Batman: Hush

"Hush" is a comic book story arc written by Jeph Loeb, and illustrated by Jim Lee (pencils), Scott Williams (inking), and Alex Sinclair (colors). It was published in monthly installments as Batman #608-619 by DC Comics, starting in 2002, and was later collected into two volumes as hardcover and softcover, and later in 2005 as the oversized Absolute Batman: Hush hardcover slipcase. "Hush" tells the story of a mysterious stalker, head wrapped in bandages, that seems intent on sabotaging Batman from afar. Jeph Loeb had previous success with Batman in 1997 with The Long Halloween, and is supervising producer for the TV show Smallville. Penciler Jim Lee was well-known for revamping the X-Men comic book franchise in the late 1980s and being a founding member of Image comics and its imprint Wildstorm in the 1990s.

Jim Lee's art, which featured a large number of DC Comics characters in this story, has become prominent in advertisements, posters, and calendars distributed by DC. Loeb's story takes place during the Batman titles' present continuity, instead of Batman's early career, as in The Long Halloween and its follow-up Dark Victory. Loeb continued to use stylistic staples from these series, however, utilizing a large number of guest appearances by Batman villains, and continuing the romance between Batman and Catwoman. Unlike many recent Batman storylines, Hush avoids being grim, and is instead playful, exploring the superhero elements within Batman.

Plot summary

"Hush" opens with Batman foiling the ransoming of a hostage, by Killer Croc. Swinging though Gotham City in pursuit of Catwoman, who stole the ransom money as Batman was apprehending Killer Croc, Batman's rope is sliced and Batman falls to the ground, fracturing his skull. With Bruce near death, Bruce Wayne's butler, Alfred Pennyworth, calls on Bruce's childhood friend, Thomas Elliot, now a renowned brain surgeon, for help. Batman recovers, and discovers that Poison Ivy had used Catwoman to steal the ransom. After rescuing Catwoman from Poison Ivy and Killer Croc, a romance blooms between Batman and Catwoman.

The pair track Poison Ivy to Metropolis, where they find that Poison Ivy has also taken control of Superman. By utilizing a kryptonite ring that Superman previously entrusted to him, Batman stalls the Man of Steel, while Catwoman ties up Lois Lane and throws her out of a window. Superman comes to his senses and saves Lois, and together they capture Poison Ivy. Later, in Gotham City, Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle are attending an opera (Pagliacci) when Harley Quinn attempts to rob the theater. In the ensuing struggle, Elliot is killed, and it is made to look as if the Joker shot him. Batman nearly kills the Joker, but former police commissioner James Gordon appears and dissuades him from doing so. Upon foiling an armored car robbery by The Riddler, Nightwing and Batman discover evidence that Ra's al Ghul is involved in the Hush conspiracy. Batman seeks out Ra's, who tells him that someone from Batman's past has used one of his Lazarus Pits to rise from the dead. Returning to Gotham, Batman finds the current Robin, Tim Drake, has been captured by a former Robin, Jason Todd, who had previously perished in the series Batman: A Death in the Family. Upon fighting Jason, Batman realizes that this is not really his old friend brought back to life, but Clayface mimicking the identity of Jason.

Cover of the collected edition of Batman: Hush by Jim Lee

Batman, having found a mechanical device planted in his computer, has a late-night meeting on a bridge, where he finds Harold, his trusted mechanic who has been missing since No Man's Land, who was responsible for the device in the computer. Someone had treated Harold's disfigured condition in exchange for the betrayal, but Harold is shot and killed by Hush before he could mention who the mastermind is. Thomas Elliot is discovered to be the trigger-man, and the face behind the bandages of Hush. Elliot held a grudge against the Wayne family after Batman's father, Dr. Thomas Wayne, had saved the life of Elliot's mother after a motor vehicle accident. Elliot had sabotaged his parents' vehicle in order to gain their inheritance. In the ensuing confrontation, Elliot is shot by Harvey Dent and plummets into the water, with Batman never having found a chance to unmask Hush (it is only assumed it is Thomas Elliot). His body is unable to be recovered. In an epilogue to his face-off with Hush, Batman reveals that the true mastermind behind Hush is The Riddler. The Riddler had used a Lazarus Pit to cure himself of cancer, and during his time in the pit, deduced Batman's identity of Bruce Wayne. Having first approached Thomas Elliot with a cure for his mother's cancer (the Lazarus Pit), The Riddler had instead allied with Elliot against Bruce Wayne. Riddler was also the only villain whom Batman did not believe acted in an unusual way during the entire saga; the robbery Batman foiled was fairly typical of Riddler at the time.

Originally, Riddler's reason for not revealing Batman's true identity to anyone else is because his obsession with riddles prevents him from revealing the secret, as Batman convinces him: a riddle which everyone knows the answer to is worthless. However, Riddler spent the duration of One Year Later in a coma, leading to him conveniently forgetting that Batman is Bruce Wayne.

Another mystery begun troubling the Dark Knight Detective. Even though the man he fought at the graveyard was revealed to be Clayface, Jason Todd's remains are still missing from his grave. The Riddler even taunts Batman of his greatest failure to save Jason's life, and refused to tell him of the whereabout Jason's body is as the question would torment his foe.

It should also be noted that the face behind the bandages is never revealed, and it is only assumed that it is Thomas Elliot.

Aftermath

Batman and Catwoman kiss on a rooftop in Hush.

After the story's success, Lee and Loeb were slated to follow the story up with another 6 issues, but the project failed to materialize. Hush's story was continued by AJ Lieberman in the now discontinued Batman: Gotham Knights title.

Two plot elements from the storyline were later altered in other Batman storylines. In Batman Annual #25, it was revealed that Batman was actually fighting the real Jason Todd in the graveyard, who later switched places with Clayface. Also, following Infinite Crisis, it was revealed that the Riddler had spent a year in a coma and lost all memory of ever knowing that Batman was Bruce Wayne.

External links

• DC Comics
• Review of "Hush" from silverbulletcomicbooks.com

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