Batman #158 Hush 2 Review

Today is not just a regular Wednesday, today is the day that the most anticipated comic book sequel of all time, Hush 2, finally begins in Batman #158. It has been over 20 years since Hush was created, and we have waited a long time for this, but with this release comes a slight worry. Will it live up to the Hush legacy? That’s where our Batman #158 Hush 2 review comes in.

In Nerdy Nook fashion, this review will be spoiler free. However, since this is a sequel comic we will give a brief recap of what happens in Hush to remind you all of where this story left off, if you have not read Hush yet and wanted to avoid spoilers completely, skip the first paragraph of the review.

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The Review

Image by DC Comics

In Hush, Batman faced his most dangerous foe yet, someone who knew his biggest secret and used this to target all those closest to him – a mysterious stalker known as Hush. We later find out the true identity of Hush is Bruce Wayne’s childhood friend Tommy Elliot, who became jealous of Bruce and the life he lived. But Hush was not working alone, it was Riddler who had discovered Batman’s secret identity and enabled Tommy’s revenge. Batman #158 Hush 2 picks up many years after the events of Hush.

Batman #158 Hush 2 starts off with Joker trying to poison The Gotham Reservoir when Batman quickly intervenes. Joker played an integral role in Hush, so to have him as the opening villain of Batman #158 Hush 2 was the perfect way to start the sequel – though it is unclear at the moment how big of an impact Joker will have on the series since right now he’s a little ‘distracted’. However, Joker is not the only character we are reintroduced to.

Batman #158 Hush 2 does an excellent job of reintroducing characters, and reminding us where this story sits within the canon. I had almost forgot that Hush leads so perfectly into Under the Red Hood until we see a glimpse of Joker beating Jason Todd with a crow bar – this reference does make me hold out hope to Red Hood making a return in this comic in one way or another but it could have just been nothing more than a homage.

Image by DC Comics

Somehow, despite being released so many years after Hush originally began, Hush 2 feels like no time has passed at all. Batman makes remarks like “I stopped him then. I will stop him now”, but the story flows so perfectly without readers having to know what happened in the last #157 issues of this Batman series – this was a pleasant surprise for me since I have done an awful job of keeping up with the other issues, with the Absolute universe has just taken up all my reading capacity.

Not only does Batman #158 Hush 2 mark the return of iconic characters and incredible story teller Jeph Loeb, shows the return of Hush‘s original artist, Jim Lee. This provides a nostalgic and delightful feel to this dark and gritty comic. I cannot help but compare this to The Last Halloween – since we lost Tim Sale, there is something about that comic that feels different despite everyone’s best efforts, and so I am incredibly grateful that Hush is able to be continued by the same artists who helped create it.

My only critiques of this comic is that honestly, it felt a little too fast. It felt necessary and acted as a great reintroduction to the universe, but before I knew it I was at the end and have no idea where the story goes from here.

Image by DC Comics

Batman #158 Hush 2 was an excellent start to the long awaited sequel. It does an excellent job of reintroducing readers to integral characters and sets up a really compelling storyline. Though there is not a lot for us to judge right now, this was a terrific return to form and great example of what Hush 2 has to offer.

What are your thoughts on Batman #158 Hush 2? Where do you think the series will go from here? Whatever your thoughts and feelings, share them with us in the comment section of this article.

See also: Most anticipated comics of 2025

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