Batman: Hush
Encyclopedia
Hush is a 2002-2003 comic book
story arc
that ran through the Batman
monthly series. It was written by Jeph Loeb
, penciled by Jim Lee
, inked by Scott Williams and colored by Alex Sinclair
. The story depicts a mysterious stalker
called Hush
, who seems intent on sabotaging Batman from afar, and it includes a large number of guest appearances by Batman villains. It also emphasizes the romantic feelings between Batman and Catwoman
.
, whereupon Catwoman
steals the ransom
money. As Batman swings through Gotham City
in pursuit of her, his rope is cut and he falls to the ground, fracturing his skull
. His butler
, Alfred Pennyworth
, follows his instructions to summon Bruce Wayne's childhood friend, Thomas Elliot, now a renowned brain surgeon. Batman recovers, and discovers that Poison Ivy had used Catwoman to steal the ransom. Batman rescues Catwoman, and a tenuous romance blooms between them. He eventually decides to trust Catwoman and reveals his identity to her.
The pair track Poison Ivy to Metropolis
, where they find that Poison Ivy has also taken control of Superman
. By using a kryptonite
ring that Superman entrusted to him, Batman stalls the Man of Steel while Catwoman lets Lois Lane
fall from the Daily Planet
building. Superman comes to his senses and saves Lois, and together the heroes capture Poison Ivy.
Later, in Gotham City
, Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle are attending the opera
Pagliacci
, when Harley Quinn
tries to rob the theater. In the ensuing struggle, Dr. Elliot is killed, and it appears that the Joker
shot him. Enraged by seeing this, Batman tries to kill the Joker with his fists, but former police commissioner James Gordon
appears and dissuades him from doing so. Dick Grayson
returns to Gotham City for Elliot's funeral. Batman tells him of his suspicions that some mastermind
is behind all his enemies behaving, so out of character. Behind the scenes, a man with a bandaged face appears at all of the crime sites and seems to be orchestrating the plot. He comes to be referred to as Hush
.
After foiling an armored car robbery by the Riddler
, Nightwing
and Batman discover evidence that Ra's al Ghul
is also involved in what Batman has come to think of as a grand plot. Batman seeks out Ra's, who tells Batman that someone from his past has used one of the Lazarus Pit
s. Returning to Gotham, Batman finds that the current Robin
, Tim Drake, has been captured by the former second Robin, Jason Todd
, who had previously perished during the events of Batman: A Death in the Family
. While fighting Jason, however, it is apparent that Clayface
is mimicking the identity of Jason.
Batman then finds a device planted in his computer, which led him to seek his old friend (and trusted mechanic) Harold. He has a late-night meeting with Harold, who has been missing since the times of No Man's Land. Harold admits that someone had treated his disfigured condition in exchange for planting that device, but he is shot and killed by Hush before he can name the mastermind. Thomas Elliot is discovered to be the trigger-man, and the face behind the bandages of the mastermind (it is later implied that Clayface had been mimicking Elliot when he appeared to be killed). Elliot held a grudge against the Wayne family since 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, and considered Bruce's father as the one who did not allow his plan to be completed. In the ensuing confrontation, Elliot is shot by the reborn Harvey Dent
and plummets into the water, with Batman never having a chance to unmask him (it is only assumed it is Thomas Elliot). His body is unable to be recovered.
In an epilogue to his face-off with Elliot, Batman discovers that the true mastermind behind the conspiracy is the Riddler. He had used a Lazarus Pit
to cure himself of cancer, and during his time in the pit, deduced Batman's identity as 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 who 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. The Riddler also tells him that he and Elliot referred to the plot as the "Hush" plot. Batman convinces the Riddler not to reveal his true identity to anyone else, because a riddle which everyone knows the answer to would be worthless, and even if he does, the revelation would give Ra's al Ghul a vital clue that Nigma is the one who used his Lazarus Pit, making Ra's to send his League of Assassins
after him.
Another mystery begins troubling the Dark Knight. 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 refuses to tell him where Jason's body is, prompting Batman to knock the Riddler down with a mighty blow. When questioned by an officer, Batman replies "he fell".
In the final scene Batman and Catwoman meet. He continues to mistrust her and cannot be sure that she is not more aware of the plot than she admits. While trying to console him, Catwoman inadvertently tells him to "hush" seconds before trying to kiss him, provoking a fierce reaction from Batman that compels her to end the relationship. Before leaving, she says that she does not care if their relationship started out as a spell; it works because of who they are, and someday he will learn to trust that. Batman thinks that it may be possible..."Someday".
#610 (February 2003).|thumb|right]]
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 retconned in other Batman storylines. In the Under The Hood
arc, it was revealed that Batman was actually fighting the real Jason Todd in the graveyard, who later switched places with Clayface. Todd is now a murderous vigilante known as the Red Hood
. It is also revealed that Batman had suspected that it was really Jason Todd he fought with and that Todd had been stalking him since then. This is evident during the arc storyline of As the Crow Flies
, where it is shown that Jason's mask was found in the Batmobile. After Jason revealed himself to Batman and kidnapped the Joker, he does not only become a thorn to Batman and his allies in Gotham but also ends up clashing with the Teen Titans, Outsiders
, and Green Arrow
as well. At the same time The Dark Knight has desperately tried to reach Jason in an effort to atone of his past failures. Following Infinite Crisis
, it was revealed that the Riddler had spent a year in a coma and had lost all memory of ever knowing that Batman was Bruce Wayne.
The Hush storyline was followed up in Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen's well-received storyline, Heart of Hush, where Hush returns to get revenge on Batman through Catwoman and surgically changed his appearance to match Bruce Wayne's in an attempt to steal his identity. The series was praised for adding backstory and depth to the character of Hush while returning him to a credible threat.
An origin story for Hush is given in Detective Comics #846-847.
#608-619 by DC Comics
. The first issue of the story arc was a success ranking 1st in the Top 300 comics for the October 2002 period with pre-order sales of 113,061. It was later collected into two volumes as hardcover and softcover, and later in 2005 in an oversized Absolute Batman: Hush hardcover slipcase. DC Comics released the story arc in one volume in August 2009.
A hardcover collected edition featuring Jim Lee's artwork entirely in pencil form has been announced, titled Batman: Hush Unwrapped Deluxe Edition, to be released on February 22, 2011.
Comics ranked Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 of Batman: Hush #10 on a list of the 25 greatest Batman graphic novels, saying that "there are some truly unforgettable moments" and "Jim Lee's artwork is unbelievable."
Craig Lemon from Comics Bulletin
criticized the plot, arguing that too many people now know of Batman's secret identity, opining that the story was not very gripping, and that Batman was depicted as inept for not being prepared for a situation as basic as someone cutting his batline. Nonetheless, he praised the dialogue, the lack of unnecessary exposition, the pacing and action, and minor aspects like the self-defense mechanism of his batsuit. Regarding the artwork, Lemon stated that it touches all the bases, but complained that "it's gritted teeth on all the men. It's huge breasts on all the women. It's impossible anatomy on everyone", though conceding that some readers enjoyed this type of artwork.
and later into one volume.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
that ran through the Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
monthly series. It was written by Jeph Loeb
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...
, penciled by Jim Lee
Jim Lee
Jim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
, inked by Scott Williams and colored by Alex Sinclair
Alex Sinclair
Alex Sinclair is an American comic book colorist known for his work with Jim Lee and Scott Williams.-Career:Sinclair is well known for his collaborations with Jim Lee and Scott Williams...
. The story depicts a mysterious stalker
Stalker
-In media:* Stalker , a 1995 dark ambient album by Lustmord & Robert Rich, inspired by the film* Stalker , an episode of the American television series CSI...
called Hush
Hush (comics)
Hush is a fictional comic book supervillain appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually as an enemy of Batman. Created by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared in Batman #609 , as part of the 12-issue storyline, Batman: Hush...
, who seems intent on sabotaging Batman from afar, and it includes a large number of guest appearances by Batman villains. It also emphasizes the romantic feelings between Batman and Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
.
Plot
Batman is rescuing a boy kidnapped by Killer CrocKiller Croc
Killer Croc is a comic book supervillain in the DC Universe, an enemy of Batman. Created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Gene Colan, while there was a shadowy cameo in Detective Comics #523 , his actual first appearance is credited to Batman #357 , which is also the first appearance of Jason...
, whereupon Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
steals the ransom
Ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
money. As Batman swings through Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
in pursuit of her, his rope is cut and he falls to the ground, fracturing his skull
Skull fracture
A skull fracture is a break in one or more of the bones in the skull usually occurring as a result of blunt force trauma. If the force of the impact is excessive the bone may fracture at or near the site of the impact...
. His butler
Butler
A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...
, Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears throughout the DC Comics franchise. The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson. Alfred serves as Batman’s tireless butler, assistant, confidant, and surrogate father figure...
, follows his instructions to summon Bruce Wayne's childhood friend, Thomas Elliot, now a renowned brain surgeon. Batman recovers, and discovers that Poison Ivy had used Catwoman to steal the ransom. Batman rescues Catwoman, and a tenuous romance blooms between them. He eventually decides to trust Catwoman and reveals his identity to her.
The pair track Poison Ivy to Metropolis
Metropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
, where they find that Poison Ivy has also taken control of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
. By using a kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
ring that Superman entrusted to him, Batman stalls the Man of Steel while Catwoman lets Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
fall from the Daily Planet
Daily Planet
The Daily Planet is a fictional broadsheet newspaper in the , appearing mostly in the stories of Superman. The building's original features were based upon the AT&T Huron Road Building in Cleveland, Ohio...
building. Superman comes to his senses and saves Lois, and together the heroes capture Poison Ivy.
Later, in Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
, Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle are attending the opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
Pagliacci
Pagliacci
Pagliacci , sometimes incorrectly rendered with a definite article as I Pagliacci, is an opera consisting of a prologue and two acts written and composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo. It recounts the tragedy of a jealous husband in a commedia dell'arte troupe...
, when Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn was first introduced as a villain on September 11, 1992, in the animated series Batman: The Animated Series, later adapted into DC Comics' Batman comic books. As suggested by her name , she is clad in the manner of a traditional harlequin jester...
tries to rob the theater. In the ensuing struggle, Dr. Elliot is killed, and it appears that the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
shot him. Enraged by seeing this, Batman tries to kill the Joker with his fists, but former police commissioner James Gordon
James Gordon (comics)
James Worthington Gordon, Sr. is a fictional character, an ally of Batman that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
appears and dissuades him from doing so. Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
returns to Gotham City for Elliot's funeral. Batman tells him of his suspicions that some mastermind
Mastermind
-In psychology:* Genius* Mastermind , one of the 16 role variants that the Keirsey Temperament Sorter is based on* INTJ , a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator-In games:* Mastermind, classic board game...
is behind all his enemies behaving, so out of character. Behind the scenes, a man with a bandaged face appears at all of the crime sites and seems to be orchestrating the plot. He comes to be referred to as Hush
Hush (comics)
Hush is a fictional comic book supervillain appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually as an enemy of Batman. Created by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared in Batman #609 , as part of the 12-issue storyline, Batman: Hush...
.
After foiling an armored car robbery by the Riddler
Riddler
The Riddler is a fictional character, a comic book character and supervillain published by DC Comics, and an enemy of Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #140 ....
, Nightwing
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
and Batman discover evidence that Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
is also involved in what Batman has come to think of as a grand plot. Batman seeks out Ra's, who tells Batman that someone from his past has used one of the Lazarus Pit
Lazarus Pit
A Lazarus Pit is a fictional natural phenomenon in the . They are primarily found in the Batman titles and are commonly used by Ra's al Ghul for their restorative powers.-Fictional history:...
s. Returning to Gotham, Batman finds that the current Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
, Tim Drake, has been captured by the former second Robin, Jason Todd
Jason Todd
Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Jason first appeared in Batman #357 and became the second Robin, sidekick to the superhero Batman, when the previous Robin went on to star in The New Teen Titans under the moniker of Nightwing.Though...
, who had previously perished during the events of Batman: A Death in the Family
Batman: A Death in the Family
"A Death in the Family" is a Batman comic book story arc first published in the late 1980s which gave fans the ability to influence the story through voting with a 900 number. "A Death in the Family" ran in Batman #426-429, published in 1988-1989...
. While fighting Jason, however, it is apparent that Clayface
Clayface
Clayface is an alias used by several DC Comics fictional characters, most of them possessing claylike bodies and shape-shifting abilities. All of them have been enemies of Batman.-Publication history:...
is mimicking the identity of Jason.
Two-Face
Two-Face is a fictional comic book supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. and is an enemy of Batman. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #66 , and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger....
and plummets into the water, with Batman never having a chance to unmask him (it is only assumed it is Thomas Elliot). His body is unable to be recovered.
In an epilogue to his face-off with Elliot, Batman discovers that the true mastermind behind the conspiracy is the Riddler. He had used a Lazarus Pit
Lazarus Pit
A Lazarus Pit is a fictional natural phenomenon in the . They are primarily found in the Batman titles and are commonly used by Ra's al Ghul for their restorative powers.-Fictional history:...
to cure himself of cancer, and during his time in the pit, deduced Batman's identity as 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 who 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. The Riddler also tells him that he and Elliot referred to the plot as the "Hush" plot. Batman convinces the Riddler not to reveal his true identity to anyone else, because a riddle which everyone knows the answer to would be worthless, and even if he does, the revelation would give Ra's al Ghul a vital clue that Nigma is the one who used his Lazarus Pit, making Ra's to send his League of Assassins
League of Assassins
The League of Assassins is a group of fictional comic book villains, an organization of killers formerly led by Ra's al Ghul, an enemy of Batman in the DC Comics Universe.-Doctor Ebeneezer Darrk:...
after him.
Another mystery begins troubling the Dark Knight. 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 refuses to tell him where Jason's body is, prompting Batman to knock the Riddler down with a mighty blow. When questioned by an officer, Batman replies "he fell".
In the final scene Batman and Catwoman meet. He continues to mistrust her and cannot be sure that she is not more aware of the plot than she admits. While trying to console him, Catwoman inadvertently tells him to "hush" seconds before trying to kiss him, provoking a fierce reaction from Batman that compels her to end the relationship. Before leaving, she says that she does not care if their relationship started out as a spell; it works because of who they are, and someday he will learn to trust that. Batman thinks that it may be possible..."Someday".
#610 (February 2003).|thumb|right]]
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
Batman: Gotham Knights
Batman: Gotham Knights was a monthly, fictional comic book series published by DC Comics. The original intent of this book was to feature the exploits of Batman and his extended family - Alfred Pennyworth, Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, Oracle, Catwoman, etc...
title.
Two plot elements from the storyline were later retconned in other Batman storylines. In the Under The Hood
Batman: Under the Hood
"Batman: Under the Hood" is a comic book story arc published by DC Comics, written by Judd Winick and primarily illustrated by Doug Mahnke. Featuring Batman in the monthly title of the same name, it ran from February to August 2005, before going on a short hiatus and returning from November 2005 to...
arc, it was revealed that Batman was actually fighting the real Jason Todd in the graveyard, who later switched places with Clayface. Todd is now a murderous vigilante known as the Red Hood
Red Hood
Red Hood is the alias used by several fictional characters, usually antagonists for Batman in the DC Universe.-Joker:The Red Hood first appeared in Detective Comics #168 "The Man Behind the Red Hood" . In the original continuity, the man later known as the Joker was a master criminal going by the...
. It is also revealed that Batman had suspected that it was really Jason Todd he fought with and that Todd had been stalking him since then. This is evident during the arc storyline of As the Crow Flies
As The Crow Flies (comics)
As the Crow Flies is a comic book story arc that ran through the Batman monthly series. It was written by Judd Winick, penciled by Dustin Nguyen and inked by Richard Friend. It was published in episodes 626 - 630 of the series, and printed in its entirety in a single comic book recopilation in 2004...
, where it is shown that Jason's mask was found in the Batmobile. After Jason revealed himself to Batman and kidnapped the Joker, he does not only become a thorn to Batman and his allies in Gotham but also ends up clashing with the Teen Titans, Outsiders
Outsiders (comics)
The Outsiders are a fictional DC Comics superhero team. As its name suggests, the team consists of superheroes who allegedly do not fit the norms of the mainstream superhero community, namely the Justice League....
, and Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
as well. At the same time The Dark Knight has desperately tried to reach Jason in an effort to atone of his past failures. Following Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
, it was revealed that the Riddler had spent a year in a coma and had lost all memory of ever knowing that Batman was Bruce Wayne.
The Hush storyline was followed up in Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen's well-received storyline, Heart of Hush, where Hush returns to get revenge on Batman through Catwoman and surgically changed his appearance to match Bruce Wayne's in an attempt to steal his identity. The series was praised for adding backstory and depth to the character of Hush while returning him to a credible threat.
An origin story for Hush is given in Detective Comics #846-847.
Publication history
Hush was published in monthly installments as BatmanBatman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
#608-619 by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. The first issue of the story arc was a success ranking 1st in the Top 300 comics for the October 2002 period with pre-order sales of 113,061. It was later collected into two volumes as hardcover and softcover, and later in 2005 in an oversized Absolute Batman: Hush hardcover slipcase. DC Comics released the story arc in one volume in August 2009.
A hardcover collected edition featuring Jim Lee's artwork entirely in pencil form has been announced, titled Batman: Hush Unwrapped Deluxe Edition, to be released on February 22, 2011.
Critical reaction
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
Comics ranked Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 of Batman: Hush #10 on a list of the 25 greatest Batman graphic novels, saying that "there are some truly unforgettable moments" and "Jim Lee's artwork is unbelievable."
Craig Lemon from Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...
criticized the plot, arguing that too many people now know of Batman's secret identity, opining that the story was not very gripping, and that Batman was depicted as inept for not being prepared for a situation as basic as someone cutting his batline. Nonetheless, he praised the dialogue, the lack of unnecessary exposition, the pacing and action, and minor aspects like the self-defense mechanism of his batsuit. Regarding the artwork, Lemon stated that it touches all the bases, but complained that "it's gritted teeth on all the men. It's huge breasts on all the women. It's impossible anatomy on everyone", though conceding that some readers enjoyed this type of artwork.
Film
- Originally, there was a sequel to The Batman vs. DraculaThe Batman vs. DraculaThe Batman vs. Dracula is a 2005 direct-to-video animated movie based on The Batman television series. It has a much darker tone than the show, and features Vicki Vale...
. It was named The Batman vs. Hush. The sequel was based on the Batman: Hush storyline, but it was cancelled before production could begin.
Video Games
- Hush features as the main antagonist in the side plot The Identity Thief in the 2011 video game Batman: Arkham City.
Collected editions
The entire storyline has been collected in two volumesTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
and later into one volume.
- Batman: Hush (320 pages, paperback, August 2009, ISBN 1401223176; unwrapped deluxe hardcover, July 2011, ISBN 1401229921; 372 pages, absolute edition hardcover, December 2011, ISBN 1401204260)
- Batman: Hush Volume One (collects BatmanBatman (comic book)Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
vol. 1 #608–612 and a story from Wizard magazineWizard (magazine)Wizard or Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture was a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by Wizard Entertainment from July 1991 to January 2011...
#0, 128 pages, paperback, August 2004, ISBN 1401200605) - Batman: Hush Volume Two (collects BatmanBatman (comic book)Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
vol. 1 #613–619, 192 pages, paperback, November 2004, ISBN 1401200923)
- Batman: Hush Volume One (collects Batman