Graphic Novelty²

Thought I’d continue my Huntress theme with a newer one XD This one was a standalone story right before the New 52 reboot.

Helena traces gun shipments into Gotham back to Naples, Italy, and heads there to shut it down. However, she uncovers not only containers of automatic weapons, but also containers of women fleeing from war in the Middle East. Unable to stand by while vulnerable women fall prey to human trafficking, Huntress goes after the men responsible. There’s Moretti, an Italian crime boss as the storefront, and Ibn Hassan, a government official who supplies the girls. Employing the help of the press and her own ruthless methods, Huntress seeks to bring justice to the women she’s rescued.

This one was kinda middle of the road. Not great – it had it’s moments, mostly with Helena’s snarky one-liners, but they were few and far between. But it wasn’t awful, either. Even the art wasn’t anything spectacular, just kind of standard. There are some nice panels and spreads showcasing the Italian countrysides and seascapes, which is a nice change of pace from the gloomy Gotham streets.

What this book did for me in particular is it got me thinking about the Syrian refugee crisis. There was one panel where Alessandro (Helena’s reporter friend) says, in response to Helena’s wish to make sure the women get a better life, “Many places in Europe do not wish to see more immigrants, or help them” (34[ish. The pages aren’t numbered XD]). I felt that, reading the book in the time that I did, that it was a metaphor for corrupt government and the worldwide apathy towards those in need.

But that was just me. Read it or not; you might be entertained by it, but you’re not missing anything spectacular if you skip it.

-Kathleen