Ivory Madison talks Huntress Year One (her belief that female heroes, in particular, should have their own independent origin, heighten tension with Batman, thinks Helena works better as a loner, discusses what she’d do if she kept writing the Huntress), mentions Trina Robbins, possible Vertigo projects in the future, and gives a little advice to aspiring writers.

NOTE: It’s a short interview, about 27 minutes, and well worth a listen.

Helena: Justina…Why aren’t there any women heroes?

Justina: There are, Helena. There was a female pope once. She dressed in men’s clothing. When she died, they discovered she was a woman, and   ever since, they’ve pretended she never existed. She’s one of my heores. In all the operas, women only matter if they are young, innocent, and die. Men can’t handle women their own age, you see. And innocence *sigh* is overrated. As for death, well…you must vow to outlive them all.

I’ve talked with Huntress Year One writer, Ivory Madison, on many occasions about her story. Each conversation leaves me wistful for her return to Helena. Huntress Year One was an ambitious story - many of the plots and threads had a sophistication and depth that don’t scream first time comic writer. That’s not to say that I think HYO is flawless, but the few negatives I felt are out weighted by the positives, and Ivory’s passion and unwavering commitment to tell the story she believed in and would be proud of. 

Now, I wasn’t always at this point. It took me a good three years and what felt like were hundreds of readings to really appreciate the scope and intellect with which Ivory approached the storytelling. HYO could have benefited by being twelve issues instead of six. I also felt the feminist mouthpiece in which she spoke with now and again was jarring and more about her, and less about Helena. At times, I felt it interrupted the emotional flow of Helena’s journey. But I’ve come to appreciate how assured and comfortable Ivory is in her own skin. It’s those attributes she used to project Helena in much the same way: confident, committed, focused, principled, and mature beyond her years. 

I’ve already shared by feelings here and here about Helena’s relationship with her cousin Sal, a HYO highlight, and about Helena’s brief, but exciting confrontation with A Mano Iddio.   

In issue 2 of Huntress Year One – “La Donna e Mobile”, we are treated to a specific flashback of Helena’s childhood, at the Opera House with Justina, her tutor. We’d later come to see that Justina’s words and influence had an enormous impact on Helena. The prisms, in which Helena viewed not only the world, but her own self-esteem, were shaped largely by Justina. Despite this one page appearance and a few name drops, we know they spent a lot of valuable time together and that she was a great source of inspiration in Helena’s life.  When Helena meets Catwoman for the very first time, she is reminded of Justina, and that is our reminder of their bond, and that Helena viewed Justina as a mother figure.

There is a touch of brilliance in the last panel with Justina. Ivory conveys to readers there is more to her than even the young and impressionable Helena is aware. “You must vow to outlive them all”.  I want to know what Justina’s back-story is and how she came to play such an important role in Helena’s life, because as Ivory told me once, “it’s huge”, and “it wasn’t by accident”.

NOTE: As for the art direction, the opera that Ivory Madison used as a reference in this scene is Rigoletto, a story that reflects the overwhelming sexism of the time.  The Italian actress from the forties/fifties, named Alida Valli, was the inspiration for Justina’s visual look.

ohthethingsilike:

Huntress Hunts

(Source: )

ohthethingsilike:

Huntress Hunts

(Source: )

Huntress Year One tpb contains issue #1-#6 and was written by Ivory Madison with art by Cliff Richards.

Helena attempts to escape the premises which are surrounded by bodyguards. The Pope, Mandragora’s second in command, shows up and helps her get away. It is unknown how, but he has put together that Helena Bertinelli and Huntress are one in the same. She has done him a favor by killing Mandragora as he privately resents him as leader of the mob and has higher ambitions. With his death, The Pope ascends to the position of boss of bosses and takes over the global head of the mafia, and also one of the five fingers of the hand that controls the world, A Mano Iddio.

The Pope also tells Helena the name of the man who killed her family, Omerta, pertending to do her a favor. He doesn’t believe that Helena can win against Omerta who is a valuable asset to him. He believes by sending Helena Omerta’s way, he will kill her.  She is a a real threat and loose cannon who he won’t be able to control. He wants the matter of the Bertinelli’s put to bed once and for all so that he can begin his reign as mob boss and a controlling entity of A Mano Iddio. 

At the conclusion of Huntress Year One, The Pope nor anyone affliated with the mob or A Mano Iddio was aware that it was Helena that stole back her fortune that night. That secret went with Stefano Mandragora to his grave. What is obvious is that even as a new person ascends to the Godfather title, Helena is still seen, not as a nuisance, but a legitmate threat to A Mano Iddio. The question remains why? And what, if any ties or ambitions did Helena’s father, or grandfather, or great-grandfather, have to A Mano Iddio?

Mandragora discovers the real reason Helena is there. She plans to kill him but first wants the name of the man who pulled the trigger that killed her family. Mandragora tells her he only ordered the hit; there’s a hierarchy to the mob. He’s the top but doesn’t concern himself with bottom feeders and doesn’t know. Helena’s heard and had enough. She does what she came to do. She ends his life.

Mandragora’s bodyguards rush to his aide but Helena takes care of them, then turns her attention back to him. He taunts her, but soon realizes it was she who ambushed him and the other members of A Mano Iddio that night.

Helena learns Stefano Mandragora ordered the assassination of her family and has sought him out to enact her revenge. She’s unaware that he has ordered his second in command, The Pope, to kill her. Mandragora is angry that the largest single fortune ever to be divided by A Mano Iddio was stolen. He believes Helena can no longer be trusted and will seek answers as to why her trust was only two million, and why her family was exterminated. He wants her taking care of, but she gets to him first.

Helena flees the opera house with the woman. When they are at a safe distance, she explains to the woman, who was the date of one of the men, they where there to divide up her money. She recognizes the woman is wearing a necklace and tells her it belongs to her. Helena tells the woman she can’t go home as her life as she once knew it is over and that her family would have already been killed. The woman becomes distraught. Helena gives her one of the keys to a safety deposit box. She knows that it won’t bring the woman solace, but she will need it to get out of Italy and start a new life.