#Huntress Cry For Blood

[dailytims]

Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood #3

[mzminola]

Now I'm thinking about which comics titles I've read and what I'd recommend to people jumping into DC comics. These are all in the Post-Crisis Pre-Flashpoint era, so not only are they finished running, the universe they're in is closed too.

Robin minis I, II, III: 15 issues total, from 1991 - 1993.

Establishing character stories for Tim Drake as Robin, with some interesting geo-political time capsule elements because they're all from the very early 1990's. This is when Tim is a relatively new vigilante, and each story has a reason for Batman to be mostly out of the picture so we see what Tim is like by himself, rather than as Batman's Partner. Spoiler: Tim by himself will always find people to team up with, and not just other capes! Very much plays into the struggles of having a double life.

Also serves as a good introduction to the city of Gotham & the crime stories the Bats handle, covering the mafia, international organizations, and various levels of Rogues.

Young Justice 1998: 55 issues, 1998 - 2003.

Fun ensemble cast, whacky adventure stories, with a solid emotional core running through it. In an era when more adult oriented comics were trying for realism by going Grim & Gritty, Young Justice said "How about we tackle realistic Teen Issues by putting them in the zany shenanigans that the golden/silver age would've had?"

This can create some mood whiplash, but also really works. Probably because that's often what being a teenager is like.

Batgirl 2000: 73 issues, 2000- 2006.

Speaking of what being a teenager is like, Cassandra Cain's Batgirl run my beloved. Lots of snark. Both Cass and her primary mentor are disabled women, and though Cass's disability is based on Comics Logic, it's internally consistent for the story, and her illiteracy has real effects on the plot and her life. Coming of age story, gifted kid burnout, the lengths you'll go to to get being the best back, wrestling with guilt, heroism, & self-worth.

Cass has a language disability and is one of the deadliest physical fighters in the world. Her mentor Barbara Gordon is paraplegic, a librarian, and information specialist. They have some shared experiences and values, and some wildly different experiences and values, and they clash! They care about each other deeply! They tease each other! Barbara fucks up sometimes, and also sincerely apologizes when she does.

Huntress: Cry For Blood: 6 issues, published in 2000.

Solid short noir mystery & rehash of Helena's origin story. Has a very poetic vibe. I was able to follow it after only seeing Helena in crossovers rather than reading her solo series.

~

I got the number of issues from the fanwikis, and should note that Young Justice & Batgirl issue count does not include crossover events, where issues in other titles may be needed for the full story. I found Batgirl mostly understandable without reading the crossovers, but with Young Justice I needed to either track the issues down or search fanwikis for context.

What are some titles or story arcs you all recommend?

[theresistanceneverquits]

My current favorite Catholic disaster

[mysterycitrus]

“[x] male character is woman coded!” “[x] male character has so much female rage!” “[x] male character is a feminist icon!” have u considered caring about women instead

[fantastic-nonsense]

the Big Two need to hire more women to write comics not just for gender parity's sake or so we can get better-written female characters or any of the other dozen completely valid reasons why we need more women in comics, but also because the perspective a lot of women bring to the superhero genre is fundamentally different from the mostly middle-class white men who dominate the genre

like Ivory Madison portraying the cycle of violence and abuse through the parallel institutions of marriage and the mob in Huntress: Year One to showcase how Helena is both a victim and freedom fighter in the context of her family and cultural history....what man would have thought of that? even Greg Rucka didn't do that, and he basically wrote the book on how to write traumatized religious female vigilantes who have complex relationships with their families

[madcapberry]

Screaming into the void about Nightwing and Huntress. They’re two of the most wholly, almost religiously, dedicated people to the cause. One is ostracized for her methods and is often alone, the other is trusted and beloved by nearly the entire vigilante/hero community (and by Bruce). Still, they are both lonely. Neither of them have faith in the other. Neither of them will change their core beliefs. They can’t talk for long without arguing. Batman hangs around both their necks like a rosary or a chain or an omen. They clash and bicker exhaustively. They care so much it’s painful. It isn’t enough. They’re drawn to one another and it means something but it doesn’t matter because they will each always be more devoted to something the other is not fully privy too. They know this. They know this in the same way they know they can look each other in the face, orphan to orphan, and find the same steely resolve reflected there. It isn’t enough.

They’re buddies though.

[laufire]

the one (1) valid bat in batman/huntress: cry for blood.

(also this happens way before bruce wayne: murderer?/fugitive and now I'm just picturing bruce remembering tim kept insisting helena had to be innocent!!! -she would never be this sloppy omg- while he doubts BRUCE'S innocence even juuuuuust a little bit and I'm a ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING ÑALDKSJFASDF)

[armed-with-a-waffle-iron]

English student 1: So, Ms. Bertinelli, what did you study at university?

Helena: Oh, um...

Helena: Well, I studied-

English student 2: -Duh! She's an English teacher, she probably studied Eng-Lish.

Helena: YEs! I studied English...... and a bit of Italian History too.

[anthyies]

CRY FOR BLOOD

[apopcornkernel]

personally this is MY vichelena roman empire. like he was literally sitting on the bench before this but he took off his coat and sat down on the ground and looked up at her listening attentively as she told him her life story...... sincerely how dare you, greg rucka!!!!

[dailytims]

Batman/Huntress: Cry For Blood #5

[tbcanary]

one thing that did stand out to me while i was going back through cry for blood is how often we don't get to see helena's face.

it's a little thing, but there are so many panels -- especially when she's just received news of something, or is in emotional turmoil -- where she hides herself. she turns away, she bows her head. it's interesting, particularly because comics do so often show us those big dramatic facial expressions. but helena curls inward when upset. i think about these two panels a lot:

there's a note from stephanie hans in the backmatter of an issue of die that i think of -- about how in comics, how much space something takes up indicates how important it is -- and yet, somehow, whenever some new information comes up, helena makes herself small, minimizes her own emotional displays.

now, given, she does hold herself in a very particular way as a default state. head tilted down, no eye contact, etc:

but that's exaggerated when she's upset. often, she even takes the pose of a prayer. like the specific thing i'm referring to is either sitting with her head bent toward her clasped hands as if she's praying, or turned away toward a window or mirror that frames her like an altar. like so:

there is, in fact, an entire page where we don't see her face. while she's recuperating after all of the drama of the first half of the arc, she won't look anyone in the eye at all. instead, the framing moves around her and shows her, bent forward and hidden, from different angles:

i just think it's a nice little touch. a good display of who she is and how she responds to troubling situations, which makes perfect sense given what we learn about her during this arc. like, you know, if you're always at least somewhat at someone else's mercy -- be it batman, the other families, the people training her -- you'll want to minimize the outbursts and hide vulnerabilities, and she has a specific way of doing that. it often resembles prayer, because of course it does. she doesn't compare herself to a nun for nothing.

also, for a fun (?) bonus. this doesn't happen as often in the huntress costume… unless she's confronted with family. and then it creeps right back in:

anyway. helena bertinelli i care you.

[foolbo]

dc let tim and helena have silly interactions again pls ty

[yells-of-the-not-so-danged]

i just want to take a moment and appreciate this panel, it's so pretty :)

[mintchocochipsposts]

Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood #4

[mzminola]

They do say all public school teachers are superheroes, after all...