Hush is the reason why I began to read Jeph Loeb's work on the Dark Knight. This Volume 2 is the conclussion of one of the best (if not THE one) contemporary stories of the Knight Crusader.

Jim Lee's art is impressive and the plot written by Jeph makes the perfect match. This is a MUST READ for all the followers of the Batman.

This story is taken from the regular Batman comic and twistes every character in Batman's world. Nobody escapes the grasp of Hush; not only villains but also heroes; everyone can be (or will be) corrupted by his stench.

After this awesome story you'll be only able to whisper: "Hush, Batman, hush".

Excellent condition. Ideal in any collection for comics lovers. Great art, worth to have.

Excellent reading and great artwork by Jim Lee. What more could you ask for. I highly recommend this for collectors or avid readers. I purchased this item so I wouldn't have to re-read my comic book version.

I was highly pleased to have read Loeb and Lee's Batman: Hush. The artistry rivals that of Japanese manga and the story line is rich with internal detail. The reader is exposed (for me a first) to the insights of Batman's mind. Throughout the story, we know what he's feeling and what he worries about. There are times, however, where the internal narration gets in the way with the real-time events. For example, Batman will be fighting and in the same panel, he will be thinking about someone else. Hush is a good story for new Batman fans, though. Loeb does new readers the favor of explaining new and old characters albeit some may find the practice boring. Catwoman is also in need of some development. As much as I found her intriguing, I'd like to see more of the justice-seeking Catwoman, the Catwoman who fights so ardently for the weak and cannot stand to see injustice prevail.

Also, I would have to disagree with a few of the reviewers regarding the plot twists. Maybe they were meant to bring in as many DC characters into the story as possible, I found this practice entertaining. It's a new thing to see old villains being used by new ones to show how easily the old villain's insecurities and weaknesses are exploited. This approach made the old villains appear more human than the plastic characters we are so used to seeing the televised Batman series. (Before you rip my head off, the Batman series has come a long way, so don't think I consider Batman villains to be plastic as they are not so in the cartoon series as they were in the 1960's television series).

BOTTOM LINE: A great read, nearly a masterpiece. It's easy for new Batman fans to become acquainted with this fandom since new and old characters are explained. We are also exposed to the inner workings of Batman's mind, a slight oversight in Frank Miller's Batman: Year One, however annoying at times. Catwoman's character is a bit limited to her saucy and flirtatious ways, though she does not fail to amuse. Above all, a great read and well worth the time.

Reviewers of Hush seem to take 2 criteria to review this graphic novel - Artwork and Storyline.

Let's examine them separately and together to see how this dynamic works.

Artwork - Spectacular, the colouring of Gotham City has become a little more on the brighter side, very well drawn characters, nicely done backgrounds. Jim Lee is an excellent artist, and Talia Al Ghul is definitely fanboy material. Jim Lee puts huge emphasis on perfection of the female form. My wish-bone of contention is that its _too_ perfect. Talia Al Ghul is understandable, but every single female character in Hush? An artistic emphasis on realism seems slightly jarring when juxtaposed with this perfect world of females.

(Yeah, I wish it was like this too. Talia is supposed to be the most attractive, but I find Lady Shiva runs her a close second)

Storyline - Here's where the sternums and femurs of contention come into play. It is highly unrealistic that the Riddler could pull all the strings of Batman's Rogues' Gallery. I don't care what Loeb thinks, money does not buy you everything, and it's not a deus ex machina. Such a superficial way of cutting across his loose ends strikes me as sloppy. Hush's festering vengeance strikes one as _slightly_ (well, maybe not so slightly) unrealistic. I mean, he's filthy rich, he doesn't need to murder his parents for inheritance, he IS the only child!

However, does this rank in terms of importance when combined with all other factors?

I believe Loeb wanted a Batman epic where he faced his greatest enemies. He achieved that. That storyline was filmsy is not of great importance. It was never the crux of the story. Batman facing villian after villian was, and Loeb achieved THAT. This ties in nicely with the Red Hood storyline, of course. The artwork was nice, as well as the fight scenes. Batman vs Superman anyone? I think Loeb achieved what he set out to do, but there was definitely potential to stretch that bit further and create a seamless Batman story, without the plot holes.

I believe in this newest age of superheroes, and I'm all for realism, Batman Begins, No Man's Land among others. Realism grounds these stories to our world, we can relate more to these characters. But sometimes, a dash of Golden Age Suspension of Disbelief is required. A good premise may not have the greatest story, but it remains a good premise. I believe in this instance, that fans are making too much of a meal over "not the strongest story", and not enjoying the story for the ride it takes us through. I'll be the first to admit I was entertained, and thoroughly enthralled with the read while flipping through the pages, and I believe many more would agree with me.

So smell the coffee! We may not get another Batman epic for quite a while, with 52 in progress currently. 4 Stars - A great story, but I just sensed an excellent solution just lurked beyond the publishing deadline. So 4 Stars.