Tuesday, March 20, 2012

The Huntress #5 (April, 2012)



"Amalfi was a rich fortress once, before it became a playground, and then a tourist trap... looks like it's going back to being a fortress, at least today. Couldn't ask for better proof that the Chairman's here." Huntress launched a speedboat full of dynamite at a dock, and while guards dealt with the explosion, snuck into the castle disguised as a cleaning woman.

The Chairman vented his frustration over the Huntress by taking one of his sex slaves aside to carve on with a blade. "...We will see that her blood is as red and weak as any woman's..." His son Mustafa was ordered away to a villa the (obliquely confirmed as late) Moretti had prepared (before his presumed demise.)

Christina and Alessandro sipped wine on the patio of a restaurant and delivered exposition to one another in Helena's absence. Another explosion in Amalfi announced the beginning of Huntress' continued assault. Wait-- what? Alessandro, just slurp your Cabernet and hush.



The Huntress gassed and karate kicked an honor guard, then progressed to the Chairman's mercenaries. The Chairman had killed Layla and retired to the dank charms of an old world panic room. Low on "tricks," Huntress began straight firing crossbow bolts into dudes. How does she reload so quickly? Anyway, it came down to the vigilante and towering Arab Lion again, whom the Huntress electrified with some archaic variation on a taser requiring access to a wall outlet for dramatic purposes.

Venturing into a secret cellar, the Huntress drew down on the Chairman, who promised no Italian court would ever convict him. He also tried to play the sex trafficking as charity card, to which she countered "There were so many ways you could have helped them... and left them their souls. Don't tell me about the law. I'm more interested in justice." Furious over the Chairman's murder and exploitation, Huntress appeared to fire a lethal bolt. The final panel depicted a mournful Mustafa saying "Father..." as the television showed news footage of authorities escorting a covered body to an ambulance...



"Crossbow at the Crossroads: Part Five" was by Paul Levitz, Marcus To and Richard Zajac. Worth Noting: Helena was speaking fluently in a foreign tongue there at the end, presumably the Chairman's.

New 52's Day

2 comments:

karl said...

A marginally better issue, tho sadly iit comes a bit too late ot save this series. It came with the promise of an experienced writer [Levitz] and the worthwhile pedigree of a tried and trusted character, yet it resorted to telling what amounts to the same tale in every issue! Even Levitz's Modesty Blaise riffs on Helena's dialogue, which became more offuse in this final ish, didnt lift this above the mundane. I much preferred the Huntress Mini-series two years ago which dealt with her origin.
If this was meant to reintroduce us to the original Helena Wayne [did anyone spot the liking cats ref?] there were better ways in which to do this, and luckily we get that chance with her upcoming team-up with Power Girl.
You know what Id like to see? Apart from the Huntress/Power Girl combo on Earth-2 is a Batgirl/Supergirl team-up on Earth-1.

Diabolu Frank said...

I really enjoyed the Ivory Madison Year One mini-series. I hoped for a continuation of that, and years later, got this pretty vacant book instead. Why not do the new origin here, stupidheads? Blah.