Batman: Hush, Vol. 1 (A Madman Re-read)

After reading almost the entire gambit of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's The Long Halloween storyline, I decided to give Batman: Hush another go. I had heard that a lot of the storyline from The Long Halloween made it into canon within the pages of Hush and I wanted to see for myself.

The story begins with Killer Croc kidnapping the son of a wealthy businessman and holding the lad for ransom. It's definitely not the villain's normal MO. Even worse, Croc has mutated into something more reptilian. Catwoman ends up stealing the ransom and then Batman's heart and this is where everything goes to hell.

As Batman is trans-versing the Gotham skyline, someone cuts the rope he uses to swing from building to building with. The Dark Knight crashes onto the streets below and nearly dies from a severe skull fracture. When a blast from Bruce Wayne's past returns and performs the live saving surgery, it looks like the billionaire has an old friend back in his life. However, as more villain's start acting in ways that is completely unusual for them, Batman is faced with a villain unlike one he's ever encountered before- the bandaged faced mystery man known as Hush!

I've experienced the artwork of Jim Lee many times before. I've never fully appreciated it until now. As much as Tim Sale is Jeph Loeb's quintessential partner, Jim Lee does a darn fine job. Batman never looks more stern. Catwoman is a vision in her black catsuit. Gotham never looked more frightening with it's dingy back alleys and vertigo inducing heights.

The story is excellent. I've said many times, I prefer Batman when he's playing the Detective. He's got a great Rogue's Gallery. But I like it when the Caped Crusader has to match wits with them as opposed as duking it out in fisticuffs as a standard superhero crime fighter. There's a ton of Batman baddies in this story. But the Dark Knight has to figure who is behind his foes recent quantum leaps in prowess, cunning and deceit instead of just beat them all up and that's the way I prefer it.

Sure, I know who Hush really is. Like I said, I've read the entire storyline before. Only this time, I'm re-reading the book while on a mission. I'm searching for the nods to The Long Halloween and I'm paying attention to every panel searching for hints and clues I might have overlooked the first time I read this modern Batman classic! A classic I might add, that would be perfect if not for how close Batman comes to death and yet not 10 minutes into his recovery, the fool is risking his life again to find out who was behind the Killer Croc kidnapping scheme. I find that completely implausible and worthy of a loss of a couple of stars.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.