Reviewing Batman: Hush
Overwhelming spectacle and underutilized potential wrapped into a story about love, trust, and intrigue | Warning: Spoilers!
It’s been years since I’ve sat down to read a graphic novel. I grew up obsessed with the entire genre, constantly bringing home towers of different storylines, spanning from DC to Marvel to Dark Horse and smaller indie publishers.
The core of this time of my life was, without a doubt, Batman. Of course, I was reading across publishers and staple characters, but my heart was captured by the character and universe around Batman.
I read almost religiously for some time, but my attachment to the ritual waned — to a point where I can’t quite remember how long it’s been since I last read a graphic novel. I can reasonably recall reading Batman: Court of Owls some years ago, perhaps near its 2015 release. In any case, though, I think my remembrance, or lack thereof, of what I last read reflects how long it has been, both temporally and within my own heart.
I recently decided to read Batman: Hush. With this book, I am jumping back into the ritual, perhaps not as an entirely “new” reader but certainly as one who hasn’t been in the swing of things for some time. And this brings me to my first point of review:
1 — Batman: Hush is a wonderful book for beginners and those reentering the Batman mythos
Batman: Hush bears the weight of exposition recurringly. Not only that, it attempts the difficult task of setting up what could be an intriguing mystery with a frankly all-star cast that borders the story to blockbuster status.
Indeed, I would be remiss if I were to essentialize this as a purely good or bad thing. To its credit — whether it’s Batman’s own internal monologue, narrated flashbacks, or comments from other characters close to the Caped Crusader — these components make for an exciting read. The various sequences of exposition and remembrance help new readers quickly catch up with context that not only serves the story at hand but their future reads. Combining this iterative process of contextualization with the larger-than-life cast of friends and foes makes for both a spectacle and an exciting entry into the Batman universe.
The point is that, especially for new readers, “getting into” reading comics can be very daunting. It’s not always so readily clear where to begin — what storylines to start with, which ones to read next, which characters and elements to pay the most attention to. The Batman mythos is no exception to this experience. The process of figuring out where to begin and where to move to next can, expectedly, get tiring. It can reach a point at which you’re inclined to give up and try for something a little more contained. Looking for something smaller isn’t the problem, of course, but accessibility is appreciable when it’s possible.
To that end, I think Batman: Hush succeeds. It isn’t the most in-depth contextualization of the Batman character or universe, but it manages to bring in such a wide scope of characters and histories that it earns itself a round of applause here. I think this story offers, too, quite the balance of invigorating action, world-building, and (what I would consider somewhat mild or mediocre but nonetheless present) mystery — which is a stew that I’d imagine to entice most new readers.
Effectively, new readers are equipped with bits of context spanning different Batman storylines. These make the story itself more digestible, add fuel to future readings, and implant a sense of confidence in one’s ability to swim through the intimidating waters of a new universe without drowning.
2 — Why I admired Batman and Catwoman
I honestly appreciated what Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee were exploring here. On one front, purely as an admirer of Batman, I felt proud and happy to notice some of the subtle changes his relationship with Selina caused. It’s the feeling of having known someone for so long, of — whether from afar or from a few steps away — having witnessed their personal traumas and admitted failings weighing on every part of their character. It’s the experience of loving someone who is, at the end of the day, trying their absolute best to do what they believe is right both in spite of and because of what they have lost. There’s an attachment you form to someone you share this relationship with; they’ll occupy a place in your heart that is so deeply etched and almost painful that any semblance of hope for them makes your heart flutter.
Perhaps that seemed over-the-top, but that is, in part, how I feel and have felt for Batman, among some other characters. It makes me genuinely happy to see Bruce let his guard down, to peer into the parts of him that legitimately do want to lean into trusting Selina. There is something particularly special, too, about exploring something as raw as not being able to forget about a sudden kiss. And, however brief they were, Bruce’s own monologues helped to peel back some very human layers that we don’t always get the privilege to see. I am certainly not saying that we have not gotten to see such “human sides” of the character before, but I nonetheless appreciate the relationship they build with Selina over the course of the book.
There is also something clearly important to recognize in the fact that Bruce revealed his identity to Selina. That’s big. I would imagine that is the sort of decision that came with the intentionality of carrying weight — that the Hush storyline ought to leave a few lasting imprints in the mythos that change the dynamics between Batman and those he loves. But even beyond the canonical domain, there’s important growth to see here. Growth that I think persists despite how the two of them end. Seeing Bruce heed Dick’s advice, bridging the gaps between Bruce Wayne and Batman with a partner, represents something important. In part, it tells us about how much this means to Bruce. In another, it reflects how much Bruce has learned — that he both deserves to experience love and cannot do it by splitting himself into various identities. The other members of the Batfamily recognize it, too. Whatever apprehensions they may have about Catwoman being Bruce’s love, there was an overriding recognition that Selina’s mere presence is helping Bruce. The familial love that emanates from Dick’s voice when he tells Bruce that he doesn’t disapprove of the two of them is palpable. It’s sincere and real, and is hammered home when Dick advises Bruce to tell Selina about who he is, on both fronts.
I can’t entirely say if their relationship feels adequately built, mostly because I haven’t read the comics that lead up to Batman: Hush. What I can say, however, is that what we do get to see is very appreciable. In its contained status, their relationship is something I enjoyed and found to be fruitful. And I will admit, the fact that they didn’t work out, in the end, was, while not a surprise, nonetheless hurtful. I think it would be too haphazard to interpret it as lazy writing, to see it as an unnecessary reversal of what has been built up; rather, it feels like a reminder that Bruce clearly has progress to make. Trust is still something he struggles with, and it won’t simply be resolved in a neat volume. I’m okay with that, I think. The fact that the two of them don’t work out, too, doesn’t suddenly undo what progress has been made. There will be implications, not only in the sense that Selina knows who Batman is but in the sense that Bruce’s sense of trust is developing.
3 — A scene between Batman, the Joker, and Commissioner Gordon
I wanted to briefly comment about the scene where Batman nearly kills the Joker and Commissioner Gordon convinces him to turn away. It’s a scene that manages to stand unaffected amidst several other surrounding scenes that I found to bog down my reading experience. I honestly loved this interaction. It’s an apt reminder that the Batfamily isn’t just comprised of the conventional characters we have come to think of. Someone like Commissioner Gordon plays such a vital role in the Batman story. His position is certainly different, though; he isn’t an orphaned child or young savant who has found their way into Batman’s life by force. He is not a butler who has tended to Bruce since his younger years, effectively taking up the role of both his parents for time immemorial. His relationship with Batman is tumultuous, certainly not having begun on simple and amicable terms.
And yet, at this point, Gordon appeals to Batman not as the commissioner but as a friend, as a moral anchor. When Batman asks Jim, “How many more lives are we going to let him ruin?”, Jim responds, “I don’t care. I won’t let him ruin yours.” He clamors at Batman to think about who he is — his role models, his beliefs, and the guiding principles that distinguish Batman from the people he fights against. He isn’t pleading with Batman not to kill the Joker as a matter of legality, but as a matter of principle, as a matter of character and friendship, as a matter of love. This will often be a recurring debate among fans and even non-fans alike, but I believe this principle of Batman’s — of refusing to kill — is a core part of what makes the heart of the character beat.
Jim is an example of the various anchors in Batman’s life. The existence of a Robin begets a certain anchor for the character of Batman. Of course, not all of the Robins have been the same person, but the anchoring effect of something like, say, Dick Grayson’s optimism has made a legitimate difference. It has oftentimes proven to be the dividing line between Batman and the things he is attempting to rid the world of. We see a similar effect with Jim in this scene. The incentives to kill someone like the Joker are plentiful, no doubt. Hell, there was even a part of me that was surprised to see such resolve in Jim. Considering what the Joker has done to both his late wife and daughter, the resolve to nonetheless abide by this moral principle is otherworldly.
I could talk about why I love this scene for ages, but I’ll limit myself to this. I just wanted to emphasize that this scene truly stood out among others that I frankly found overbearing.
4 — Hush: intriguing and brimming with potential, but ultimately underwhelming
I’m not sure how I feel about Hush. I think there’s something certainly refreshing about the character. This is partly because the introduction of any new character to a rogues gallery that has been rather large but admittedly fixed for quite some time is always welcome. Outside of that, though, there is something interesting about this new character being from Bruce’s childhood. We don’t always get to peer into this part of Bruce’s life in the form of a modern-day character. In those respects, I find Hush to be a breath of fresh air.
It is also worth mentioning that I knew who Hush is going into the story. I have encountered and learned about Hush through other games and deep dives online, so the actual “twist” of the story wasn’t much of anything for me. I think this is worth mentioning simply because my experience with the book may very well have been different had I not known who Hush actually was. It’s also worth noting since my impression of the nature of the “mystery” that underpins the book is partly affected by it. That is, while I knew who Hush was, I found the actual mystery itself somewhat underwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad, per se. It just felt contrived at times and as if the way the mystery was set up was to appeal to the greater status of the book as a spectacle and introduction. Of course, plenty of engaging and difficult mysteries take us in zig-zags, going through routes that don’t always make the most sense. This critique is tied to another one that I’ll speak to later, but for me, it felt like the mystery was oftentimes being built around the oversized cast and sequence of events (to its detriment).
I believe that Hush has potential. Matt Reeves’ The Batman refers to the character, and I think that is a universe where Hush can play a seriously interesting role. He offers writers a chance to create a story that very deeply cuts into the youth of Batman while also engaging in greater critiques of the Wayne legacy. I think his introduction in this book is alright. The nature of the mystery he concocts is intriguing at times and catalyzes movie-worthy action setpieces, but it doesn’t feel particularly remarkable.
If there’s anything I find contrived and not very likeable, it’s Hush’s motivation. His entire catalyst as a character, as a once-close friend of Bruce’s, is that he wanted to kill his parents for their fortune and Bruce’s dad saved one of them? Perhaps I’m missing elements of the story. There may very well be a background to how Elliot’s parents treated him or existed in his life that I am not privy to yet. Even with that, though, it doesn’t feel adequate enough a motivation to fuel the sprawling, larger-than-life mystery that this book follows. And I find that somewhat disappointing because Tommy’s place in Bruce’s life is clearly a fertile ground for conflict. They could’ve injected a greater sense of motivation in flashbacks or have Tommy reenter Bruce’s life in a more organic and gradual manner. Instead, it feels like we got something half-baked. I’m sure a response to this is that it’s merely Hush’s introduction, to which I would give due credit. I recognize this, and I want to read more Hush. I would like to expand the scope of what I know about the character, but I feel like the onus nonetheless remains to give Hush a reasonable enough motivation or background that makes sense of his actions, at least to some degree. He isn’t posed as a megalomaniac or criminally insane clown — he was one of Bruce Wayne’s only close friends as a kid. They were practically brothers to each other. It feel like an insult to the seeming nuance that underlay his character to make him a ruthlessly greedy child. It honestly feels like we were cheated out of something more emotionally striking and powerful.
5 — Batman: Hush is packed to the brim
This is perhaps one of my greatest critiques of Batman: Hush. Just to be clear: I want to emphasize that the book being overridden with spectacle, with such a large cast and recurring exposition is not necessarily a bad thing. For me, though, the amount of exposition got weary at times; I could recognize its value and appreciate it as so, but it felt like some stories were being retold too often, to the point of exhaustion. And don’t get me wrong, it is typically a pleasure to see different members of the Batfamily or Batman mythos appear in a story, but this book felt suffocating at times. I think such a fast-paced sequence of villain battles can be done tastefully, but this just felt rushed. Quite frankly, it felt like too much was going on in quick succession. It felt like the story wasn’t willing to take a breather for itself, to explore the actual mystery that was going on enough.
There’s one example that keeps coming up in my mind: Harold. He feels like he’s almost entirely out of left field. I feel inclined to say that this may just be a product of me not being familiar with the character before, but there are two problems with that: (1) Harold is nonetheless not spoken about at all throughout the book until he’s suddenly introduced near the end, just so he can die. Additionally, (2) In an interview done with Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee, the two actively recognized this element of Harold’s character. I will certainly note that, as a reader, I could tell that Batman and Harold shared a certain endearing relationship with one another, that there was something beneath their interaction that was sincere and laced with experience. To that, I would certainly credit Jeph Loeb. Outside of this, though, he felt frankly out of place.
And that was just one example. I think the plot of this story moves far too quickly at times, oftentimes in a way that seems to be more focused on introducing the next spectacle and getting in more Batman mythos just for its own sake, without much regard for the actual plot and mystery that the book is built around. This is probably the part of the book that made it most difficult to enjoy for me. I also do not think it was aided by Jim Lee’s art style. Another disclaimer here: I do not dislike Jim Lee’s art. He is a phenomenal artist, and I could only ever hope to be as talented as he. I just think that certain art styles fit particular stories better than others. I believe that as a blockbuster epic that is focused on spectacle, Jim Lee succeeds with flying colors. So many panels and splash pages in this book have literally been immortalized, becoming staple images of Batman that you can find all across the internet and media. But I believe that — and this is something another review mentioned that I agree with — the book might’ve benefited from more variation in art. Lee’s style can feel very overwhelming at times and quite frankly took away from the actual atmosphere of mystery I would imagine we were supposed to feel often. I appreciated the flashback scenes being illustrated differently, too. I am not sure if that is the particular style I would find most fitting for the book at large, but it exists in that direction, perhaps.
In all fairness….
Here’s another interesting fact: the original Batman: Hush story came out over the course of a year. In that, we can imagine that such a time span forced readers to engage with the book in a very different way. The thrill of the mystery was much more real, and you certainly couldn’t just run through the entire volume in one sitting; rather, you had to wait each month for a new issue, each oftentimes ending with a startling cliffhanger. There was no Hush character before this. There was no game to introduce you to him early on. You were figuring it out with everyone else. Noting this, then, I would also imagine that not experiencing the story in such a way has had an effect on my own review.
Beyond that, I think Batman: Hush was, without a doubt, a fun story to read as I begin reading comics again. While I am not a new reader per se, the nature of the spectacle(s) I saw still entertained me at times and made me feel like I was exploring the world of Batman again. And no matter how exposition-heavy, that’ll always be fun for me.
The other problem — and this one was more so on my side — was that this story was far too idealized for me. Batman: Hush has found itself in such a distinct spot in the modern Batman mythos that it’s oftentimes considered a “classic” despite being one of the more recent stories in the Batman universe. With such an atmosphere around it, it is honestly difficult not to attach expectations to it. And, of course, the important advice tends to be that we must not come into a story comparing it to some glamorized, idealized version of itself. At that point, you are reading past the lines, past the story being told, searching for something that you want rather than taking the time to appreciate the art before you on its own terms. That is something I must admit has colored my perception of the book.
I say these things as clarifiers because my review began as appreciative and loving but also toed lines of harsher criticism, all of which I thought were fair. All things considered, I think three stars is a reasonable rating for this book; it’s not a particularly remarkable or amazing book — certainly not a “classic” or as great as it’s oftentimes helmed to be — but it is a decent introduction into many basic elements of the Batman universe while getting the ball rolling on a character with plenty of potential.
