/158.webp "Batman #158")
THE HOTLY ANTICIPATED SEQUEL TO THE SMASH-HIT STORYLINE! Jeph Loeb! Jim Lee! An all-new epic saga begins here. Hush returns!
This is very much a clear cash grab. I have never been a fan of Jeph Loeb given his racist comments toward Asian (as I am Vietnamese). However I do respect and admire that Jeph Loeb is a good writer. He has written out Batman bangers like Batman The Long Halloween, Dark Victory, and I even like his current series The Last Halloween. Like that final part of his Long Halloween trilogy is actually great and got me hooked.
So it's pretty clear on the difference between H2sh, and The Last Halloween. I feel that The Last Halloween is a story that Jeph Loeb really wants to write and tell, and that story's writing is elevated and stands out. H2sh is clearly DC paying Jeph Loeb to be a placeholder until Matt Fraction arrives, so the characterization reminds me a lot of All Star Batman and Robin. Batman kicks a joker goon in the face which literally kills him, yet he tells that corpse "Talk." The way Nightwing, Batgirl, Joker speak are reminiscent of Pre-Flashpoint, not New 52 and onward. Jim Lee's art is serviceable. It stands out a lot compared to modern artists because Jim Lee is of course a legend. But he is way past his prime, the man is 60 years old. He has a lot on his plate, so it's clear that his art is just copy and paste of his other works.
Again, it's not bad. But it's just mid and serviceable. And I want to repeat, that I think Jeph Loeb has written out influential and great pieces. He is a GREAT writer that I do acknowledge that. His run on Superman, Batman/Superman, Fallen Son: Death of Captain America, Captain America white, Daredevil Yellow, Spider-Man Blue, Hulk Gray, Superman for all seasons, X-Force, Wolverine are genuinely great. But I do not have high hopes for this. Thank you for my ted talk
© 2025
This issue was so disappointing. The original hush story doesn’t hold up as well as when it first came out. It was Jim Lee‘s mega debut drawing Batman. This just feels like it was done to promote the Batman. Hush, simile issues as well as the much awaited re-release of the absolute Batman hush hardcover. And that is coming out not a moment too soon. I had originally had two copies of the original absolute hush. But at the time due to being in a bad financial place sold them.
The only good that has come from this terrible cash grab is DC finally rereleasing Absolute Batman Hush once again. Other than that, I foresee this story falling by the wayside. Matt fraction is taking over Batman? Uh-oh!