kinda sucked. Was a retread of the other hush stuff. ( )

I had high hopes for another Batman story with Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen, and they mostly came through. I think that the crux of the whole thing (Hush lures batman into a confrontation by literally taking Catwoman's heart) was too much, although it does ultimately lead to a very nice ending. Nguyen's art is great as always, although ultimately I think this is just kind of middle-of-the-road fare (and for those like me who are hook, line, and sinker for the Batman RIP stuff, good luck figuring out how that fits into all of this) ( )

In a diabolical plan that can only come from the mind of a super villain, Hush kidnaps Batman's on-again, off-again ally, Catwoman and removes her still beating heart. However, rather than killing her, Hush keeps both Catwoman and her heart in good health as he toys with Batman, trying to end him once and for all.

When I had read Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's foray into the Hush character a few years back, I wasn't overly impressed. Sure, it was a good story and the character was interesting, I just felt it lacked that punch that Loeb is known for with his often solid writing.

However, this time around, the character is in the capable hands of Paul Dini who is best known for his stellar story telling with the 90s Batman animated series. Paul crafts an excellent story that really hammers Hush home as a worth adversary for The Dark Knight. Tommy Elliot's (Hush) back story is expanded upon and at times, you can find yourself with feeling of empathy for the vindictive child hood friend of Bruce Wayne.

I'm certainly not justifying the lengths of which Hush goes to effectively endthe Batman but you certainly can't blame him for feeling the way he does. A hard upbringing and feeling unappreciated by family can really twist a person's world view.

A much better outing for Hush this time around. Oh, and the Tumbler from Chris Nolan's Batman makes a cameo - a nice nod to the series.

I couldn't help but laugh at how quickly Hush's plan was nearly foiled by Alfred. He had this well thought out extensive plan of changing his looks to appear as Bruce Wayne. He would kill everyone within The Batcave, close down Wayne Enterprises and then disappear. However, upon arrival at Wayne Manner, Alfred kicks his ass and nearly puts a stop to it immediately. ( )

Having read this after the extremely disappointing Black Glove and Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul collections, I went in with low expectations. Thankfully, this was an absolute delight to read, reaffirming everything I like about Batman comics.

Paul Dini of course is one of the writers of the terrific Batman: The Animated Series and also the acclaimed Arkham Asylum videogames. His Batman is dark but not emotionless as some writers portray him. Hush is a relatively new villain but like Batman's best is psychologically driven. The art by Dustin Nguyen is also brilliantly engaging -- a little more cartoony than some artists but still perfectly fitting for Gotham City. ( )

Introduces a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne, Bobby Elliot, now known to the underworld as "Hush". Strong illustrations and storyline. Sturdy hardbound cover. ( )