After a nearly four-month delay, Jim Lee and Jeph Loeb’s Hush sequel returns this week with Batman #162. It’s certainly a situation where a traditional Marvel recap at the start of the comic might help, but the plot is simple enough to follow without much forgetting. The Bat-family is at odds with Batman, who is being toyed with by Hush. It appears even Catwoman is mad at Batman for saving Joker’s life —a thing that wouldn’t be so surprising at all, but under Loeb, it’s a great travesty. Expect great art, but the non-stop action does wear thin.
Batman #162 opens with Batgirl standing up for Batman as Nightwing, Catwoman, Damian, Riddler, and Huntress stand against Batman. She’s defending him, but soon he’s jabbing her with some injection, and she’s passing out. Not very friendly, Batman. Loeb is going for a man-on-the-run vibe, though that requires Batman not to use his words to allow the plot to move forward. Soon, he’s rushing into a church and interacting with Catwoman one-on-one.
Luckily, Catwoman speaks the truth, and the reader likely agrees that it’s absurd that Batman is fighting his family. She does say it’s “horrific” that he saved Joker’s life, which does seem at odds with the whole no-killing rule. Either way, Loeb gets to explore a bit of their relationship, even if it’s a somewhat awkwardly forced aside with the rest of the Bat-family a stone’s throw away.
I dunno, guys. Stabbing someone with a needle isn’t very heroic.
Credit: DC Comics
This leads to Damian dragging Batman through traffic via his motorcycle, and while Batman has armor, it’s hard to believe this doesn’t kill him. Once this somewhat forced plot-moving moment occurs, we get more details on Riddler and his new fighting ability, and there’s at least a little hint that Hush is up to something here.
The problem is that awkward moments accumulate. Batman does not use his words, for instance, and later Huntress falls for a relatively weak plea by Jason Todd. It’s like the characters aren’t using their brains to let the fast-paced action-adventure flow.
If you turn off your brain for those little beats, Lee’s art doesn’t disappoint. From a showstopper final cliffhanger full-page splash, to cool moments for Huntress, Batman fighting, and consistent backgrounds bathed in city light and rain, you’ve got showstopper art throughout. Not only is it nostalgic to get interiors from Lee, a rare thing, but there’s just so much good here to bask in.
Batman #162 brings Hush back with all the spectacle you’d expect from Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee… and all the flaws, too. The story may stumble over contrived conflicts and thin character logic, but Lee’s artwork is so jaw-dropping it practically carries the issue on its shoulders. For fans of big, loud, gorgeously rendered Bat-drama, it’s still a visual feast worth the wait.
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