Once again, "Hush" piques my interest, seemingly on the cusp of doing something new and interesting with the Dark Knight. But Loeb's scripts so far just fall short of that mark. They do offer up some fun but standard super-heroics, though, and while I think I've figured out who the new mystery villain is, I'm still looking forward to seeing how it plays out. Lee's artwork is like the script... fun but standard.
Recovered from his head injury, the Batman heads to Arkham Asylum to interrogate Killer Croc. At this point, Croc is his only lead to the missing money from the kidnapping attempt... and to the identity of whoever cut his swinging line. Croc provides no answers but takes the opportunity to escape from custody. The Batman gives chase, not just to stop Croc from killing again, but to see where Croc leads him. Meanwhile, Dr. Tommy Elliot stops by Wayne Manor to visit his childhood friend and recent patient.
Lee's influence on the look of comic art is undeniable. Though not as readily apparent today as it was in the early and mid 1990s, he inspired a legion of young artists. Many started out as imitators, but most eventually developed their own styles. Still, one can still see Lee's influence in the art of such pencillers J. Scott Campbell, Ed Benes and David Finch. Lee's still has huge following, many of whom have been fans since his Uncanny X-Men days. Me, I wasn't among them. He's a fine super-hero artist with a knack for action,but I was looking for something new, something different and something darker from him on this title. He demonstrated with a few covers for Transmetropolitan that he's got it in him. He tells the story here clearly, and he brings a slightly gritty look that suits the title character. But there's nothing about the visuals -- save for those fantastic flashback sequences -- that really grabs me. Judging from the sales figures on the book, though, I'm in the minority on that one.
One of the problems I have with Loeb's script is how it glosses over some of the less plausible details. Thomas Elliot's sudden appearance in Bruce's life is one of them, and another minor point is the apparent speed with which Bruce recovers from his injuries and leaves the hospital. I find it a bit much to swallow that after undergoing surgery, the surgeon -- who just happens to be the patient's one-time best friend -- is unable to get a chance to visit with him before discharge. These details nag at me and get in the way of the action of the main plot.
On the other hand, I like the parallels between Bruce and Thomas. Both born to wealth, both subjected to personal tragedies during childhood. One blames "a superstitious and cowardly lot," while the other lashes out at someone trying to offer comfort. I was also pleased to see Amanda Waller turn up in this story, adding a more modern tone of cynicism to what is otherwise a conventional super-hero story.
