This week from DC Comics we get an issue focusing on a long existing but seldom used character, Huntress. She found some life in the Birds of Prey titles, but in the regular Gotham titles it seems like she only shows up for big events. Huntress may be a one-shot, but Batman Secret Files will be an ongoing title that tells the story happening in the current Bat-title from the point of view of Batman’s allies. This will be a great way to see more of the bat-allies that can’t be in every normal Bat-title. Huntress 1 fills a void in the current story line.

This story takes place in the Detective Comics timeline between issues 1039 and 1040. In Detective Comics 1039, Huntress fell prey to the infectious touch of Mr. Vile. His body chemistry turns hosts into mind-addled, blood thirsty monsters, willing to kill anyone and anything. In Detective Comics 1040, we get a brief update from Oracle that Helena was doing okay after being healed, and had in fact escaped the hospital. Huntress 1 picks up this thread and shows us the story from her point of view. Fans of hers will really enjoy this issue.

A Hive’s Mind For Blood

You can’t keep a good woman down. When Helena wakes up at the hospital she quickly decides she’s had enough. She steals her roommate’s coat (the reporter also infected by Vile), and jumps out the window. Helena relaxes once she gets home, thinking the worst is behind her, but then she discovers it isn’t. She sees images of a man being chased, and feels the same blood lust she felt when she was infected. She knows she needs to rest and hydrate, but vigilante heroes don’t get to punch a 9-5 clock.

Helena suits up and takes off in an attempt to find the source of her visions. She realizes she must be connected to a hive mind of sorts since what she sees has to be real. Using the clues in what she sees, she tracks down the infected and stops them from harming others. During the take down of one of her victims, it appears Vile reaches through the infected person’s mind to taunt Huntress, but she has none of it. She own her own mind now and will do everything to take down Vile and his zombies. we get a gross little scene of a ‘thing’ coming out of the man’s eye. Huntress promptly stomps it with a defiant squish. Huntress vows to fight on.

The story stops abruptly, but it promises to keep going in Detective Comics 1041, and things may be on the verge of becoming much, much worse. An average citizen, crazed and driven to kill with a blood lust is one thing, but an infected Batman with the same urges borders on absolute nightmare!

Huntress 1 – Much Needed Depth

Being a huge fan of Huntress, I loved this issue. It gives us her side of the story and a victim’s point of view. In many ways this issue is an allegory for victims of various crimes. Huntress lost her mind to the parasite and it forced her to do terrible things. The visions initially terrify her. She thought she escaped the virus’ effect. Why was she seeing these visions? I feel calling this traumatic is a massive understatement. She described the feelings as being held under water while her body tried to kill Batman with a blood lust. Now she could see it happening again, but this time she controlled her body, not some parasite.

This is where I love this issue and what it shows. Helena refuses to be the victim. She looks herself in the mirror and declares “My mind is $#@&?% mine!”. When she sets out, she sets out fierce and determined to end this slaughter once and for all. How do you not love the scene after she speaks with Vile through the infected. She declares “I am the &%$#@?% Huntress!” I love when she does this, the art team uses her trademark font to spell her name out. Vile may not stop, but she won’t either.

What did you guys think of Batman Detective Files – Huntress 1? Head on over to DC Fanatics on Facebook and tell us what you thought of Helena’s journey.