The Good
This is The Huntress kicking butt and taking names; and when faced with the prospect of assassinating the man behind the trafficking of innocent women, will she do it? This issue is action packed and filled to the brim with excitement. Marcus To once again delivers a gorgeous issue proving (yet again) that no one can draw Helena quite like he can. He captures her beauty, finesse and agility effortlessly in this issue. If there's one word to sum up Helena in the fifth issue of her mini-series it has to be 'fierce.'
Huntress works alone, and she has no problem using some very dangerous toys to get the job done if she has to. The issue opens with an explosion which she uses to distract the guards and sneak into the building where the traffickers are hiding out. She does so successfully and proceeds to survey the area and take out guards using an array of different methods: her crossbow, gas, and of course, the element of surprise. If there's one thing Paul Levitz is very good at it's that he writes Huntress like a seriously cool secret agent. And it works.
This is also a very revealing issue in that it would be the first time that Helena is confronted with the prospect of killing someone point blank -- at least since the launch of the New 52. The question is, will she do it? Her decision will ultimately outline the type of character she is and whether she follows by Batman's code of "no guns and no killing." It will be interesting to see what happens in the final issue of this mini-series.
The Bad
Reading this issue really serves to reinforce that the previous issue was not really necessary. I had some serious problems with issue #4 in this series because a lot of the things that happened didn't make very much sense. It's also very clear in this issue that the two reporters who have befriended Helena are aware that she is The Huntress. A secret identity is a pretty big deal, especially when you are dealing with journalists who make it their job to uncover details like that and report on them.
This was, however, a pretty good issue and considerably better than its predecessor.
The Verdict
The final pages of this issue leaves the reader wondering where this Huntress stands as far as her ethics and morals are concerned. What is her code of conduct? Eye for an eye? Are vengeance and retribution the recipe for what she considers justice? It will be very interesting to see where the writer takes the character in the final issue of her series. This issue is action packed and a whole lot of fun, although it is a bit sad to see that the series will be coming to an end next month. If you wanted to give this series a shot you can absolutely jump on board with this issue, and it may even convince you to go back and read the previous five. Marcus To delivers another stellar issue with his beautiful pencils and his incredible ability to capture fluidity and motion in a scene. I am definitely looking forward to issue six!