Much has been said, criticized, made fun of, the release schedule of “Hush 2”. Before going on with the review, I think there should be a little context provided (something THE BATMAN PART II critics should also practice before providing all of their “witty” sass…witty here not to be confused with “witty banter” from the BOF Social Hour, which is obviously A+ content).
Jim Lee was forthcoming with fans on his Instagram account recently, apologizing but also explaining reasoning for the delay. In summary: health issues. I think we can all agree health > comics. Also, once this story is printed in a collected edition, nobody is going to care about the initial release schedule.
That being said, the “Hush 2: Part 1” finale is here. For those who are surprised this is a Part 1, Lee (and writing partner Jeph Loeb) were very clear in this being Part 1, with Part 2 (the end of the Hush saga) coming at a later date.
Whew. Okay, after all of that, where was I?
Oh yeah, the review itself!
I went back and read the previous issues of this story so I could dive into this one fresh. And you know what? It delivers. I think this is a fun issue that ends on an interesting note, that has me looking forward to the continuation. I believe Loeb, Lee, (Inker) Scott Williams and company are continuing the vibe of their original story from 20+ years ago.
Here, Hush has been playing chess (a direct link to the original story), getting Batman to feel isolated. It started with him rescuing the Joker, and pushing all of his allies away. There’ve been arguments, fights, chases, explosions, you name it. It’s backed our hero into a corner, where he ultimately “teams” with a surprising group. This ends badly and with a bit of a shock where I don’t know how the Hush story can continue, if you get my drift.
Jeph Loeb writes Batman perfectly. He’s my favorite writer of The Dark Knight, and it fits him like a glove. There’s great internal dialogue, walking us through his mindset. There’s great energy as we move through the story. There’s great character interactions, and there’s great stakes presented throughout. Loeb’s still got it, and he’ll never lose it.
Jim Lee, the man is a legend. His post (linked above) mentions his struggles and limits at his craft, but you’d never guess. The man continues to impress with yet another excellent looking comic. I wish we could get more from him, but I’ll appreciate what we have.
Overall, a fun finale to this front half of the story. I don’t know when we’ll get the final six issues, so mark this as a “for now” grade. But I’m not worried. – Ryan Lower
