The original Batman: Hush is simultaneously one of the most influential and overrated comics ever. While there is much to recommend the story, almost none of it involves the titular villain. This fact is the chief problem with the long-awaited Hush 2, which does nothing to justify its existence beyond catering to the legend of the original to make a quick buck.
The opening chapter of Hush 2 in Batman #158 begins with a classic conflict. The Joker is recreating his first crime and daring the Dark Knight to stop him. This perplexes Batman, however, as The Joker prides himself on originality. He never repeats a gag.
This mystery is quickly placed on hold, however, after someone kidnaps The Joker and performs surgery on him. The first chapter of Batman: Hush 2 ends with Batman discovering the tortured Joker near-death. Despite the many twisted doctors he has fought, Batman concludes that only Hush could have or would have done this.
Hush 2 is competently made yet passionless
Jeph Loeb wrote many memorable moments into the original Hush and nearly every issue ended with a shock. The fight between Batman and a mind-controlled Superman. The revelation that Poison Ivy could control women as well as men. The fake-out of Jason Todd‘s resurrection. Bruce Wayne revealing his secret identity to Catwoman and pursuing an honest romance. Any of these moments would make for a revolutionary story on its own, and none of these moments involve Dr. Tommy Elliot.
The development of Bruce Wayne’s hereto-unknown childhood best friend into a supervillain was an afterthought compared to all that came before it. It is telling that no story to feature Dr. Tommy Elliot since then came close to capturing the excitement of that first 12-issue story arc. It is this inertia and the conceit that Hush had a major impact on Batman that drags Hush 2 from the first page.
The artwork by Jim Lee is good, but his style is not enough to save Hush 2 from a lack of substance. Indeed, Lee seems to be treading water in the same way as Loeb. Why waste time with something stunning? The fans will buy the book anyway for the sake of nostalgia. Indeed, the art makes callbacks to The Killing Joke and A Lonely Place of Dying, along with the original Hush.
In the end, there is little to recommend in this first chapter of Hush 2. The story and art are not bad, but there is little rhyme or reason to the visuals or story so far. It’s possible this may pull together to be more than the sum of its parts, but it is still a far cry from the original.
Grade: 5/10.
Batman #158 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
