Customer Reviews

Batman: Hush, Vol. 2

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I don't read many comic books, but I enjoy Batman and I enjoy talented artists. The artwork in this comic book is awesome ... great drawings, great use of color. The storyline, however, is amateurish. Admittedly, you must approach all fictional writing with a degree of "suspension of disbelief", however this pushes the bounds of what is tollerable. Spoiler: c'mon ... a 10 year old boy wants his parents to die so he can be an orphan? And then plots his revenge against Bruce Wayne for 25+ years after his Bruce's dad was able to save the mother? DESPITE now himself being a world famous physician? The plot brings every villan into suspicion ... seems like a weak attempt to get all of Batman's most famous enemies on the cover to sell more comics. The writer gave us no sense of the torment of the antagonist, no real motive. Were his parents abusive? Why the displaced agression towards Bruce? The writer wasted valuable storyline on dead ends rather than building real suspense and drama. I am going to continue to read Batman graphic novels in hopes that there is something better than this out there. I wished the writing lived up to the art work.

I was highly pleased to have read Loeb and Lee's Batman: Hush. The artistry rivals that of Japanese manga and the story line is rich with internal detail. The reader is exposed (for me a first) to the insights of Batman's mind. Throughout the story, we know what he's feeling and what he worries about. There are times, however, where the internal narration gets in the way with the real-time events. For example, Batman will be fighting and in the same panel, he will be thinking about someone else. Hush is a good story for new Batman fans, though. Loeb does new readers the favor of explaining new and old characters albeit some may find the practice boring. Catwoman is also in need of some development. As much as I found her intriguing, I'd like to see more of the justice-seeking Catwoman, the Catwoman who fights so ardently for the weak and cannot stand to see injustice prevail.

Also, I would have to disagree with a few of the reviewers regarding the plot twists. Maybe they were meant to bring in as many DC characters into the story as possible, I found this practice entertaining. It's a new thing to see old villains being used by new ones to show how easily the old villain's insecurities and weaknesses are exploited. This approach made the old villains appear more human than the plastic characters we are so used to seeing the televised Batman series. (Before you rip my head off, the Batman series has come a long way, so don't think I consider Batman villains to be plastic as they are not so in the cartoon series as they were in the 1960's television series).

BOTTOM LINE: A great read, nearly a masterpiece. It's easy for new Batman fans to become acquainted with this fandom since new and old characters are explained. We are also exposed to the inner workings of Batman's mind, a slight oversight in Frank Miller's Batman: Year One, however annoying at times. Catwoman's character is a bit limited to her saucy and flirtatious ways, though she does not fail to amuse. Above all, a great read and well worth the time.

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.

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.

I gotta be honest...after Jeph Loeb's involvement in Heroes, I was expecting something pretty special here in Hush Vols. 1 and 2. Yet...not so much. I'm not a hardcore comic fan, but I was immersed by The Dark Knight Returns and Gaiman's Sandman...Hush is really a Batman mystery for serious fans. One gets the idea the story worked better in monthly installments that raised questions and expectations at each turn over a year's time (editors hint that there were huge arguments in the fan community as to who the real villain of the piece was). The payoff, unfortunately, is much more a whimper than a bang when you read the stories in a few sittings as I did. It's very much a serialized story in the classic sense of bygone days...but I'll admit, I'm a graphic novel buyer, and I dig on stories that have a deeper core than tons of bad-guy cameos, which is what one has here. The art is great and fun to look at, and this is not to say that the story has no merit. It does. I was going to check out Long Halloween...but now I'm not so sure...

My 17-year old son is a Batman fanatic and really likes the illustrations in this book. He said he'd highly recommend it to any Batman fan.

This is a review for both "Hush" vol.1 and vol.2

Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee have done what only masters of the craft of Batman-storytelling have been able to do; and that is to spotlight all of the elements that make "Batman" such a cool title. Within this epic series, you find lots of Batman in action, Batman using his detective skills, a smorgasboard of a rogues gallery, and a dark, thrilling plot full of twists and turns that makes for one fun-filled romp through the Batman universe.

There is really no way to elborate on the spectacularness that is this story. Batman isn't a newbie here(such as in "Batman: Year One"). Nor is he an older, more hardened vigilante(such as in "The Dark Knight Returns"). Both of those are phenomenal graphic novels and are worthy of 5 stars. But here, we get to see a Batman in his prime. He's at the top of his game in every way. We also get a nice interjection of supporting characters, such as Nightwing, Catwoman, and Jim Gordon(there are many more than this, but for expediency, I just named a few). We get to hear Batman's thoughts as he pieces the story together, as well as feel his emotions - something Loeb has shown an excellent ability to do in his other Batman-related stories(see "Superman/Batman: Public Enemies"). The story provides a nice depth to it, in part due to its long length. The length never makes things feel drawn-out; instead, it only adds to the gripping and thoughtful plot. The dialogue is also well-written, leaving you hanging on every word. Loeb is a masterful superhero writer. And it clearly shows in these books.

What can I say about Jim Lee? The guy is another industry icon. His artwork is legendary for being both highly(and I mean HIGHLY!) detailed and realistic, while not being so photo-realistic as to not leave behind his very own stylish fingerprints as well. His work here is truly astonishing. But this is the case with all of his works. So there's nothing new to report here in terms of the quality of art. If you're a fan of Lee's, as I am, you will not only not be disappointed, but you will find yourself asking the question, "How does this guy continue to top himself, churning out more and more amazing art with every panel I see?". For those of you who are unfamiliar with Lee(and I doubt there are many of you), take my word for it: the guy's a god. Add to this the inking and colors and lettering, and you have one of the most beautifully illustrated Batman graphic novels ever put to paper.

This is how Batman should be done. It's energetic, it's dark, it's action-packed, full of mystery and suspense, and it's a blast to read. Buy both volumes or the book that contains both volumes together. Or preferably, if you have the money, the "Absolute" edition. Any way you go, you can't lose. This is a winner, plain and simple.

Jim Lee Batman and Superman arts are the main reason I bought this comic (and the first issue). Lee fans won't regret it and the story itself is great. I prefer the 1st issue story though.

This volume contains the last 7 of 12 monthly issues created by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee.

Loeb gives us a very good detective story for the Dark Knight. Lee provides some of the greatest artwork ever done.

Vol. 2 is probably better than Vol.1, but keep a lookout for a single volume containing the entire run.

Includes a "Forward" by Jim Lee.

With great story & art work, Loeb & Lee bring Batman to the masses. Hush's story is one that sturs up memories for Bruce of Jason Todd (the 2nd Robin) that died at the hands of the Joker years earlier. With appearances by Joker, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, the Riddler, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, Superman, & Huntress this is one you shouldn't miss.