The awkward reintroduction of Hush back into the underworld of Gotham City continues, and it's a relief to discover that the storytelling has become much clearer. Unfortunately, the plot seems to hinge on characterization that flies in the face of everything we've learned about a certain noted villain in the past couple of decades. Furthermore, the writer continues to assume the reader knows everything s/he needs to know about Hush in order to follow along, making for an inaccessible read, even for those of us who did read the convoluted "Hush" storyline in Batman last year. And if all that weren't enough, the sketchy and inconsistent art fails to foster the air of menace called for here.
Hush, having beaten the Riddler to a bloody pulp, finds himself face to face with the Joker. Gotham City's most feared madman says he cannot allow the Riddler to die, as he has need of him, and it makes for a tense showdown between the Batman's greatest arch-enemy and his newest one. Meanwhile, the Batman has learned that Hush is back in town, and he scrambles to discover what his childhood friend is up to this time around. Elsewhere, Hush meets with a certain specialist, who suggests the bandaged villain could use some assistance.
Barrionuevo's is wildly inconsistent. At times, it's rich in detail, and at others, it's simple and even sketchy on detail. The Joker doesn't boast nearly as creepy a look as is called for here; he needs to be a figure of vast intimidation. The backgrounds are often sorely lacking as well. Robin's age is depicted inconsistenly as well; he appears as young as 12 a couple of times. Overall, Barrionuevo's work here reminds me of the style of Tom (Mutant X) Lyle, one that doesn't work with the tension for which the writer is striving. To his credit, though, I really did enjoy the sequence in which the Batman, from his underground headquarters, zeroes in on the image of Hush on the street.
I'm a bit torn when it comes to the depiction of the Joker in this comic book. On the one hand, he seems far too coherent and predictable. He comes off as a mobster instead of a madman, and there's no explanation as to his sudden interest in the information at the Riddler's disposal. On the other hand, I love seeing him as a figure that instills fear in every other criminal in the city, and his desperate need to be viewed as such plays into his twisted ego nicely as well.
Ultimately, though, this story is hindered by its reliance on other tales. Lieberman assumes far too much of his readership. It's clear now that Hush has a mad-on for both the heroes and villains of Gotham, but why isn't made clear. Furthermore, the writer not only provides little exposition from "Hush," but he also draws upon minor characters from Detective Comics and JLA without nearly enough explanation as to who they are and why their roles here are significant.
