A review by thisotherbookaccount
Batman: Hush by Jeph Loeb
3.0
Batman: Hush was sold to me as one of the best Batman stories ever told. I should have known that "one of the best" is a subjective statement in most cases. Batman: Hush is by no means a bad comic book. In fact, for most part, it is rather gripping. At the end of every chapter, you are left wondering: Who the hell is that guy with the bandages on the face?
What is slightly off-putting, however, is the multiple bait-and-switches towards the end of the book. The man in the bandage is... THIS! OK, not really, but we got you didn't it? Now, for the true reveal. The man in the bandage is... THAT! Hah! Got you, didn't I? It's not really him. Did you really think we'd do THAT? Fine, fine, we won't be pulling any legs this time. The real villain is... THAT.
By the end of the back-and-forth and the true (for real this time) villain is revealed, it somehow feels like a letdown. There are no deeper meanings to be found here, unlike those you find in The Killing Joke and The Dark Knight Returns. No revelation that touches on a moral ambiguities — nothing. It's a personal vendetta from Batman's past that bites him in the ass. It's straightforward and it's simple — perhaps too simple.
With that said, it's still an enjoyable romp through Gotham (and Metropolis at one point). If you want a story that sees Batman pitted against all his past enemies, most of them are here again to torment your favourite caped crusader. Most comic book fans may see this as a cliche of sorts but, since I haven't read THAT many Batman books, it's still relatively fresh for me. Besides, who doesn't want to see Dick Greyson?
I don't think Batman: Hush is the best Batman book, nor is it particularly terrible. It is very middle-of-the-road that's not particularly sophisticated.
What is slightly off-putting, however, is the multiple bait-and-switches towards the end of the book. The man in the bandage is... THIS! OK, not really, but we got you didn't it? Now, for the true reveal. The man in the bandage is... THAT! Hah! Got you, didn't I? It's not really him. Did you really think we'd do THAT? Fine, fine, we won't be pulling any legs this time. The real villain is... THAT.
By the end of the back-and-forth and the true (for real this time) villain is revealed, it somehow feels like a letdown. There are no deeper meanings to be found here, unlike those you find in The Killing Joke and The Dark Knight Returns. No revelation that touches on a moral ambiguities — nothing. It's a personal vendetta from Batman's past that bites him in the ass. It's straightforward and it's simple — perhaps too simple.
With that said, it's still an enjoyable romp through Gotham (and Metropolis at one point). If you want a story that sees Batman pitted against all his past enemies, most of them are here again to torment your favourite caped crusader. Most comic book fans may see this as a cliche of sorts but, since I haven't read THAT many Batman books, it's still relatively fresh for me. Besides, who doesn't want to see Dick Greyson?
I don't think Batman: Hush is the best Batman book, nor is it particularly terrible. It is very middle-of-the-road that's not particularly sophisticated.