPOILERS

[bhandelman]

I don't think we'll ever know exactly when the decision was made, but my guess is that it probably wasn't a case of one day everyone was on the Helena Bertinelli page and the next day they'd shifted over to Helena Wayne. What probably happened was that they told Paul Levitz fairly early in the process that they were thinking of making it Helena Wayne instead of Helena Bertinelli, but the confirmation may not have come until somewhat later. So he would have had to write most of the mini in such a way that it could be either. Then once the decision was set, then they probably waited a short while because people were asking before releasing the information because that's just standard marketing procedure.

It being Paul Levitz, I would bet he is the one that actually pushed the decision to make her Helena Wayne. It probably happened around the time they made the decision about Earth 2, and he pitched it as part of World's Finest, possibly after Huntress was already well into production.

[Sandor Clegane]

To imagine that writers aren't motivated to write what appeals to them is naive. Everyone has favourites that they pull for

Sort of. But going by that logic, since most of DC's creative staff is in the 25-40 year old range, they'd all be regurgitating the mid-90s.

And that ain't happening...like, at all. Because being a professional writer taking work-for-hire gigs means marching to the beat of your publisher's drum. Even the big writers have to deal with this, though they might get a say periodically. But generally the executives decide what's best for the publishing line, and the creative people execute that vision.

[Scott Taylor]

Read No Man's Land! It's one of my favorite Batman stories, and Huntress was exciting in it. It used a lot of Batman's supporting cast really well.

Will do, thanks for the tip.

[CagedLeo730]

All I know is that the DC All Access page in month #3 (November) teased the Huntress connection to Mister Terrific, Justice Society, and BOP. So issue 2 of Huntress had come out by then. The solicit of Huntress #2 (released in November) mentioned Helena Bertinelli. The solicits for November were initially released in August. So between August and October (since scripts and art must be done before November starts) is when the decision was changed.

[ffritts]

the bright side is DCnU cant eff her up.

[injury108]

I really do not care for this title and will not be picking it up after learning this, I had hoped we would see Helena Bertinelli once the Wayne Huntress went back to her world but not nope. DC Comics is pulling some bad crap. First they solicited the Huntress as Bertinelli and changed it mid-way through, now they screw over her fans once more by murdering her.

[maximiliani]

I always liked Helena B because she was essentially for 20 years before Batwoman, basically a female Batman. Their origins mirrored each other and Huntress was an example of Batman COULD have been if he was more ruthless. It also meant a lot to see her struggle with Batman because she was essentially a female Bruce Wayne going through the same shit and he treating her like shit was uncalled for most of the time. It's like hating a person that's TOO similar to you and thus you hate them because they remind you so much of yourself. That's what I think Bruce's big beef with Helena was.

It's just a shame they couldn't have simply had her alive as a teacher somewhere. Helena B.'s passion for her students was amazing. I think the fury and fervor she had when people messed with her students was such a wonderful trait. Helena B. was SCARY. I loved that raw passion.

Also begs the question if any Huntress centric stories preboot such as No Man's Land now actually had Wayne interacting with them under the guise of Helena B. or has Huntress' involvement with the Bat-family been wiped clean alltogether so NONE of 90's Huntress or any adventures containing Huntress actually ever happened.

I have a feeling post reboot Helena B was NEVER Huntress. That's fine. They could have just kept her alive though. Unless she was Huntress and Helena Wayne sees her death and takes her mantle or what. I really want to see the REASON for Helena Wayne to become the Huntress. So far I'm not sure "trying to get back to Earth-2" is good enough. Why is she Huntress? Pre Crisis she became Huntress in response to both Bruce and Selina being killed yes? That's a cry for vengence, she became the Huntress. Same with Helena B. What's this new Huntress' need to be The Huntress.

That's probably the biggest problem I'm seeing with these retooled new female characters, so far even 8 issues in Babs in Batgirl I don't think hasn't stated a reason, a creed on WHY she should be Batgirl. Why she wants to do the things she does outside of wanting to prove to herself that she can..which imo is pretty shallow.

[Captain Jim]

A lot of times DC is accused of lying, but at the time of the announcements the plans could have been true (for example Cass Cain, Marvel family, Speed Force book). They're allowed to change their minds, but they really are bad at updating that to fans.

What I've bolded the really important part here. Just because plans change doesn't mean people were lying.

Indeed. And this is exactly the reason DC is now very vague about their future plans because, if they change their minds, the fans go ballistic.

It being Paul Levitz, I would bet he is the one that actually pushed the decision to make her Helena Wayne.

I doubt that; he seemed very happy to be writing her as Helena Bertinelli. Levitz may be the former publisher but he's just a writer now.

[Toreador]

Maybe she wanted to follow her daddy's footsteps. Lots of children enter the same profession as their parents.

As to keeping Bertinelli alive and around even though she might have never been Huntress, why? Never having been Huntress it's unlikely she would have had any connections with the Bat family at all so she would never appear in a comic unless it's the comic series 'Helena Bertinelli, Passionate School Teacher'. It's great that you love the character but DC Comics have decided to create a new Huntress with a origin and new name. Maybe years from now when you or another fan of Helena Bertinelli becomes an editor at DC she can be brought back but for now either give the new character a chance or save your money and don't buy it at all.

[Sorry if it sounds a little harsh but really it's just a comic book character. Comics will change over time and unless you're in the industry there is little one can do about keeping the status quo.]

[Lemurion]

Indeed. And this is exactly the reason DC is now very vague about their future plans because, if they change their minds, the fans go ballistic.

And this is particularly the case for fans of the second-generation heroes who have been largely left out of the relaunch, many of whom seem to react as if it's a personal attack rather than a business decision. (We can argue all year whether it was a good or bad business decision, but the likelihood is that won't be completely clear for at least another year.)

[MrHashasheen]

I'm incredibly surprised they didn't go with the obvious: Make Huntress a legacy alias. Have Helena Rosa Bertinelli be the original Huntress and mentor, and make the Helena Wayne her successor.

My idea:
Helena Rosa Bertinelli is the original Huntress, having gone under the mask after her family got wiped out in some shadowy war in Gotham's underworld. Fighting the good fight and all that against Earth-2's Gotham criminals. Sooner or later she gets injured, to the point of being unable to continue her career as Huntress.

In comes Helena Wayne. Inspired by the Huntress's career as a crime-fighting heroine (I mean, Earth-2 historically has very few female heroines before the current generation, maybe Liberty Belle,Hawkgirl and the original Red Tornado), she decides to take up her alias and fight crime. One of her early runs has her run into the retired Helena Bertinelli, and the original Huntress decides to take the new one under her wing and train her as a crime-fighter. There could be a nice clash of styles as the original Huntress is more violent and unpredictable concerned to the more reserved (and protected by her parents) Wayne, who believes in not taking lives if possible and all that, and you could have Catwoman's presence as a concerned mother and Batman as both Batman and her father, etc...

Thoughts?

[Sunbird]

Sort of. But going by that logic, since most of DC's creative staff is in the 25-40 year old range, they'd all be regurgitating the mid-90s.
.

Really? I'd argue the mid nineties are back with a vengeance! Darrrrk...uh, darkness!

[gwangung]

Just because you find Helena Bertinelli more interesting doesn't mean she has a better high concept. She's certainly a more developed character and has often been a breath of fresh air in the DCU,

I actually think this has been more the exception than the rule. I think Bertinelli's been written much more often as a one-note fool with daddy issues with Batman than as a truly competent crime fighter who Batman reluctantly accepts as a peer.

To a certain extent, championing the ideal version of Bertinelli over Wayne isn't really playing fair. It's about execution.It's ALWAYS about execution, whether it's about Helena Bertinelli or Helena Wayne---and there are potential to be plumbed in both.

[Master X]

I'm confused whether I have a problem with this. On the one hand they killed Helena B off, and they did it off screen. On the other hand, it wasn't really the Helena B we all know and love anyway.

[mrrightnow]

I'm confused whether I have a problem with this. On the one hand they killed Helena B off, and they did it off screen. On the other hand, it wasn't really the Helena B we all know and love anyway.

That's how I look at it.

Also, I am one of those weirdos who equally enjoy the Bertinelli and Wayne versions of Huntress. This new version seems to merge the two heroic Huntresses quite well.