“The Pawn”
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artists: Jim Lee
Color Artist: Alex Sinclair
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Review by Max Byrne
The wait is over! Batman #158 finally sees the reunification of comic book heavyweights Jim Lee and Jeph Loeb. They embark on the long awaited sequel to their classic Hush storyline. For over twenty years, the original has been lauded as one of the classic Batman tales, and rightly so. Following up such a beloved work two decades on is a big ask indeed, but based on this opening instalment, Lee and Loeb have made a very solid start.
Die Laughing
Rather than setting this story in the current continuity, this is set in the past. Although it is unclear in this issue how much time has passed since the events of the original. Suffice to say, this is a Batman knee deep in the usual levels of strife… Caused by his arch nemesis, Joker. This particular issue is aptly named, as the Clown Prince of Crime is not the main antagonist here, indeed he is merely a “pawn” in the machinations of our titular villain. No spoilers here, but seeing the villain of all villains used in this way is a bold move, and highlights just how amoral and dangerous Hush truly is.
One of the main strengths of the original run was the mystery element. With Hush not being fully revealed until very near to the end of the proceedings. In this new iteration, he is a known commodity and fully revealed in Batman’s mind as the main villain of the piece. It will be interesting to see how Loeb navigates through the narrative here. What will the main crux of the plot be apart from Hush’s need for Batman to suffer greatly. What will the endgame be?
Hushed Words
There are cameos galore in this issue too, which was a dominant feature of the original. Seeing Nightwing and Batgirl working in tandem whilst clad in their classic costumes is a lovely dose of nostalgia. Along with our titular hero in a classic costume too. Throw in a cameo from a certain Talia al Ghul too and we are off to the races in a big way.
The main highlight for me in this issue is the wonderful artwork from Jim Lee. In my opinion, he is one of the greatest comic book artists of modern times. As he has ascended up the corporate ladder at DC Comics to become the master of all he surveys, his output as an artist has inevitably dwindled down to next to nothing. To see him get back on the horse in DC’s flagship book (sorry Supes fans, but it’s true) is a real treat. Art is totally subjective of course, it’s horses for courses, but I find Lee’s art to be amazing. He proves here that he hasn’t lost his touch, providing detailed figure work and action scenes that leap off the page in a wave of kinetic energy.
Conclusion
Batman #158 aka H2USH, is a very appealing, solid start to this limited run. It will be interesting to see if the period setting remains the status quo. Or whether we are brought back into the present timeline. Either way… It does feel as though we are going to experience a chain of events that will frame where Batman goes when this era is done. Hush is here, he’s in Batman’s head and is willing to go through anybody to accomplish his goals, whether they be good or evil. One of the best Bat-villains ever, I cannot wait to see where it goes from here.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment