Comic Gem of the month : Batman Hush (Trade paperback)

This Batman comic compilation is not new; it actually contains Batman 608 to 619 from 2002-2003. I was looking for something completely different at the bookstore when my eyes fell on the cover of this trade paperback edition. That's when my brain went on red alert. The artist was none other than Jim Lee (X-men, WildC.A.T.s). Wow! Batman drawn by Jim Lee, I must in heaven. I bought it, got back home, made supper and after that, I comfortably spend the evening devouring each panels of the book in my sofa.

The story was not too bad. The writer Jeph Loeb (Heroes) did an interesting melting pot of villains. He carefully webbed the suspense until the final chapter. But still, I would have liked a story with new super-villains instead. They always manage to bring back the same old-ugly-dressed-evil-badass over and over again. After almost 700 issues, the Joker, the Scarecrow and the Riddler tend to be a bit boring. No offense. Like I said, This detective story was captivating. I guess I am just craving for something more original when it comes to characters.

What really surprised me in that book was the beginning of a romance between Batman and Catwoman. We always knew they were made for each other, but in this Hush story, we got to see a bit more why. Batman is showing his feelings for a change. A little bit of love, a lot of action and a mystery made this book a quite enjoyable one. The Selina/Bruce love didn’t go anywhere and that’s a shame. But who knows: maybe in some not too distant future they’ll bring Bruce Wayne back from the grave and they’ll really get a chance (Yes, at the moment Bruce Wayne is dead. There is a new Batman in Gotham City but I won’t tell you who… You have to read Batman number 690. A must have it issue if you are a fan or a comic book collector).

Artistically, the colors of Alex Sinclair are also adding a lot of drama to each scene. There are perfectly harmonizing themselves with the drawing of Jim Lee and the inking of Scott Williams. The result is splendid.

I recommend this book if you like Batman story or if you are a Jim Lee fan. You don’t have to have read the 600 issues before this one to understand the story. You’ll catch up easily and spend a very relaxing evening in your sofa. I guarantee.