Batman Hush - Volume One

Batman: Hush

by Jeph Loeb

From Jeph Loeb, the author of Batman: Dark Victory (1563898683) and Jim Lee, the founder of Wildstorm Comics.
Old friends and enemies find themselves thrown together in a murderous plot hatched by Poison Ivy. What is she plotting? No one quite knows, but by manipulating both Batman and his enemies Killer Croc and Catwoman tensions are high and no one is to be trusted in Gotham City tonight!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Batman, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, Fiction

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an Emmy and WGA nominated American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a Co-Executive Producer on the NBC hit show Heroes, and formerly a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost.

A four-time Eisner Award winner and five-time Wizard Fan Awards winner (see below), Loeb's comic book career includes work on many major characters, including Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, Hulk, Captain America, Cable, Iron Man, Daredevil, Supergirl, the Avengers, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, much of which he has produced in collaboration with artist Tim Sale, who provides the comic art seen on Heroes.

Reviews

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Hush. Don't make me separate you two" is awesome. Great art work (it is Jim Lee come on) great story, and plenty of guest stars.

Right from the first page, my first thought is this is the way Batman is supposed to be. He does not have any superpowers so he has to rely on technology, tactics and in some cases his family/friends.

This comic has many elements from the Knightfall storyline. However where Bane was a imposing monster of muscle, the mistry of Hush is he seem to be a step ahead of Batman, who is usually 3 steps ahead of everyone else.

Then there are major ramifications in Bruce's personal life as well. A moment with Catwoman and old friends coming back into his life. I think the part of the story that just cements this for me is Bruce is almost paralysed on deaths door, still communicating his wishes. To me this a story of Batman merging the two aspects himself Bruce and Batman, the people in both their worlds. There is plenty of action and surprises right to the last page.

[Sean Barrs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batman is pissed off.



Not only are his usual enemies plaguing Gotham, but they’ve somehow united behind a mysterious figure. The Dark Knight is looking for clues, which means he ends up bumping into a few nasty faces from the past. He can handle them, he has done in the past, but what he wasn’t counting on was them manipulating Superman into fighting him.



This is no Batman v Superman. The Bat is unprepared and taken of his guard. It made for a great showdown, albeit one-sided. However that wasn’t overly important to the main plot; it was just another extra thrown into this convoluted mess. This just had far too many characters; it was like the writers were just shoving as many DC villains as possible into the story. What they should have done was focus on a couple in real depth. The appearances were quick and over with in just a few pages. There was so much build up, but no pay off. Killer Croc was whisked away, quite literally, as soon as he showed a semblance of personality.

This did keep the story moving, which was good, but it lacked emotion. It’s one fast big blur. I’m hoping the second volume of this is much better. Hopefully, it will focus on the characters it concluded with.



The Bat has even more reason to be pissed off come the ending, and his singular perusal of this mysterious enemy will hopefully finish with a worthy final confrontation. I did really like the flashbacks. They’re told alongside the actual story, which made the events seem quite important and dramatic. The ending was pretty solid; it makes me want to go and immediately read the second volume. I hope it gets better. Please tell me it does because the cool artwork isn't enough.

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was like really good!

Omg I loved this one! So we have the big battle between Batman and Killer croc and see what they have been upto and their battle and then Batman facing off against him then Catwoman and then Poison Ivy maybe involved and then going to Metropolis and something with Lois but when he sees his best friend Clark is being controlled by Ivy, he battles his best friend to save him and this gotta be one of the most legendary battles there is, was and will be like I just love it and the element of friendship not just with Clark but also Tommy was super well explored here and I freaking love it!

Its one of he best books in the stands easily and is a great place for new readers and shows the insane world of Batman and his villains so well and his friend plus the threat of Hush is so well built and I am loving the crazy fights and gauntlet that Batman is facing here! Also Selina! <3

Plus the art of Jim Lee is god tier and makes the whole thing such a great read!

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introduction:

I have been reading many “Batman” comics for awhile now and after searching for some really good “Batman” stories that were recommended to me by other fellow comic book readers, I keep hearing good things about “Batman: Hush” and I finally picked it up! “Batman: Hush Volume One” is apart of an alternative universe in DC Comics called “Elsewhere,” like where “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” also came from and I have to admit, I really enjoyed this volume!

What is this story about?

The story starts off with Batman trying to rescue a young heir to the Lamont chemical fortune named Edward Lamont IV from Killer Croc and after Batman rescues the young heir, he discovers that Killer Croc was trying to steal a case of money, which was stolen in the middle of the fight. Batman then realizes that Catwoman stole the money, but is not sure why she stole the money and it is revealed that Poison Ivy might be the ringleader in this entire scheme.

Or is she?

Also, Batman makes a trip to Metropolis to learn more about Poison Ivy’s whereabouts and guess who he runs into?

What I loved about this story:

Jeph Loeb’s writing: Wow! Jeph Loeb’s writing for the “Batman” series just continues to amaze me as the stories are fantastic and the characters are extremely well-written! This volume definitely does not disappoint me as the story and the characters were extremely interesting to me. I especially loved the way that Jeph Loeb portrayed Catwoman and Batman’s relationship with each other as their relationship felt a bit awkward, but in a good way as the sexual tension between Batman and Catwoman was interesting and clever at the same time. It was interesting seeing Batman having trouble with sorting out his feelings for Catwoman since we normally do not see Batman react so strongly to a situation he does not understand. I also loved the way that Jeph Loeb builds up the plot surrounding the mystery of the stolen money and how Poison Ivy is tied into this whole situation. I was practically trying to figure out the mystery of this criminal plan throughout the entire volume as it was cleverly woven into the lives all of the characters involved especially Batman, Catwoman and Poison Ivy. The storyline was clearly intense and dramatic and I was practically sitting in the edge of my seat trying to see the true motive of Poison Ivy’s plans and how it would affect Batman.

Jim Lee’s artwork: After seeing Jim Lee’s artwork in the “X-Men” comics, I was interested in seeing more of his work! Well, Jim Lee’s artwork in this volume was absolutely brilliant as the characters look truly realistic and the colorings really brought out the surroundings. I loved the dark colorings done on Gotham City as it really sets the dark mood for the story. I also loved the image of Killer Croc himself as he truly looked monstrous and I loved his green scaly skin as looks truly frightening.

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What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

The only problem with this volume is that there is some language and violence that might make readers who are not used to violence and language in books uncomfortable. The language is not as strong here as it would be in other comic books and the violence is probably more problematic as there are scenes of characters being punched and having blood spilling from them.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Batman: Hush Volume One” is a truly fantastic series so far and I cannot wait to see how Batman will uncover this huge mystery in the next volume! “Batman” fans will definitely be impressed with series for many years to come!

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Luthfi Ferizqi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, I'm speechless. This is the first time I've read a Batman graphic novel, and it has left a lasting impression on me.

The story and color-palette are truly exceptional, offering a reading experience that's vastly different from the black-and-white world of manga. The vivid illustrations and compelling narrative draw you in, making it hard to put the book down.

Kudos to m&c for their excellent work in publishing and translating this comic into Indonesian. Their efforts make these graphic novels accessible to a wider audience.

However, it's unfortunate that American superhero comic books have a limited readership in Indonesia. This often forces fans to read them in English, and finding and purchasing these comics can be quite a hassle.

In this era of globalization, I'm curious if there are digital comics available for consumption like streaming services such as Netflix. Such a platform would make accessing these fantastic stories much easier.

I'll be on the lookout for digital options. This experience has certainly piqued my interest in exploring more graphic novels.

[Mizuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first finished reading Hush vol. 1 I was entirely going ga-ga over the hot Batman and Catwoman's making out scenes!

But now after I calm down a little, I can see although Batman's action scenes and his nightly adventures are as effectively written as usual, the villains as awesome as always and the artwork is purely superb, still the storyline and the main villain Hush do leave me a bit underwhelmed. I know, Hush does a lot better in vol. 2, still in vol. 1 he is better in the story. the other villains, Superman and even Batman's flashback on his childhood totally steal the show, so 4 stars only.

PS: I am amused by the mention of a President Lux Luthor in this DC fictional world! Though Luthor is a villain but I guess..........even a President Luthor for USA is a bit better than what USA is currently having...

Review: Red Hood: Outlaw vol. 1 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Review: Batman: Battle For the Cowl: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Review: Batman: Life After Death: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Review: Batman & Robin: Batman Reborn https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book Review: Batman: The Long Halloween https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Review: The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told Vol. 1 (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this tale Batman suffers a grievous injury that takes him out of Gotham and into Superman's territory where he touches base with an old childhood friend and deals with several major villains of his past. I like how Wayne's character was established. That isn't something done very well in a lot of the other Batman graphic novels. There's an obvious shades of gray as to how matters are resolved a la The Batman Way or The Superman Way. Hardcore critics will take issue with how Batman was injured and how Godlike the men and women look but isn't this a superhero graphic novel? Purist DC fans may be turned off by certain liberties taken by the author as well like an appearance by Superdog. IGN 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."

CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B plus to A minus; STORY/PLOTTING: B plus (first half so I suspect this is a setup); ARTWORK: B plus to A minus; OVERALL GRADE: B plus to A minus; WHEN READ: early January 2012.

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

So Wikipedia tells me that most of the Batman comics I like are what DC calls "Elsewhere" comics, meaning they take place outside of the regular continuity of the DC universe, thus allowing for greater freedom in story telling. But this book is part of the regular DC continuity and it turns out that this is the real Bizarro World, because like a fundamentalist reading the Bible, every word in the text has to be taken as fact, despite having been written by many different men, over the course of many years. This kind of thing works better in the Marvel universe, I think, because all of those characters were created in the same few years in the 60's. But the DC universe has been evolving since the late 30's, and the idea of it all being "true" is simply ridiculous. So, yes, Lex Luthor is president of the United States, Lois married Clark and Krypto the flying super dog ends up cornering the villain. OK. Whatever.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this was really good. I love Batman and I've heard that the Hush arc is a classic that I have to read, and so far I'm really enjoying it. So far my one complaint (?), more of just a request really, is where are my Robin's ?? Dick, Jason, or Tim, anyone really, I'm surprised Nightwing hasn't come in yet, Huntress even made an appearance. Anyway, onto volume two, which I'm really excited about because I believe there's an appearance by one of my fave ladies, miss Harley Quinn!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not really sure why this story arc was so popular - I think it was mostly due to Jim Lee being the artist. It's an okay Batman story and does further the larger arcs in his life a bit, but it's not exactly worth the hype in my opinion. The major plot points turn on several unrealistic "surprise!" gimmicks; in that respect it's more of a somewhat lame attempt at a big shake-up in the batverse thriller than a solid or intriguing detective story.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

From time to time I fancy changing things and I will admit that I have stalled a bit with the Stranger Things book - so time for a shift and as luck would have it I was able to get a copy of both parts of Batman Hush.

Now I will not go in to all the accolades and praise that has been heaped on this story - least to say that it has helped me get over some of my reservations with long running and multi-story comic books.

You see I often feel that with some comic books the same story is re-told over and over again, they may change names, locations but essentially it is the same thing. Well this story at least for me - has broken that wall down - sadly I cannot go in to details since that would spoil the story but suffice to say that if the story is followed up (and here is my failure of knowledge on the subject) the rules have all changed.

Now I will also say that the action is fast paced and artwork is to the style I am accustomed to and yes that does sound rather restrictive of me but hey I am still relatively new to all of this.

The question is I guess - what will happen next. The first volume is pretty intense and like all multi-part stories they can only go up from there.

[Cristina (bibliotecadepueblo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poco o nada puedo decir de Silencio que no se haya dicho ya.

Es un continuo desfile de personajes clásicos entretenido y con un dibujo espectacular. Es Jim Lee, vamos. El entintado es también una gozada, sobre todo en los contrastes entre Gotham y Metrópolis, y en los flashbacks. Quizás el final de esta primera parte sea lo que cojea un poco, pero me lo he pasado pipa leyéndolo.

[David Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy entretenida historia de Batman y mi primer comic en físico (planeo seguir con esta colección de Salvat).
Continúa en la parte dos.

[Joni · Rating 3 out of 5]

El Batman detective, el más calculador, se enfrenta al secuestro de un niño que termina siendo mucho más que eso, sumando a la trama cada vez más compleja a medida que avanza, con villanos y héroes controlados por Poison Ivy sin ser en apariencia ni ella misma la cabeza de tal complot. Los dibujos de Jim Lee pasan de geniales a horribles sin escalas. Me arrepiento haberlo comprado traducido pero es que salieron muy baratos estos dos primeros tomos.

[Omaira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un cómic que sabe mantener la atención y que tiene grandes dosis de acción. Reconozco que no es increíblemente apasionante, pero sí que tiene buenos momentos y atrapa. Mi principal queja es lo fácil que se pasa de una cosa a otra, ya que hay hechos en los que no hubiera estado mal ahondar más.

No viene mal que conozcáis algo del personaje de Batman antes de leerlo, aunque no es indispensable que seáis expertos. En mi caso, sé lo justo sobre él y es la primera vez que leo un cómic relacionado con este personaje, pero no me he sentido perdida en ningún momento.

Aquí nos toca verle hacer frente a una amenaza que ni él comprende del todo. Parece haber un enemigo en la sombra y hasta algunos de los aliados de Batman parecen verse obligados a comportarse de un modo que no desean. Sin necesidad de tener un papel excesivamente relevante, se ven cameos interesantes de Catwoman, Superman, Lois o Harley Quinn. Todos los personajes tienen aportaciones claves, no se lucen a lo grande, pero juegan papeles determinantes.

Hay un toque de incertidumbre en la trama, pues Batman no deja de ser humano y a veces no sabe medir los riesgos de sus acciones. Lo que me dejó una sensación agridulce es que, cuando más al límite está, no podemos apreciar el desgaste que está sufriendo porque enseguida nos saltamos a otra escena. Eso impide que se vean correctamente los efectos físicos y psicológicos de algunos ataques, lo cual deshumaniza ligeramente al personaje.

En todo caso, admito que el desenlace me dejó con muchísimas ganas de leer la continuación, ya que se produjo un hecho que no me esperaba para nada y que me da que desestabilizará completamente a Batman.

El trabajo artístico está bastante bien. Hay buen uso de los colores y se sabe usar una buena técnica para darle sensación de movimiento a algunas viñetas. Realmente, no tengo quejas en ese sentido.

La puntuación real sería un 3,5/5, no redondeo al alza porque me faltó que se incidiera más en algunos aspectos para quedar totalmente satisfecha.

[kesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

the art on this went so hard jim lee really put his 40+ hrs into this my gawd 🙏🙏

this is a great comic to read if ur tryna get into batman, it’s got the whole roster of batman’s baddies and circle like some typa speed dating show – writing does a gj of introducing everyone to you like a mfing community circle in primary school

there was many times while i was reading this when i went 🙀 or 🧐 or 🫣, the writing does a great job of keeping you on a leash, and only giving you sm to go off of which is a fine line that loeb treads well

took me a while to read through, think the compact edition, although more convenient and affordable, gives me a difficult reading experience with how small the text gets in corners 🤏

what didn’t i like? they should’ve stuck to the first reveal ☹️ i get why it was who it was but i also really don’t bcs one made more sense to me and actually had the characterisation and build-up for it

it’s like throwing away a perfectly good cake 🙂‍↕️

3.5/5.

[wika · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEJQJDBRIOAWGE KOVHAM TO😭😭😭

[Punk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic Novel. This is exactly the kind of Batman story I like, Batman surrounded by his friends and enemies, chasing after Catwoman, being teased by Nightwing, secretly conspiring with Robin, hanging out with Superman, bizarrely annoying Lex Luthor. The big reveal of the so-called criminal mastermind was from roving, roving left field while at the same time totally flat, but that's okay, I had fun watching Batman get frazzled and scruffy, and the artwork was fantastic, the dark muscular Gotham, the bright and sunny Metropolis, the faded watercolors of Bruce's memories. I didn't even laugh at Batman's big frilly cape. Okay, I did. But just a little.

Fours stars for both volumes.

[Nerdish Mum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've wanted to read this story for the longest time and I was nervous I'd be disappointed. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED! This is how you write Batman. It's fast paced, it's exciting and the bad guys and cameos keep coming and are done so well. The artwork, I love the artwork it is just so beautiful. Jim Lee can just draw! I love the story an the ending...the ending! I feel like I'm just gushing but that's just how much I enjoyed this book.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff! Hush has managed to renew my interest in Batman.

[Juan Camilo Velandia Quijano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una palabra, para mí: maravillosa. El caballero oscuro es superado por pocos instantes por un misterioso enemigo que se ha aliado con los viejos villanos de Batman. Croc, Poison Ivy y Harley Quinn hacen su aparición en esta primera parte, todos aumentando el misterio y regalándonos emocionantes páginas. Y Catwoman más buena que mala, sensual e intrigante como siempre. Y el pasado de Bruce aparece, su mejor amigo de la infancia, Tommy. ¡Y hasta Superman tiene su momento! Es una historia muy emocionante, una galería de recuerdos con excelentes diálogos y gráficas impecables. Una de las mejores que he leído de Batman.

[C.E.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 estrellas
Una obra muy redonda.
Batman es del personaje de DC del cual más he leído, por lo que como mínimo siempre puedo esperar que me guste. En este caso, me ha gustado y más.
Los personajes cumplen, y siempre es un gusto leer a Selina y a Alfred. El dibujo es hiper musculoso/musculado, de esos que a veces dan la sensación que más que ropa, los personajes llevan una segunda piel, estilo que nunca será mi favorito, pero comparativamente, no esta tan mal como otros ejemplos que he visto antes. El color ha sido un deleite, y es fascinante la forma en que se usa para marcar la dramática diferencia entre Gotham y Metrópolis, el presente y el pasado.
Mi única pega sería que el desenlace (o bien, quién esta detrás de este desfile de villanos) se vuelve predecible, incluso a pesar del final de este volumen.

[Vinicius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brabo demais. História muito boa. Já começa com sequestro, porrada do Batman vs Crocodilo e dps Batman todo fudido. No decorrer da história aparece a Caçadora, Mulher Gato, Hera Venenosa,Superman, Arlequina, Coringa...mó galera e o Batman atrás de quem tá arquitetando todo o plano.

[kingboycar · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty good!! jim lee's art is fantastic as always--i love how much scope and scale you get of gotham, i never feel like a background is wasted or flat. the plot itself does have its weak points but it manages to pull you back in every time it needs to--again, great settings to work with here!!! technically a re-read but i'd forgotten so much of it that it basically felt new.

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leído de la edición en revistas de Sticker Design entre números prestados y otros que conseguí de saldo. Por cierto, si alguien me quiere revender el #1, bienvenido sea. El dibujo es muy bonito y todo lo que quieras y la historia se deja leer, pero peca de lo mismo que pecan casi todos los laburos de Jeph Loeb: es extremadamente infantil, tontoide y está mal ejecutado. Entiendo que en su momento haya vendido bien pero no que al día de hoy se lo siga citando como un clásico o como uno de los imprescindibles de Batman.

[Asghar Abbas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe I haven't gushed about this . This is one of finest graphic novels I've ever read. The one which ignited my interest in them in the first place. It's also very close to my heart because all my siblings have read and loved it, thus making it special still.

Now this is what Batty vs Superman should have been about. See, Warner Bro/DC guys you have so much good source material why not use it ? Also please do not feed Synder. He messed it up twice!

Catwoman and Posion Ivy thrown into the mix, now that's doing things right.

[Daniel Sevitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t think I had ever read this story all in one go before and I don’t remember how it was received when it was published. Did people really not know who Hush was. There seem to be so many obvious pointers even as the narrative keeps throwing out red herrings. And yet... the art is just gorgeous. I have been a Jim Lee fan since Uncanny #248 and his work here is so glorious. Loeb’s Bruce is a bit of an ogre and I never really bought his romance and revelation with Selena, but I like the whole story and it must have been very exciting picking these up each month.

[Kindle Ninja · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork elevates an otherwise simplistic story. It's like a free-for-all DC Royal Rumble with contrived surprises in the form of DC character appearances, both heroes and villains. It doesn't take advantage of the great build up and it just becomes one messy confrontation without real logical reason. But I do like the way they make Batman here so vulnerable, with real emotions and all.

Despite the shortcomings, Batman: Hush Vol. 1 is still an entertaining Batman read.

[Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Fantastic work by Jeph Loeb here. It makes use of nearly every major character, and when a writer can do that and it makes sense without seeming gimmicky, it's rare. Loeb did that in 'Dark Victory' as well. Batman needs to find out who this new force is, or if it's one of the old gang up to new tricks, and he has help in somewhat unexpected places. Essential reading.

[Daniel Sepúlveda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Puntaje: 5 Estrellas

ME ENCANTA Batman Hush. Lo leí por primera vez hace como 10 años y lo disfruté demasiado.
Que maravilla es revivir esta historia, esta vez en español gracias a la coleccion de Novelas Gráficas de DC!

Soy muy fan de todo en este libro: Los personajes, la historia, los dibujos, los cameos, los giros de trama, las escenas de combate, TODO!