Huntress may not have been missing at all, but Paul Levitz was the writer who first ventured Huntress in her own solo series back in the eighties. To say Levitz has an understanding of the character, may be a understatement. Comic Book Resources some new questions that haven't been asked since the series was announced last month. Here they are.
CBR: So it sounds like this is going to be Huntress taking on, not super villains, but down to earth, real-world problems.
Paul Levitz: Yeah, there's no super villain anywhere in it. This isn't something you would call the Justice League in on or anything like that. It's very real-world level problems. I think, not that it is exactly set in the literal real world — I don't have a great knowledge of some of the ramifications of the Arab Spring — but it wouldn't shock me if stuff like this is going on. You're much more likely to have a moment of commentary on the reoccurring garbage strikes in Naples, or there's a hopefully wonderful scene set in Pompeii — which is full of, by the way, wild dogs wandering around this incredible world heritage monument because nobody seems to give a shit to fence it and keep them out — and they provide an interesting moment in the story as a result.
CBR: The pre-September Huntress is linked with the Mob in Gotham — is that another reason to set the story in Italy?
Paul Levitz: There's definitely a fair amount of the Italian mob running through the entire series — fewer by the time she's finished, certainly! They are a major factor in what's going on, but only in the things that actually bring her to Italy in the first place. They're a link to what had happened in Gotham. A particular set of circumstances, before the first issue opens, have led her to be investigating something. She arrives on page one and we go from there.
CBR: As Huntress is a character that in modern continuity has been strongly tied to the Birds of Prey and team books, how do you approach writing her as a lone gun for this miniseries?
Paul Levitz: I think you get an opportunity to hear her voice a little more. One of the advantages of a character like that in a team book is her personality shows through, in many ways, largely by comparison to the other characters. In a solo adventure, you have to find the story moments that really bring out who she is and, hopefully, we get that exploration. There's certainly some stuff she brings with her she's either learned from her teammates or borrowed from them or has tools available from them. But no guest appearances by any of the rest, this is her tale.
For the entire interview, including talk about Marcus To's art, head over to Comic Book Resources. The Huntress #1 hits stores in October.
Posted by Dustin Fritschel
