Helena Bertinelli in Italy kicking ass and taking names is exactly the way she should be portrayed, and she is exactly that in her first issue of 'Huntress.'

The Good

If anyone should be drawing the Huntress it's Marcus To. Each and every panel in this issue is absolutely gorgeous. Marcus doesn't only portray Helena as a beautiful woman, he manages to capture her aggression, fluidity, and flexibility in each and every panel. Helena has the tendency of being this very stoic and serious character; something that Levitz portrays rather well in this issue; and while Helena is serious, Marcus is able to capture her emotions, too. The colors are vibrant and the panels themselves are illustrated in a way that really tells a story.

It isn't often that we get a story about Helena Bertinelli; in fact, we really haven't seen her since her appearance in the 'Birds of Prey' series. Even when she had been present in that series, Helena didn't really seem to hold the spotlight for very long (save for issue #11 of The Birds of Prey series, if my memory serves me correctly). Here we have an independent Helena who has traveled to Italy and will be working alone -- and she recognizes how tough that can be. She knows a shipment is leaving Naples for Gotham City full of illegal substances; however the level of atrocity is still shocking to her.

Maybe it's because there is a real problem with this very issue in the city I live in, or the mere fact that this is something I feel pretty strongly about, whatever the case may be this comic really hit home for me. I think that the issues that Bertinelli will be combating in this Huntress series is something not enough people discuss, so it's kind of awesome to see Paul Levitz take an issue that exists and is very serious, and incorporate it into his plot line. I particularly liked the line she says when her plans go awry, "I wonder if Batman plans these moments better...or is he just luckier?" Yes, Helena, I wonder that too sometimes.

The Bad

Helena may have compromised her identity to a reporter, albeit slightly. Personally I thought this could be easily overlooked.

The Verdict

This issue is a lot of fun and puts Helena in the spotlight in her very own series. She's interesting, exciting and a really strong woman. This book is extremely accessible to new readers; so if you know nothing about the Huntress and want to pick this up, do it! You won't be disappointed. Lastly, Marcus To knocks it out of the park, again!