The Joker left for dead?! Each wound is struck with precision. His jaw left in shambles. Once Batman examines the scene, he comes up with one possible suspect. Thomas Elliot has returned to Gotham City. What is HUSH planning for Bruce Wayne this time around?
BATMAN #159 by Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee, Scott Williams, Alex Sinclair and Richard Starkings continues the sequel to the 2008 story.
Let’s take a closer look at where events stand now.
BATMAN #159 by Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee, Scott Williams, Alex Sinclair and Richard Starkings (DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Loeb is attempting to create a sense of paranoia amongst the Bat Family. Having Batman “save” The Joker is a tricky take. The scenes with Dr. Leslie Thompkins throws a fun twist into events. It also takes away some of the drama. Knowing the oath Batman has taken concerning lives, it telegraphs where he needs to go with is most dangerous enemy. Even more confusing is the notion of Batman ALLOWING the Joker to die.
This leads into a character’s entree that makes sense. Jason Todd has always had a reason to kill the Joker. The writing leans heavy into that theme. Seeing how Batman responds is puzzling. Readers watch as he actually internalized killing the Joker. Now, he’s living in self regret. the ending is baffling. If Todd’s mission is to kill the Joker, then why is Batman letting him knock him out? I have an idea where they were trying to go but execution missed the mark. It leaves events more uncertain heading into the next round.
If not for Lee’s art, there wouldn’t be much to salvage this chapter. The two page splash of Crime Alley sets a haunting tone. This leads into a strong full page of the Joker needing help. Batman’s dream state also hits with readers. The red coloring makes the panels pop before moving into the Batcave.
Once here, a fantastic two page spread indicates Batman’s breakdown. His outer monologue is tense but quickly interrupted. The fight with Red Hood builds towards its huge reveal. Readers witness the moment get captured via a smashing two page image. This is vintage Lee storytelling. It leads into some more personal demons being exorcised but feels disjointed. Another point I didn’t spend time on is the Nightwing/Batgirl portion. Their partner gets a great full page reveal with many questions behind it. Once back on track, the close attempts to save the ending but can’t pull it off.
OVERALL GRADE: 7
With the interjection of Jason Todd, “Hush 2” tries to capture the pain of the Joker’s past actions. Unfortunately, the landing doesn’t stick. The writing tries forcing Hush’s impact too much onto a new pawn. Lee’s art continues to be the star of the show in this sequel. Unless there’s some sort of deeper play happening, there are more faults forming in the foundation.
Let me know your thoughts on Batman #159 int he comments below. Thanks for reading!