The Hush story arc on Detective Comics has been a solidly crafted story. Dini continues to crank up the intensity on this story and has produced several unexpected twists and turns. I am confident that Detective Comics #849 will be another fine read. Let’s do this review.
Creative Team
Writer: Paul Dini
Pencils: Dustin Nguyen
Inks: Derek Fridolfs
Art Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 6.5 Night Girls out of 10
Synopsis: We begin with two guards taking the Scarecrow to his cell at Arkham Asylum. Suddenly, two batarangs take down the two guards. Batman then pounces on the Scarecrow. They are right outside of the Joker’s cell. Batman uses one of the guard’s pass cards to open the Joker’s cell. Batman shoves the Joker to the ground and handcuffs the Joker to the sink in his cell.
Batman then drags Scarecrow into the cell. Batman grabs the hanging light in the cell and shatters the light bulb. Batman drags Scarecrow over to the toilet and places the hanging light in the toilet. Batman growls that Scarecrow had said that he had tuned out Hush’s location. Batman says that he is going to ask Scarecrow once again where Hush is hiding.Scarecrow stammers that he has no idea where Hush is hiding. Batman shoves Scarecrow’s head into the toilet along with the hanging light and electrocutes Scarecrow. Batman yells for Scarecrow to tell him Hush’s location. Scarecrow stutters that he cannot tell Batman. Batman then shocks Scarecrow once again with the hanging light. The Joker looks on in excitement.
Scarecrow finally gives in and tells Batman that Hush is at Sacred Heart. Batman tosses Scarecrow to the side. Joker comments that it was a pleasure to watch Batman work. Batman stalks out of the Joker’s cell.
We cut to Dr. Mid-Nite and Mr. Terrific at Catwoman’s hospital room. Batman radios the two heroes and asks how Catwoman is doing. Dr. Mid-Nite answers that Catwoman is alive and stable, but that he does not know how long Hush’s machine will keep Catwoman alive. Mr. Terrific adds that Hush’s machine has technology that is on the level of something from Lex Luthor or maybe even Apokolips.
Batman answers that Hush’s hatred of him provided the spark, but that someone else is clearly doing the heavy work. Mr. Terrific tells Batman to call if he needs help and they will send in both the JSA and JLA. Batman declines the offer of help stating that Hush’s invitation was to Batman alone. And that Hush will trigger a kill switch in the machine keeping Catwoman alive if Hush suspects that Batman is not alone.
Batman thanks the two JSA’ers for their help and says that he is going to need their expertise when he returns with Selina’s heart. Batman cuts radio contact before Mr. Terrific can respond. Mr. Terrific mentions how he never thought that the Batman would be so sentimental. Dr. Mid-Nite answers that this is proof that the big bad Batman does have a human side. Dr. Mid-Nite continues that no other woman has gotten this close to the Batman whether he wanted her to or not.
We cut to Sacred Heart Hospital where Hush is informed that the Batmobile has been spotted racing toward the hospital. Hush instructs his men to take their stations at all the entrances. Hush says that Batman is out for blood and will want to make a big, scary entrance.
We flashback to Thomas Eliot at his mother’s bedside. Thomas tells his mom that the doctors state that her cancer has gone into remission and that she should be fully healed in a month. Thomas’ mother is in denial and claims to be a sick woman who needs twenty-four hour attention.
Thomas disagrees and says that he is going to start Medical School and that a couple of nights a week by herself will do his mother well. Thomas’s mother spits that this is all the work of Peyton infecting her son’s mind. Thomas replies that he has been dating Peyton for four months and still his mother will not meet her.
Thomas’ mother says that Peyton is a criminal’s daughter and is trash who will sully their family name. Thomas’ mother says that Bruce Wayne would never do this to his family name.
Thomas growls that he is tired of constantly being compared to that arrogant moron Bruce Wayne. Thomas’ mother responds that Bruce honored his family and overcame adversity. Thomas rants how did his family honor him? With a father who beat him every night and a mother too scared to lose her husband’s money. Therefore, his mother never tried and stopped his father from beating him.
Thomas continues that his mother never even gave him comfort after his father beat him. Instead, all she would do was quote Aristotle to Thomas on how to outwit his enemies. Thomas storms out of the room yelling that if his mother really cared about him conquering adversity then she should have bought him a gun.
We cut to Peyton and Thomas having dinner at a restaurant. Both are commiserating about their terrible parents who do not like that they are dating each other. Thomas asks if Peyton ever thought of running away from it all and become someone else.
Peyton responds that she loves Thomas and that they can run away if he wants to. But, that would mean Thomas giving up his dream of medical school. Thomas agrees that he will not make it without his mother’s money. Peyton then suggest that she talk to Thomas’ mother. Peyton says that she can be very charming when pouring on the sugar. Thomas agrees to Peyton’s plan.
We snap back to the present with one of Hush’s “doctors” telling him that a security camera has picked up a forced open door on the roof. Hush assembles his “doctors” next to him in a hallway. One of the “doctors” points out that the stairwell door his open. Suddenly, one of the “doctors” attacks Hush. It is Batman in disguise. Batman begins pounding the crap out of Hush. Batman grabs Hush and the two of them tumble past the “doctors” and into the stairwell. Batman uses his cable gun to keep the two of them from falling down the stairwell. Batman growls that he should kill Hush. Hush answers that if he dies then Selina’s heart dies as well.
Batman asks “Why Selina?” Hush responds that he wanted to hurt Batman in the worst way he could. Hush says that he knew what that “gutter slut” means to Batman even if Batman denies it to himself. Hush continues that out of all the women Batman or Bruce Wayne has been with that only one ever truly had his heart.
Batman then lets go of Hush and Hush falls to the floor. The two men then walk back into the hallway where Hush’s “doctors” surround the two of them. Hush explains that his “doctors” are derelicts, outcasts and inmates from insane asylums that had been released. Hush has given them a shelter and a new purpose. Batman points out that Hush has also drugged them. Hush shrugs and says that it guarantees obedience.
Hush then recounts how Batman left Hush to fight it out with Joker. That the Joker had a device in Hush that would trigger a heart attack. During their fight, Hush managed to recover the control from Joker that controlled Hush’s heart. Needing a secure place to convalesce, Hush used some of his family’s money to purchase the old Sacred Heart Hospital. This is the same hospital where Thomas placed his mother.
Batman and Hush then arrive at a room where Hush has Selina’s heart hooked into a massive machine. Hush mentions how after his fight with the Joker that Hush became an expert with the heart. That Hush learned how to remove the heart, re-start it and test how long it could be kept outside of the body.
Hush reveals that Scarecrow introduced him to Mr. Freeze. Hush used Mr. Freeze’s advanced technology in the field of cryogenics in order to design the life support systems that Hush used on Catwoman and her heart.
Suddenly, gas pours into the room. Hush says that the gas is designed to render Batman immobile, but leave him conscious. Batman begins to collapse. Hush then removes the bandages from his face. We see that Hush has changed his face to look just like Bruce Wayne. Hush says that his reconstructive surgery on his face is not absolutely perfect, but it will be food enough to get Hush close enough to Alfred in order to put a bullet in Alfred’s head. And it will be good enough to get Hush close enough to put a bullet in Tim and Dick’s heads. After that, Hush pose as Bruce and resign from Wayne Industries, close down Wayne Manor and leave Gotham forever.
Hush then says that the real Bruce Wayne will never be found. However, a male corpse, disfigured beyond recognition, will be pulled from the harbor in a few days. Hush continues that right now they are going to shut off the machine keeping Selina’s heart alive. Once this machine is cut off, the life support machine that Selina is hooked into will also shut off.
Hush says that Batman will feel as if a part of his heart has died just like Hush did when Bruce’s father saved Hush’s mother’s life. Hush has Batman strapped onto an operating table. Hush then quotes Aristotle about how “We should count time by heartthrobs” in the few seconds that it has left. End of issue.Comments
The Good: Detective Comics #849 was another solid issue. Dini continues to crank out a dependable comic book each and every month. Detective Comics #849 was properly paced as Dini gives us a perfect balance between dialogue heavy scenes and kick-ass action scenes. This issue will surely appeal to readers who like a well crafted plot driven story as well as readers who crave vicious action scenes.
Detective Comics #849 was well plotted. Dini has delivered a story arc is nicely focused and moves with a clear purpose and direction. This is one of the rare multi-issue story arcs from Dini. The majority of Dini’s run on Detective Comics has been one-shot issues or two-part stories. However, Dini has shown with this story arc that while he may be the master of the one-shot, he is also quite adept at a longer multi-issue story arc.
Dini whips up quality dialogue in this issue. Each character is nicely developed and Dini is able to create some good chemistry between Batman and Hush. I continue to be completely impressed with Dini’s Batman. Dini is able to give Batman’s character some real range and depth that you do not often see. During his entire run on Detective Comics, Dini has been giving the reader plenty of Batman’s detective side of his personality that many readers ignore when writing the modern Batman.
In this issue, Dini shows us yet another side of Batman’s character as we see the human side of the Batman. Dini gives the reader a rare glimpse behind the Batman’s granite exterior as we see the affection and love that he has for Catwoman. It is always nice for writers to remember that Batman is not a robot.
Of course, just because Dini has been concentrating on Batman as a detective does not mean that Dini has forgotten that this is the goddamn Batman that he is writing. And the goddamn Batman is brutal and vicious. In the opening scene of this issue, Dini gives the reader a goddamn Batman ass-kicking that would make Frank Miller smile. I thought the scene where Batman brutally tortures Scarecrow in order to ascertain Hush’s secret location to be perfect. While this style of approach does not work with many comic book heroes, it works perfectly with Batman’s character. Batman doesn’t kill, but everything else is game. And given the dire situation, Batman is the type of character that would break every bone in a criminal’s body in order to save a loved one.
I loved Joker’s reaction to Batman brutally torturing Scarecrow. This re-enforces the fact that the Batman is much more alike the Joker than he would ever want to admit. The reader is reminded that the Batman is just as twisted as the Joker and that both men are violent creatures.
The best part of this scene is that the Joker is truly being honest in his compliments of the Batman’s interrogation. And that is what makes the scene that much more troubling since the reader can see the similarities between the two arch-enemies. It was nice to see Mr. Terrific and Dr. Mid-Nite make cameo appearances. While I firmly believe that Batman operates the best when he is kept apart from the other metahuman super heroes in the DCU as much as possible; I still think it is important to not go overboard and have Batman totally isolated from the rest of the DCU.
Dini has been wise and judicious in making sure other characters from the DCU appear from time to time in Detective Comics. And Dini is smart to carefully choose which characters to appear that best fit within the context of the story and that work well with Batman.
I am incredibly impressed with Dini’s excellent character work that he has performed on Hush. I have always been a neutral on Hush’s character. For the most part, I have found Hush to be a bit one-dimensional. However, Dini has gotten me to become intrigued with Hush’s character. Dini has some a fine job dedicated time and energy into fleshing out Hush’s character so that he becomes more complex and interesting.
Dini has also managed to better integrate Hush into Bruce’s history by delving into the relationship between the Elliot family and the Wayne family. The flashback scenes were well done. I enjoy how Dini has breathed so much life into the families who constitute Gotham’s High Society.
In the process, Dini manages to make Hush an incredibly sympathetic villain that the reader can better understand. Yet, at the same time, Dini still keeps Hush completely despicable. This is my favorite type of villain.
Dini slyly plays with the human heart as a running theme through out this story. Dini nicely connects Hush’s obsession with the heart and stealing Selina’s heart with the story where Joker had implanted a decide in Hush’s heart in order to give Hush a heart attack. Dini then adds another layer of hate and betrayal as Hush points out how hurt he was that Batman would sit back and let Hush battle Joker in hopes that the two villains would weaken each other and allow Batman to step in and easily finish off the victor. Hush feels more betrayal that Bruce would not step in to save his childhood friend from the Joker’s attempt to kill him.
Dini ends Detective Comics #849 with a great hook ending. We learn that Mr. Freeze was Hush’s source of knowledge in creating the machine to keep Selina’s heart alive. We also learn that Hush has had plastic surgery on his face to look like Bruce Wayne. And then we see the Batman paralyzed by gas as Hush reaches to turn off Selina’s heart. That is how you get a reader exited and anxious for the next issue!
The Bad: Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs deliver some very marginal artwork. While some panels are serviceable, many simply look way to sloppy. Lacks detail. Faces are terrible.
Overall: Detective Comics #849 was another solid read. Dini continues to do a masterful job on this title. Detective Comics is a dependable read that offers the reader an enjoyable blend of mystery, action and drama. For the comic book readers who have disliked Morrison’s Batman take heart, Dini’s Detective Comic is just the title for you.
