"Hush" has more holes in its plot than a piece of swiss cheese. The main villain remains a complete enigma even after the story is over. All the other villains that show up have an extremely strong feeling of "I'm just here so Jim Lee can draw me" behind them (I mean, did we REALLY need that sudden, unexplained, and way-too-short Scarecrow cameo?) Same for the needless appearance of Superman and the countless other guest stars. Events happen with no explanation, and by the end the "story" (such as it is) has become so muddled and, quite frankly, stupid that the ending doesn't even matter. The last page could have been a two-year-old's drawing of Batman taking a poop and it wouldn't have made the story any worse.

You want the truth about "Hush"? (Or at least what seems the likeliest explanation for this abomination?) DC wanted a way to boost sales of "Batman." They decided to team up two fan-favorite stellar creators: Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee. All fine and good...or so one would think. What seems most likely is that either DC or Lee chose what characters would appear in the story so that Jim Lee could draw as many people as possible. Loeb was then left to create a story that would fit the umpteen-million characters in for Lee to draw. I guess he didn't try too hard, because this is all he came up with.

So, if you like stories that don't make sense, stories where Batman doesn't act like Batman, or stories that feature so many guest stars it feels more like a gallery than a story, then this just might be for you. If you like real, character-based, plot-driven stories, pass this by. PLEASE.

Or you can just be fooled by the pretty artwork (overrated, in my opinion) like everyone else.


One of the best Batman stories in years!   August 11, 2005
 4 out of 5 found this review helpful

Okay, if you want a great story about mid-career Batman, go out and buy Hush volumes 1 and 2 immediately. Do not hesitate. If you need further convincing (and I don't doubt you will) then read on.

I first learned of the Hush story from friends on the web. Originally a 12 month story arch from the monthly Batman comic, one of DC's tentpole publications, this comic stands almost perfectly on it's own two feet as a graphic novel, which I can attest to since I don't buy monthly comics outside of the occasional trade paperback.

First off, Jim Lee's art is amazing. He strikes that elusive blend of style and realism that I seek when looking for a good artist. He doesn't go over-the-top and come off looking impressionist like many artists who have handled Batman, and yet he doesn't slip into the borigness of straight-up reality. His anatomy is solid, his environments are believable, and his women are beautiful. I'm an aspiring artist, and Jim Lee is definately an inspiration. If nothing else, buy it because it's a book full of great Jim Lee Batman art.

As for the story, I've got to hand it to Jeph Loeb. When I read volume 1 the story seemed to be mostly an excuse for Jim Lee to play around in the Batman world and draw lots of it's favorite characters. But when I read Volume 2, it was a completely new ballgame. Most recent Bat-stories have fallen into the trap of meeting and maintaining a status quo. Hush is one of those rare stories that doesn't just change the status quo, it destroys it. I won't spoil anything, but I'll tell you that it has some pretty big impact on the Batman mythos, and unlike many recent comics it manages to evolve the story in ways that some will condemn, but others like myself will praise.

Basically, without spoiling too much, the story is about Batman at the top of his game, but someone is organizing his enemies and Batman ends up wrapped up in a waist-deep conspiracy against himself. The plot is chock full of huge twists and surprises that I'll admittedly didn't see coming. In between the juicy details are some good action scenes with alot of great action with famous Bat-villains, some great dialog and character developement for Bats himself. And if you like Catwoman, HUSH offers one of the best stories about Batman's relationship with her I've read, and I found it very touching. The whole thing is a genuine rollercoaster of intruguing plot twists and solid character developement, and I was surprised at how well it kept me guessing.

Overally, HUSH is definately a quality Batman story. If you've already had your fill of "early years" Batman stories, buy yourself Hush volume 1 and 2. Jim Lee's gorgeouse art with Jeph Loeb's compelling narrative is a genuine home-run for DC, and I really hope they come back together in a few years to give us another one.


Loeb Does it Again! Lee's Art is Outstanding!   February 28, 2004
 3 out of 6 found this review helpful

Batman: Hush Vol. 1 & 2, are a nice collector's edition. It should not, however, stop someone from collecting last years monthly story. Loeb is one of the few who can create a tight story with a good plot and has a nack for using multiple characters out of the DC universe. Who is the responsible villain this time: Ivy, Two face, Joker, Riddler, or is it someone else, deep from Batman's past?

This story is a little more predicatble than "The Long Halloween" and "Dark Victory" but still is engaging enough to bring the reader in and hold his or her interests until the final pages, even if they figure it out. Again, Batman gets pushed to the edge in a believable way (yes, even though it is a comic, some resemblance of realism must still take place for the reader to enjoy the story).

An overall great story that all can enjoy!


Batman Hush   July 15, 2004
 3 out of 4 found this review helpful

Batman Hush was extremely dissapointing for me since I am a huge fan of his previous stories. Many comic book fans were dissapointed since they expected a classic. We didn't get a classic but we did get an average story. Batman Hush is a mystery and you'll probably try and figure out who's beneath the bandages unless you collected the issues a year ago.

A great part of this book is the art. Jim Lee is a great artist in my opinion and I hope that he'll work with Jeph Loeb in the near future. The only problem is that lots of the characters look the same. Harvey Dent looks like a bald version of Bruce Wayne while Lex looks like a slightly fatter version of Thomas Elliot.

Another good thing about this story is the relationship between Catwoman and Batman. Batman reveals to her that he is Batman and then things get a lot more interesting until the end.

The end is actually this story's downfall in my opinion. I believe that the story could've been much better if Jeph Loeb had been allowed to write a couple more issues so that he could explain everything a bit more.

In conclusion, I believe that fans of comic books should give this a chance since it is extremely popular and lots of people still talk about it right now. I suggest that you read The Long Halloween, Dark Victory, Daredevil Yellow, and When In Rome when it comes out. TLH,DV,and DY are all much better then HUSH and I suspect that When In Rome will also be better since it deals with Catwoman. Jeph Loeb always does well when he's writing about Catwoman.