EDIT: This thread has been renamed and should now be considered a proper tribute/love thread for the character.
Huntress has been a unique character, even among Gotham vigilantes. My thoughts on her have grown over time and I was curious what others thought about her.
-Do you consider her a part of the Bat Family?
-What’s your favorite story featuring her?
-Is there a specific era or interpretation of her that you prefer?
-What characters do you like her being paired with or want to see her paired with? (Feel free to interpret that however you want)
Oooh you know what. That is a complicated answer. I think I need to get recommended Helena Bertinelli comics because I’m more familiar with Helena Wayne. The OG huntress.
I suppose that is confusing. The reason I used Huntress is because I know there are two main multiversal versions of you. You can even specify which version you are referring to based on the “which interpretation do you prefer” question
Batman Hush, I’m pretty sure it’s also they only story I’ve read with her in it (which I’m gonna have to change soon)
No I’m not really picky, I guess I liked her in JLU a lot
I’m assuming that means romantically, I would say Vic Sage but I don’t think he’s a Christian and since she’s a Catholic she wouldn’t date someone who isn’t a Christian.
But Vic’s personally changes so much depending on who’s writing him that there’s probably a version of him out there who’s Christian so I’m gonna say him anyway.
Hush is also the first time I encountered her in comics. Since then, I’ve read some solo Tim Drake as Robin stuff from the 90s where she appeared in. Most of her solo stuff is going over her origin, but she was also in Birds of Prey comics
In any case, when it comes to Helena Wayne huntress I say she is not part of the Bat-family. In her original series she only had Dick Grayson and her relationship with him was complicated. She was the only Bat around so I’ll just say no. In other versions like in the new 52 World’s finest and earth 2 series, she refused to associate with the other Bat members because she knew her parents were not together on that world and their relationship was still being made that her being there would ruin things. Earth 2 just makes it clear that even with Thomas Wayne around, Helena only sees Powergirl as part of her family.
Damian Wayne from prime earth is the exception but only by happenstance. Helena and Damian met each by accident, fought, and became friends. They probably would have had a stronger brother-sister dynamic if Damian didn’t die from unrelated events.
Helena Wayne has her new 52 solo series which I love, but Helena Wayne arguably best story is America vs Justice society where she is the Team’s defense lawyer to prove their innocence of possible wars crimes from WW2. Even if it cost her father’s secret identity. Shows how Helena is more than just a vigilante hero and would risk ruining her father if it would save others.
Paul levitz Helena Wayne in the original and the new 52 is my favorite interpretation.
He makes her serious but not brooding. She can be menacing but also compassionate. Helena Wayne seeks to do more than her father as Huntress and that would also mean dealing with the bad guys permanently. Doesn’t mean she will kill anyone, but it wouldn’t mean she has qualms about it either. She is my favorite kind of hero because it shows what a legacy hero can learn from both her heroic father and villainous mother.
I read the America vs Justice Society comic and really liked it! Same for the New 52 solo- which is surprising because it’s the New 52. Still have to check out the Earth 2 title and Earth 2 World’s Finest
Honestly, I prefer Bertinelli more as a Birds of Prey operative who has connections to the Bat-Family though Oracle and Nightwing rather than a member herself. Helena has enough baggage without getting trapped in Bruce & Co.'s angst-filled circles.
Huntress: Cry for Blood will always be my favorite Huntress story, but I also have a soft spot for Birds of Prey #73 and Dixon’s Huntress mini.
As indicated by my above answer, I love Bertinelli’s 90s and 2000s appearances. Dixon, Rucka, and Simone all managed to make her both menacing and sympathetic.
I don’t really ship Helena with anyone. She doesn’t seem like the kind of person who can sustain long-term relationships considering the lifestyle she leads. Holding a teaching job is hard enough for her!
As for Helena Wayne, while Bertinelli is my favorite Huntress, I loved Crossbow at the Crossroads. I know lots of people hated it, but I loved how she wasn’t afraid to take down scum head on.
Huntress: Cry for Blood, Dixon’s Huntress mini-series, and Simone’s Birds of Prey are all great starter stories for Bertinelli. She also had her an arc in Gotham Knights #38-40 where she and Batman team up against Checkmate that’s worth checking out.
