Customer Reviews

Batman: Heart of Hush

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's probably fair to say that Paul Dini's five part Hush arc was anxiously anticipated on two counts, the first in observing what he could finally deliver on a Batman tale benefitting from a more accomodating longer format, and the second in discovering how much further he could expound and embellish on Tommy Elliot's mysterious and controversial background. While we do learn more about his troubled childhood and the subsequent vengeful behavior that arose from it, this may be a prime example where less is more and things are best left shrouded, as some characters are more intriguing if certain aspects about them remain a riddle. Most of the revelations do come about from the debatable yet probably unavoidable use of expository flashbacks, whose primary purpose was to both illuminate Tommy's enigmatic past plus possibly give him a sympathetic slant and more rational motivations for his ultimately becoming Hush. The flashbacks however are somewhat excessive, comprising a significant chunk of the narrative, given that the technique itself is most effective when used sparingly. More importantly, the story clearly suffers from its' totally over the top and implausible situations that diminish its' logical credibility, from the medical predicament inflicted upon Selina combined with Hush's surgically altered "new" face, to the overly coincidental encounters in his youth with Jonathan Crane and Peyton Riley, who would eventually go on to become the Scarecrow and new Ventriloquist. Peyton's dastardly role in Tommy's past is especially troublesome considering it contradicts and undermines her empathetic plight and portrayal in a recent two-parter from a few months past. What fortunately does spark is the poignant and passionate reigniting of Bruce's feelings toward Selina, an affair of the heart that aptly and succinctly symbolizes the story's metaphoric title. Despite its' flaws, many critics of Hush will undoubtedly welcome this tale strictly for its' elaboration on his persona alone, but regrettably it falls short of the expectations that his much awaited return and the added length generated in comparison to the rest of Dini's exceptional tenure on 'Tec.

I won't bore you with a recap (and I won't give away any plot spoilers), but I will give some background information. Heart of Hush is officially part of the Batman R.I.P. storyline, but takes place a couple of nights before the events of RIP proper (and therefore, before Final Crisis). Hush, upon learning of the Black Glove's intentions for Batman, returns to Gotham to make one final attempt on his nemesis. What happens in the story, I won't say, but it is a very good story. The Heart of Hush storyline officially ends within this book, but an epilogue of it takes place in the 'Faces of Evil' issues of Batman and Detective Comics (Not collected in this), but they aren't necessary and only serve as to give closure to some of the characters in this story. The story officially picks up in Batman RIP and then Final Crisis, telling the story of the 'last' adventure of Batman.

I have a number of problems with "Batman: Hush". It is, at best, an average Bat-story that happens to have very good artwork. One of my main problems was the titular villain. Writer Jeph Loeb and Artist Jim Lee simply failed to create an engaging villain. His motivations for launching his scheme were weak and cliched. To me, Hush was a one-trick pony who should have stayed dead, but naturally, DC milked the cash cow with "Hush Returns". So when Paul Dini revealed that he had plans for Hush, I was worried, even with Dini's knack for characterization. Thankfully, I was more or less wrong.

The book opens in the days leading up to the events of "Batman: RIP" and essentially serves as Dini's final storyline for Detective Comics (though elements have been continued through the current Batman: Streets of Gotham and Gotham City Sirens books). Hush has resurfaced in Gotham and is ready for Round 3 with the Dark Knight. However, his plans for revenge against Batman are accelerated by the Black Glove's own campaign against the pointy-eared one. Parallel to this new campaign is a re-examination of Hush's childhood and his transformation into the bandaged villain. Dini doesn't work miracles, but he does manage to inject some needed complexity into the character by expanding on the flashbacks from "Batman: Hush". He even manages to tie in elements from his earlier stories and give a sense of unity to his entire tenure on Detective comics. His characterization of Batman and the world of Gotham is spot on, from a perfect summation of his relationship with Selina Kyle to an absolutely hilarious Joker cameo. Artist Dustin Nguyen is also right at home with his style which is equal parts Scott McDaniel and Mike Mignola.

Ultimately, Heart of Hush is another worthwhile outing from Paul Dini and Company.

Although only about half as long as "Hush," "Heart of Hush" is the perfect sequel to the original masterpiece. Smaller in scope and scale, but even more personal....and you don't even have to read the bits of Hush storylines from Gotham Knights in between the two to catch up. It didn't sound like I missed much.

As far as I can tell, the essential Hush saga can be captured in these graphic novels:

-Hush

-Heart of Hush

-Hush Money

-House of Hush

I won't bore you with a recap (and I won't give away any plot spoilers), but I will give some background information. Heart of Hush is officially part of the Batman R.I.P. storyline, but takes place a couple of nights before the events of RIP proper (and therefore, before Final Crisis). Hush, upon learning of the Black Glove's intentions for Batman, returns to Gotham to...

Not as good as Hush (the preceding story) but that does not mean this book isn't good. Hush was easily one of the best comics I have ever read so it is a lot to live up to. This book continues with the villain and brings a little more closure to the story. I recommend both of these comics but please read them in order.

Great story, great writer, great artist. Dini's entire Detective Run is some of the better comics of all-time. The only reason this isn't 5 stars is because it doesn't include the 2-issue storyline told in Detective/Batman "Last Rites" where Hush tracks down Catwoman in ? (Vietnam?). Anyway, great read.

"Heart of Hush" proves once again that Batman leads the charge in great storytelling & comic art. Regular Batman fixture Paul Dini & company weave an intelligent action packed suspense thriller that's post "Hush" & prequel "R.I.P." but miraculously passes as a self contained yarn. This is a real solid piece of work.

Paul Dini is a great writer - nice plot, catchy dialogue - and the art by Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs is spectacular - realistic enough to be believable, stylized enough to make it enjoyable, and dazzling colors that know how to enhance the story from moody shadows to vibrant lights. It collects Detective Comics 846-850; the plot follows up on Private Casebook (Detective Comics 840-845), and both should be read together. Both collections are self-contained, which is a welcome relief from the half-finished, confusing storylines of the Grant Morrison Batman RIP story arc.

Hush is still a fairly new addition to the Bat canon in the grand scheme of things. I think a lot of fans were split on his introduction but I really enjoyed it. Some thought was definitely put into his back story and I'm happy to see a modern villain introduced that isn't gimicky in any way. The childhood connection he has with Bruce is a nice added twist.

So here we have Dini taking a crack at Hush and continuing to explore his past and what made him who he is today. Not only does this story do that but it also pushes his character forward in a surprising way. Other than a couple 2 part stories, this is the first real arc that Dini has attempted since beginning his run on Detective. I know his intention was to tell a stand alone story in each issue, which is the tradition of Detective Comics, but this 5 part story was definitely worth the wait. Heart of Hush has so many great cliffhangers and easily ranks up there as one of the best Bat novels ever. This is the sort of book I can read all in one sitting because it is so face paced and the suspense is tight.

Even if you aren't familiar with Hush, don't let that stop you from reading this. There is a lot of flashbacks to fill in his past that really define his character. I also really appreciated the small nods to other characters that Dini has been using recently like Peyton Riley and he couldn't resist squeezing Zatanna in there again, however it is Catwoman who I might say is the heart of the story. Brilliantly done.

I had to reread this in anticipation of Dini and Nguyen's brand new monthly series Streets of Gotham which released today, and I couldn't be more thrilled that these two are teaming up again. Nguyen's work has never been better than this, his style fits Hush perfectly. I love the dark shadows who I have Derek Fridolfs to thank for.

If you're looking for a break from all the R.I.P. confusion, this is a true Batman story. It's not trying to shake up the whole Bat universe, it's not trying to make a huge earth shattering impact on Batman's mythos, it's just a fantastic read and I can't recommend this one enough.