Batman: Hush Review

 

Initially I wasn't gonna do this, but and this is gonna sound so geeky, I got so pumped up that Batman (2016) #158 is gonna be the sequel to this storyline along with Jeph Loeb & Jim Lee returning, so with that info I just had to review this. Especially since it's one of my top favorite Batman stories.

Batman: Hush was a 2002 storyline and was published by DC Comics with the 1940 edition of the comic book series simply titled, Batman. The story arc can be find in issues #608-619. It was written by Jeph Loeb and the art was done by the one and only, Jim Lee.

The story is, Batman's old enemies are attacking him on a level they've never tried before. All these new methods are linked to a new villain in Gotham City who wants to destroy the Dark Knight in a psychical and psychological way. Now, Batman must stop this villain before he wins, but at the same time he's having complicated feelings when he realizes both him and Catwoman are falling for each other.

• Negatives

I've got nothing.

• Mix

It's the story, but let's get through all of the good stuff, and trust me there's a lot of good stuff. Let's start off with the action. There's plenty of action in this. Anytime Batman's gonna throw down with somebody or a chase scene or a combination of the two, it's exciting. But the best thing about it is how balanced it is. While Jeph Loeb wrote lots of action scenes, it still left plenty of room for more quieter moments. Whether it'd be just two characters talking or stuff focusing on detective work. Now there's a lot of Batman stories where the scale is grand, this isn't one of them. Despite how big the story sounds it's actually very small. A matter of fact this small story is always diving deep into Batman's thoughts on the case as well as if he can trust some like Catwoman not only as an ally, but as a possible romantic lover. Speaking of trust, that's a very big theme. You'll read about how trust is a very fragile thing and how no matter how big or small an alliance or friendship is, there's sadly a good chance that kind of trust can be broken. So with all of that good stuff there is a slight issue. When the storyline first starts the conspiracy is very interesting and for awhile keeps you guessing, but I fully admit once you keep going you do start to get a full idea who Hush [the new villain introduced to this story] is way before the big reveal in issue #619, or chapter 12 if you're reading this in a collected edition.

• Positives

Let's start off with the pacing. Despite this story being twelve issues long this a breeze to get through. Jeph didn't waste a single beat.

The biggest praise goes to Jim Lee's art. I'm a big fan of his art. Let so you some samples. Starting with...

Just look at this. The coloring, the smoke, this is just pure Batman. I remember when I was a kid, before I cared about reading and the people who made these comics possible, I remember seeing this and being blown away.

Then we have this iconic image where I'm pretty sure Batman and Catwoman shippers have this as their wallpaper be it on their computer or phone.

First let me just say this isn't a spoiler to how they end up by the end of the storyline. Having said that, I'm not very much of a romantic guy, but that's just a gorgeous piece of art. Jim's art throughout this entire story is just larger than life and has his own cinematic flair to it. His got details whether it'd be for the buildings in Gotham City or Metropolis, vehicles, or the design of the characters. And when his art is combined Scott Williams' inks and Alex Sinclair's colors, you get imaginary that not only worked in the 2000s, but even today looks amazing.

Now while I mentioned that slight flaw in the story I still love Hush. It's still fun and I say you should give it a read.

My final rating is, Great.

Anyways, that's all for now, fingers cross the sequel is good and hopefully I can give a review when that story is done. Preferably for this year. So, come back on Thursday, Mar 27th, where I return to the Road to Superman (2025), with my review of yet another comic, All-Star Superman. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.