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Having
already battled Killer Croc, Poison Ivy and Superman, the
machinations of Batman's unknown nemesis now produce a bone-crushing
encounter with the Joker after a night at the opera. And like
all great operas, the climax to this story promises tragedy,
bloodshed and vengeance...
Volume
two of Hush ups the stakes considerably. More of Batman's
foes creep out of the woodwork including Harley Quinn, The
Joker, The Riddler, Two Face, Scarecrow and Clay Face. Who
is responsible for killing one of Bruce Wayne's childhood
friends - and the man who set him on the road to recovery?
All the evidence points to someone who has intimate knowledge
of Wayne Corp - someone who also knows Wayne's secret identity
is the Batman.
This
collection works on many levels. The "Hush" of the
title is attributed to a child's nursery rhyme about a baby
that can't be satisfied. While it works when describing the
mysterious killer, it also relates to Batman - a nice twist
of which is illustrated at this books conclusion.
What
is really impressive about this collection is the way that
writer Jeph
Loeb manages to bring casual Batman fans up to speed
with earlier events in the Batman Universe, without
boring the hard-core fans. Little panels dotted around filling
the reader in on past events (like who Jason Todd was and
how he died; the fact that Harley Quinn is The Joker's girlfriend;
and who Harvey Dent was before he was scarred by acid) never
seemed to intrude on the main plot.
It
also weaves between different interpretations of the Batman,
in all his forms. For example, there is a panel that displays
the automobiles inside the Batcave which shows that there
are more than one Batmobile - in fact you can make out the
model used in the 1989 Batman movie. So, this collection
neatly attempts to tie together all narratives that have gone
before.
The
storytelling is faultless, the artwork a thing of beauty,
and in reality there is nothing to fault with this collection
- only that it should have been longer.
This
has to be one of the best Batman collections of all
time - not quite as good as The Dark Knight Returns,
but it certainly comes close. Batman fans (both casual
and hard-core) will love this intelligent work of art.
 
Darren
Rea
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