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Rating:  -
The "Heart of Hush" storyline ran in Detective Comics while Batman was running the disappointing "R.I.P." I found that "Heart of Hush" had a better storyline, was MUCH better written, had real character development, and had the possibility (and believability) to affect and change Batman/Bruce Wayne more than "R.I.P." ever could.
This was my first experience with the Hush villain, having just starting reading comics again after 15 years. I must say that he's equally creepy as -- if not creepier than -- the Joker. What a background Hush has. I loved the flashbacks throughout "Heart of Hush" to his childhood. They went into great depth with his turn into a villain, specifically despising Bruce Wayne because of his jealousy and "mommy issues." What a terrific concept.
Unbeknownst to me, the "heart" of Hush turned out to be an actual heart. Catwoman's heart. Ouch. Surgically removing Catwoman's heart to use as bait was brilliant, not to mention incredibly twisted and devious. I loved seeing how much it affected Bruce/Batman personally. The tender moments between he and Catwoman were beautiful. I hope more comes of this. They've been playing "cat and mouse" for years. It's about time something more was done with the chemistry between the two of them.
All in all, I can't say enough how much Paul Dini did a beautiful writing job writing this story arc. How about taking over both Batman titles, Dini?
Rating: -
I won't bore you with a recap (and I won't give away any plot spoilers), but I will give some background information. Heart of Hush is officially part of the Batman R.I.P. storyline, but takes place a couple of nights before the events of RIP proper (and therefore, before Final Crisis). Hush, upon learning of the Black Glove's intentions for Batman, returns to Gotham to make one final attempt on his nemesis. What happens in the story, I won't say, but it is a very good story. The Heart of Hush storyline officially ends within this book, but an epilogue of it takes place in the 'Faces of Evil' issues of Batman and Detective Comics (Not collected in this), but they aren't necessary and only serve as to give closure to some of the characters in this story. The story officially picks up in Batman RIP and then Final Crisis, telling the story of the 'last' adventure of Batman.
Rating:  -
It's probably fair to say that Paul Dini's five part Hush arc was anxiously anticipated on two counts, the first in observing what he could finally deliver on a Batman tale benefitting from a more accomodating longer format, and the second in discovering how much further he could expound and embellish on Tommy Elliot's mysterious and controversial background. While we do learn more about his troubled childhood and the subsequent vengeful behavior that arose from it, this may be a prime example where things are best left shrouded, as some characters are more intriguing if certain aspects about them remain a riddle. Most of the revelations do come about from the debatable yet probably unavoidable use of expository flashbacks, whose primary purpose was to both illuminate Tommy's enigmatic past plus possibly give him a sympathetic slant and more rational motivations for his ultimately becoming Hush. The flashbacks however are somewhat excessive, comprising a significant chunk of the narrative, given that the technique itself is most effective when used sparingly. More importantly, the story clearly suffers from its' totally over the top and implausible situations that diminish its' logical credibility, from the medical predicament inflicted upon Selina combined with Hush's surgically altered "new" face, to the overly coincidental encounters in his youth with Jonathan Crane and Peyton Riley, who would eventually go on to become the Scarecrow and new Ventriloquist. Peyton's dastardly role in Tommy's past is especially troublesome considering it contradicts and undermines her empathetic plight and portrayal in a recent two-parter from a few months past. What fortunately does spark is the poignant and passionate reigniting of Bruce's feelings toward Selina, an affair of the heart that aptly and succinctly symbolizes the story's metaphoric title. Despite its' flaws, many critics of Hush will undoubtedly welcome this tale strictly for its' elaboration on his persona alone, but regrettably it falls short of the expectations that his much awaited return and the added length generated in comparison to the rest of Dini's exceptional tenure on 'Tec.
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