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Batman: Hush Vol. 2

Batman: Hush Vol. 2

List Price: $19.95
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THE Batman story.
Review: The HUSH story line that is currently running with Loeb and Lee has been by far, the single greatest Batman story that I have ever read. This is saying an awful lot too, because I have been reading Batman comics for a long time, and have seen some fantastic story lines. The first eleven issues of Batman: Gotham Knights with Hugo Strange were amazing. Batman: A Death In The Family is an all-time classic. And the characterization of Batman/Bruce Wayne by Grant Morrison in the current volume of JLA was marvelous.

So what stands out about this series being so fantastic? Two basic things: One - Jim Lee. The artistry has been absolutely phenomenal. From even simple things like the Batmobile headlights looking like the Batsignal to the double-page splash shots of Batman punching Superman around, Jim Lee is out-doing any of his work (Including X-men from 1991) with each issue.

Two - Jeph Loeb's writing style. As the story continues, each issue ends with you thinking "Wow, that was fantastic!" and then the next issue gets better. Loeb is also doing a fantastic job of not giving away too much information about who the real villian is and strategically placing clues throughout the issues to make you think you know who it really is.

At this point I have had the chance to read all but the final issue which comes out next month. The story has been phenomenal the entire time. Because of how great this story line is, and because the early issues are hard to find, I would strongly recommend getting the trade paperback simply to ensure that you will be able to read the entire when part two comes out, and not miss out on the best Batman story ever.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Batman Hush
Review: This book is incredible! Everyone who is a fan of Batman should buy it, and amazon is sell it for a great price buy two and shipping is free. The art is incredible and storywriting performance is great but you don't have to take my word I'm only 14 yrs old, but very, very smart for my age!!! And Jim Lee is the most coolest artist.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A great story!
Review: This book is the first in a series that teams up Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee in a new DC adventure. In this story, when Batman discovers Killer Croc involved in a kidnapping, he realizes that there is more here than meets the eye. When Catwoman enters the fray, he realizes that something very strange is going on. And, when the trail leads to Poison Ivy and Metropolis, things begin to get downright weird! Old enemies put in an appearance in this story, as do old friends, and sometimes it's hard to tell who are the friends and who are the enemies!

This is a great story! I loved the storyline, with all its twists and turns, and found the illustrations to be absolutely excellent! My son and I both loved this story, and highly recommend it. We're also breathlessly waiting until we can see the sequel!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Loeb and Lee are amazing together.
Review: This is the hardcover edition of the first five parts of a 12 part story, and it is an amazing one! I used to collect anything Jim Lee illustrated and thats how i found this title, so it goes without saying that his art in this book (and on the regular monthly issues) is amazing. Jeph Loeb's storyline is also top notch. In just the first 4 parts we've already got Killer Croc, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Superman and the next few issues (not included in this volume) turn out more suprise guests and villains. This one is an instant classic. That other review from the 14 year old kid....he knows what hes talking about. I'm a 22 year old (kid) and i dig this stuff.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Meh.
Review: To reiterate most of the other reviews: Yes, this isn't Loeb's best (seriously, did THAT part of Superman's past have to be revived?! Uck!) work. Yes, Lee's amazing as usual.

However, that's not why I gave this collection 3 stars. It's for the hardcover itself.

Marvel's raised the bar for hardcover editions lately, so maybe I'm just spoiled. However, DC just isn't measuring up with their line. You can take that as you will.

I ordered the Hush hardcover alongside the Spider-man: Blue hardcover, and the differences between them are obvious:

1. Just to get it out of the way, I'll admit that I'm annoyed that the entire 12-part storyline wasn't collected in one large hardback. I'd bet most would be happy to wait a little longer and pay more to have one collected edition, rather than several volumes. Take a look at Ultimate Spider-man Vol 1, and the fact it sold out, and tell me nobody would want Hush presented that way.

2. The pages themselves feel thin and fragile. After leafing through Blue and it's thicker pages, I felt like I would rip Hush's if I wasn't careful.

3. I know I'm nitpicking with this, but the book sleeve was poorly designed. Art-wise, it's beautiful (hey, it IS Jim Lee, you know!). However, it's normal paper based, with exceptions made for artistic reasoning. Look at all of Marvel's hardcover line, and they have glossy, tough sleeves. I've only had the book for about a week, and the vast majority of that time it's been in my bookcase with my other hardcovers. And yet the edges where torn and wrinkled when I first got it. The top edge has a curl to it, and it has a visible fingerprints/smudging from being used. Blue, on the other hand, has been handled more, and looks brand new.

There's really no comparison quality wise between Marvel's new line, and Hush's first volume. DC really dropped the ball on this one. Don't get me wrong, it's not the worst hardcover out there...but it should have been one of the best. The closest comparison I can draw to Hush, is with my oldest hardcover: The 1989 first printing of Karven's Last Hunt. It's been read over and over again over the years, and as such definately has a slightly worn look to it. However, a friend of mine was perusing my bookcase the other day, and honestly thought Kraven's Last Hunt was the NEWER book. The only thing that gives it away was the text used for the titling, which is definately an older style. So, apparantly Marvel published a better long-lasting hardcover in 1989 then DC could in 2003. Sad.

Very disappointing, but it's still better than the paperback edition. If you don't have the individual comics, buy it, but be prepared to handle it carefully.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Love that Jim Lee.
Review: Whatever you say about HUSH, you've gotta admit the art is good. REALLY good. Jim Lee does a wonderful job on the main characters; some things could be a little different, but it was good overall. Don't be too picky, because then you lose the big picture.

The plot is...confusing. I had to go over it a few times because I was really confused on who Hush really was. But then I got it, and all was good again. However, I did like the apperance of the famous sidekicks and such, like Robin, Nightwing, Jason Todd (that was very cool, by the way), Huntress, and the extremely famous villians, such as Poison Ivy, the Joker, Harley Quinn, Catwoman. I would have liked to see how Jim Lee would have drawn Two Face, but a minor loss.

Don't get this if you are a starting Batman fanatic. Trust me. Background information is needed to understand, at the very least, the small part about Huntress. It can get even more confusing without any background, so you might want to try something else before you tackle this one.

I'm all about the artwork, so that's what did it for me. If you're looking at the art, I'd recommend this in a heart beat. The artwork is wonderful and intriguing, and I loved it to the end. If you are looking for plot, HUSH is not the best of the bunch. It's more predictable than the usual Batman storyline, but not so much it's not worth reading. But even with the somewhat-weak plot, I still enjoyed reading HUSH. It doesn't have to be excellent to be good. HUSH isn't the best story on the block, but it holds its own in the Batman world...and that's all I ask.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An excellent buy
Review: Whether you have the actual issues this book contains (Batman 608-12) or not, you should pick this one up. Loeb writes an amazing story and Jim Lee's work is fantastic. While I don't think it's Lee's best work (for that buy X-Men Mutant Genesis), it's still amazing. And at the price Amazon is selling this book, there's no reason not to get it.


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