popularhistorian:

well, excuuuuse me!

“The Man stood in the doorway. In Hindsight, there was a moment when I could have done something. I don’t let that moment pass anymore.” The death of Helena’s family, moreover her inability to act and her helplessness, is an indelible moment etched in her brain. As heartbreaking and unrealistic as it is, in her mind even at eight years of age, even against a masked, giant wielding gunmen, Helena believes she could have and should have done something that would have saved her family. With a commitment liking to a nun taking a vow before God, Helena has sworn that she’ll no longer be victim to indecision and non-action.  As a result, The Huntress was created. She’d be opposite the timid, fearful, and once outgoing child. She’d be violent, fearless, and withdrawn. Whereas Bruce Wayne has always been the facade and Batman the real man; in Helena’s case, The Huntress is the false-face. She dawns a cape and mask as a coping and numbing mechanism.  Revenge was a by product, but first she had to survive. Not only from those that would cause her harm, but also a regret that was all-consuming and suffocating. In her mind, her lack of action made her as culpable for the murder of her family as the man who killed them.

Growing up, Helena had no predilection for violence and yet the tragedy of her childhood has made her one of the most violent and feared of persons. One that can take on pain equally as she can dish it out. Every individual that crosses the line feels her wrath and her unforgiving scorn. Every punch thrown and kick delivered is a ferocious reminder of what she lost. Every tooth she knocks out, bones she brakes, and blood she spills is a brutal cue of her shattered existence. This is what makes Helena’s decision not to end Yasmine Soze’s, a gunrunner and assassin from Istanbul, life a remarkable turning point.

No one will forget bop # 99 and Helena dangling Yasmine off a building after she threatened to kill her school children. I sometimes feel guiltier enjoying lethal and scary Huntress then I do eating my favorite calorie filled ice cream. Up until bop #6, this was probably her most memorable moment. Yet this moment is crucial not because she was badass, but because of what she didn’t do. Instead of snuffing the life out of Yasmine, she offered what might be considered blasphemy and contrary to Helena’s code. She offered her a second chance.

Dinah was right that Yasmine was fortunate she pulled that stunt with Helena at that particularly moment in her life. Helena has shown a murderous tendency in the past to be less forgiving. She staunchly and rightly believes criminals too often get away with their crimes. There’s little doubt what the outcome would have been if this occurred earlier in Helena’s crime fighting career. But something was slowly changing in her. Her time with Dinah was influencing her.  She was experiencing the fullness of having someone put their faith in her and she returned that belief by putting hers and more in Dinah. She was showing complete and utter trust that Dinah’s methods and approach were from a pure heart; one untainted by the grief and tragedy that informed so many of her own actions. She was rewarding Dinah’s unconditional faith in her, and in return she gave her complete and unwavering devotion to Dinah. Their bond and sisterhood became solidified, and with that Helena moved ever closer towards healing.

Part One Part Two

gailsimone:

huntresstheitalianmafiaprincess:

Abandoning Gotham City after the destruction of the Clock Tower, Barbara Gordon had taking her team on a couple backyard missions. Helena’s next two missions would include a brief substitute teaching job in Ohio to assist with Black Alice, a young teenage girl with mystic powers who recently…

This is a pretty wonderful analysis of Helena in those arcs of Bop. 

My belief on team books is that people are different, somewhat, when they are alone, than when they are around others.  In the Birds, Babs’ admission that she messed up, and Dinah’s endless friendliness and accessibility wore down Helena’s natural tendency to distrust people. It didn’t come right away, there were some stumbling blocks, but eventually, Helena let them in.

I don’t feel it changes how Helena is when she’s alone, and she’s still a loner, really. But she has a couple friends that she grudgingly cares about, and so in my mind, she is a little more open every time.

To me, the fascinating thing about the three main birds is that they share a common perspective, but they don’t REALIZE they all feel the same way. That is to say, each bird thinks that she is the protector of the other two. Helena feels she’s watching out for Babs and Dinah, likewise, Dinah thinks she’s got Helena and Babs “Under her wing,” and Babs feels the same way, we’ve hinted at that several times. So they’ve each got that little bit of Big Sister feeling for the other two, and if you asked them their true feelings, they would all basically say the same thing.

The storytelling in Birds of Prey has always been about long stories told through the use of shorter ones, and we’re hoping to do that same thing again this run.

Abandoning Gotham City after the destruction of the Clock Tower, Barbara Gordon had taking her team on a couple backyard missions. Helena’s next two missions would include a brief substitute teaching job in Ohio to assist with Black Alice, a young teenage girl with mystic powers who recently suffered the loss of her mother to a drug overdose and was seeking retribution from drug dealers, a trip to rural Kansas to face Harvest, a woman whose “spirit of vengeance” stalks and kills the unpunished for their crimes; before settling in Metropolis to deal with Rose/Thorn, a woman who suffers from split personality.

Over the course of the next few missions it was becoming evident that Helena and Dinah were beginning to form an affinity towards one another and becoming good teammates as well as friends.  Once withdrawn, Helena was starting to open up more than ever. She also appeared to be genuinely enjoying life, a rarity since hers seemed burdened and motivated by the inescapable tragedy of her childhood.  She had a renewed sense of faith and purpose, but it would be short lived as she would eventually discover that Barbara’s decision to leave Gotham had a deeper purpose then simply escaping her own wounds. Furious with her and feeling betrayed, Helena would leave the team, declaring that Barbara is every bit as manipulative as Batman.

I wonder if readers truly grasp the leap of faith Helena took by joining Barbara’s team. How much she was putting herself out there hoping this would work, yet in the back of her mind waiting for the shoe to drop. We take for granted that interpersonal and social skills are learned and developed, and either people don’t know or forget that Helena didn’t grow up like most. After the death of her family, at age eight, she was isolated and sheltered for her own protection. The only major contact and heartfelt connections she’d developed were with her cousin Salvatore, who was more like a brother, her Aunt Antonia and her tutor, Justina, who were like mothers to her. The prism in which she saw the world and gained self-esteem, was shaped largely by Justina. Eventually sent to a Swiss boarding school at 15; no matter how intelligent, cultured, and sophisticated she was, she faced rejection from her peers because of her family association. When she returned from boarding school, she lived on the Asaro farm alone; only venturing out to attend classes at the University, and completely plunged herself to avenge the deaths of her family. Due to circumstances beyond her control, Helena’s life has literally been a one-woman, lonely journey.

Their confrontation in bop #80 was a critical moment for both. While her intentions were benevolent, they were manipulative, and upon reflection, Barbara seemed to once and for all understand that she can’t handle and control people in the manner she has. That she wasn’t Batman, but her own person, with her own beliefs in how things should be done. She wasn’t betraying him or what he meant to her, caring and loving him less by realizing some of his ways are flawed and no longer wanting to perpetuate them.

Let’s face it, giving her makeup, even though it was never expressed or an undertone, it’s not a stretch to believe Helena was beginning to feel the walls coming in on her. She’s use to being a lone wolf out of habit, necessity, self-perseverance; not answering to others. However you look at it, her comfort zone is being an outsider; Friendship and sisterhood were foreign. Barbara’s actions gave her an out and she did hesitate to take it. But Helena needed to step away, needed time to think, to gain a new perspective and understanding. Ultimately this conflict would help progress their relationship pass the suspicion and mistrust that had plagued their association to one of mutual appreciation, respect and love.

Helena’s next defining moment I felt took place in issue #86 .  While it’s subtle, I believe wholeheartedly it was vital to her progession. Since leaving the team, she struck back out on her own attempting to bring down Gotham’s mob. Recovering from her operation, Barbara moved into her new home in Metropolis. Dinah organized a surprise housewarming party attended by a number of Barbara’s friends and associates. Although it felt like she was going through the motions, Helena was present. When everyone had left and the women were alone, Zinda gifted everyone with Birds of Prey jackets, and an “official” name. She offered one to Helena who declined and left the party to everyone’s disappointment, especially Barbara’s.  

Helena’s trust has always been difficult to gain and if lost, it seems gone forever. Yet she realized a valuable lesson being away from the team, and that was forgiveness. She also learned that loving or being loved doesn’t make one immune to making mistakes. What she was developing with the other ladies, a sense of community and history, beats being alone. At the end of the issue Helena request the bop team jacket she’d rejected earlier. Accepting that jacket was a major moment because it’s an outward expression that Helena wants to be a part of the team, and all that it signifies not just missions but friendship, family, togetherness and unconditional support through the good and the bad. She’s making a commitment to go through life’s trenches with them. Mostly, she’s admitting she needs them.

That’s a pretty big admission if you’re Helena Bertinelli.

PART ONE

A little time ago, Birds of Prey writer Gail Simone asked for readers input into what they thought were the definitive moments for each of the characters during her run. When I think of definitive, I think not only classic but defining as well. As someone who’s invested passionately in seeing Helena propelled forward on her journey of self-discovery, I don’t separate the two, therefore, I’m sure my choices won’t be as flashy as others, and there’s not going to be a whole lot of ass whooping. Apologies in advance for my sentimental choices but I believe we learn more about characters in the quieter and reflective moments. I did, however, have to give this a lot of thought because even though Helena has been in bop for six years, and is an integral part of the team, for whatever reasons, her story progression feels more gradual and subtle then the other core members.

The first defining moment I saw took place in issue #75. Barbara had blown up the Clock Tower to protect Batman. When the issue opens, Barbara, Dinah and Helena are already on scene witnessing its complete destruction. The loss of the tower hits them pretty hard, including Helena who was still a relative newbie to the team. I wasn’t quite expecting her reaction or for it to have the emotional impact it did.

This scene is significant for Helena because she was able to feel the enormity of their shared loss. Up until this point, she had not allowed herself to be emotionally accessible since she’s so guarded. It’s very difficult to know what she’s feeling or thinking sometimes. But you can’t feel the loss of something if it doesn’t matter to you. In that one gesture of Helena and Barbara coming together (I believe Helena initiated it), we got to see her starting to admit to herself she cares about the team, and that the possibility of finding a family and a home were becoming real.

There’s no equivalent comparisons between the emotional devastation of losing loved ones and the loss the Birds suffered that day, but what it does symbolize is that Helena gets to participate in the collective togetherness that has been absent from the majority of her life. Enduring agonizing and sufferable situations are more manageable when you have a support system. I’m always struck by the reality that when Helena lost her family at eight years old, she didn’t have anyone to go through the grieving process with.  At that point everything became about surviving and she suffered that loss in silence and alone. She still suffers that loss in silence (she has never spoken of it to Dinah, Zinda, or Barbara), and everything is still about surviving for her. There’s a sense of optimism that if Helena can let some of her walls down and embraced the foraging friendships, she’d never have to endure anything alone ever again.

Birds of Prey: Between Dark & Dawn tpb contains issues #69-75 and was written by Gail Simone with art by Ed Benes, Ron Adrian, and Jim Fern.

gailsimone:

Respectfully, the cross being thrown in Cry For Blood is why I TOLD Between Dark And Dawn. I not only did my research, I had that book beside me the entire time I wrote it, and as Greg Rucka will tell you, I made myself a pest asking questions about it. Greg himself wrote and told me that he appreciated me being one of the few writers who acknowledged the events of Cry For Blood. Between Dark and Dawn takes place at a low point in Helena’s life where she is questioning all her choices. The whole purpose of the story was for her to regain her faith, which she speaks about in the very next arc.

It was meant to be a transition story between her symbolic gesture at the end of Cry For Blood, and her return to her faith in The Hero Hunters.

Not trying to negate your feelings, here, but I did do the research, I promise. ;)

I’m having difficulty unifying what you’ve said with what I’ve read. In order for someone to return to something, they first must leave it. When did Helena leave or turn away from her religion? When was this transition period? Last panel of CFB, Helena throws her cross in the water out of guilt and a feeling of unworthiness, after manipulating her uncle into killing Cassamento. That’s a far cry from denoucning her faith which is what’s projected in Between Dark and Dawn.

Not to mention, in the Batman Family mini-series written by John Moore, we are told Helena attends mass as part of her weekly routine. That story takes place after Cry For Blood but before Between Dark and Dawn. It means Helena never gave up her religion. More important, it shows Helena is very serious about her faith.  It’s one of the reasons I’ve had a difficult time reconciling the Helena you wrote BD&D and your follow up arc where she plans to attend mass again.

I’ve had the opportunity myself to speak with Greg Rucka about Helena. He’s very cordial and helpful to his fans, so I’m not surprised to hear he’s just as gracious to his colleagues. Thanks for your insight and exchanging communication.

 I don’t like it when writers don’t do their research or ignore previous continuity simply to push their own interpretation of a character, especially when what they are changing is so fundamental to a character. I also don’t like when characters are striped of what makes them interesting and sets them apart from their peers in an attempt to laud another character(s). I always feel nudged in a quandary when reading Gail Simone’s Birds of Prey: Between Dark and Dawn. On one hand, excitement, Helena gets to go on a solo mission and earn her place on the team. Ass kicking is sure to abound. On the other, dismay, devout, mass attending Helena all of a sudden doesn’t only have problems with the church; she’s no longer a believer. Talk about a sucker punch.

Comic book characters personal struggles many times mirror our own real-life struggles. Religion can be intimidating whether you’re a believer or not. Maybe writers and readers get scarred or turned off by pious characters. It presumes a character must be perfect or they’re hypocritical. It shouldn’t as Helena proves daily in her quest for truth and justice. Her conscious clashes with her faith, and her faith is in contradiction with her life choices. It shouldn’t because like in real life, whether you are a believer or not, we all strive to better ourselves and fall short. We set personal behavioral standards that we don’t always meet with approval. We fall down but we get up.

What I know for fact is Helena’s faith is sincere as is her struggle with it. It’s heavy and emotional. It’s seeking revenge against the man who ordered the hit that annihilated your entire family, making you the last of the Bertinelli’s, hunting and killing him. Instead of relief, you’re stricken with guilt and mourn your victim. It’s setting up mob members who contributed to the murder of your father, mother, and brother. Instead of reveling in your victory, you throw away your cross, a symbol of your faith, not because you’re walking away from your belief, but because you feel unworthy to bear the yoke.

Whether you’re a believer or not infusing religious ideology into a comic book character isn’t easy to write or master. Exploring a character’s faith and religion should be approached with respect, subtlety, and thoughtfulness. Not done away with because it’s complicated or the easy way out. Whenever I revisit Huntress story in Between Dark and Dawn it’s always a mixed bag of emotions.

Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds tpb contains issues #56-61 and was written by Gail Simone with art by Ed Benes.