Finally, after months of waiting the penultimate chapter of H2SH is here with Batman #162. Thus far Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee’s follow-up to their iconic Hush story has not lived up to what it could be. There has been a lot to be desired with the direction H2SH has gone. The biggest has been how all the characters have been portrayed. It hasn’t just been about not lining up with the current versions of these characters but simply feeling like caricatures rather than true characters. With Loeb and Lee having had months to develop the final two chapters of H2SH will they elevate the story we’ve gotten thus far? Let’s find out with Batman #162.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: Jim Lee
Inking: Richard Starkings
Coloring: Alex Sinclair
Letterer: Tyler Smith
BATMAN #162 SOLICITATION
“Batman versus the Bat-Family! Whose side are you on?” – DC Comics
HIGHLIGHTS FROM BATMAN #162
Catwoman Saves H2SH Development Cycle
Batman #162 is the best chapter of H2SH we’ve gotten. That isn’t a hard bar to jump over but credit where credit is due. The biggest X-factor for this issue is how Jeph Loeb used Catwoman. For the first time we have a character that shows they are using their history with Bruce Wayne to understand what is happening. Selina Kyle is the first one we are see use her connection with Bruce to know why he has been thrown off. It was the reality check that Bruce needed but unfortunately will look pass because of Hush’s plotting against him.
Batman Finally Playing Hush’s Chess Game
Batman #162 is the first issue in H2SH that does feel like Bruce is finally playing Hush’s chess game. The way he moves with all his decisions show he is not just simply reacting. He is using his greatest strength, his mind, to quickly assess the situation to at least counter Hush’s moves. His assessment comes a few seconds to late but it is done in a way that factors in the emotional impact of having the Batman Family involve have on Bruce. Even when he tries to cut things off in order to focus on Hush, as shown with what he did to Barbara Gordon, his reaction is a second off because its his family.
Jim Lee’s Consistent Artwork
This was by far the best artwork we’ve gotten from Jim Lee in H2SH. Does this excuse how long we had to wait for the release of Batman #162? No, but at the very least we do see that Lee did use that time to get back to the consistency we have come to expect from him. The panels are structured in a way that the action flows much better. The same goes for the dialogue. There are a lot of subtleties with how characters express themselves that helps this be the best chapter of H2SH.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK IN BATMAN #162
Overcompensating with the Batman Family
Loeb still falls down the rabbit hole in Batman #162 trying to show how well he knows these characters. This time he does it with how he tries to explain Bruce’s understanding of who the Batman Family members are. It is something any time we get this in Batman vs Bat-Family story that you don’t hear Bruce’s voice but that of the writer. That is definitely the case here as Loeb’s voice as the writer comes through the inner monologue. It removes all tension from the actions Batman takes at it suddenly becomes not something that Bruce Wayne does. Instead, it is Jeph Loeb as the writer forcing the action on the character because of the dialogue choices. It hurts the flow of the story by doing this.
Hush Has Zero Character
Hush is yet again nothing more than an avatar representing a general villain. There is no development in Batman #162 for Hush other than a few brief panels. And even then you could easily replace Hush’s spot with any Batman villain. That is not how things should be feeling in a story named H2SH. You should feel how only Hush could pull this off. He is the one forcing everything to happen. But he is just not getting that development because the unique villainous aura isn’t there.
Batman Rogues Gallery Lackluster Hook Ending
The ending with Batman falling into a pit with most of his rogues gallery waiting for him isn’t as strong a hook as it tries to be. The final page with Joker greeting Batman comes across as an emergency lever was pulled to create excitement for the end. It has had very little build up or teases. It is just done in a manner for the shock value of Batman possibly teaming up with his villains against Hush. Maybe it would be more impactful if we saw how Hush also used other Batman villains in his plot. But we haven’t. It’s only been Joker. This ending more than anything is a reminder of how much we’ve gone around in circles during H2SH rather than getting true major moments.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Batman #162 is easily the best chapter of H2SH thus. That is not saying a lot but given how H2SH has gone so far that is a massive improvement. There is still a lot of problems with how Jeph Loeb writes many characters and all the Hush plot points. But at the very least he gets how to write the Bat-Cat connection to address what is going on with Bruce wayne in this story. That saves this issue so much. It is just unfortunate that Catwoman isn’t a bigger part of this sequel to Hush.
Story Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 6.5 Night Girls out of 10
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