Comic Review: Batman #160 – HUSH2: A Chaotic Continuation That Doesn’t Understand Its Own Legacy
Hush 2 was supposed to be an event. It got slammed and rightly so. Batman #160 only deepens the crisis. This is already the third issue in what’s marketed as a continuation of the classic Batman: Hush by Jeph Loeb. But if anything from the original remains, it’s just the shadow of nostalgia and some branding.
Just when you think the series can’t sink any lower Batman #160 proves that it can. And it does so with gusto.
Story: A Derailing Train with No Destination
If you were hoping that the plot might straighten itself out after issues #158 and #159, Batman #160 dashes those hopes entirely. The story throws us between scenes with no coherent rhythm. Flashbacks mix with aggressively constructed confrontations. Every member of the Bat-Family gets their moment but none come out looking good.
The worst moment? Damian Wayne… teaming up with Bane. Yes, that Bane. The one who killed Alfred. Suddenly he’s part of the "rescue plan"? Damian, who only a few issues ago was distancing himself from that toxic past, now throws himself into the arms of the very man who destroyed his family? That’s not drama it’s absurdity.
Characters: The Bat-Family Through a Broken Lens
In Hush 2, no one behaves like themselves. Bruce Wayne is no longer the brooding strategist with a strong moral code he’s emotionally unstable, erratic, and aggressive. Jason Todd? Reduced to a gray blob of anger and frustration, falling for manipulation like a CW drama character.
This version of Red Hood gets played by Hush like a fiddle without irony. The same Jason who built his identity around independence and distrust now acts like he’s only read page one of his own character sheet. And his argument with Dick isn’t a tragic brotherly conflict it’s a stiff exchange of clichés straight from amateur fanfiction.
Riddler, Hush, and Mysteries No One Cares About
The Hush and Riddler threads feel like Loeb wants to suggest a grand conspiracy but forgot that a mystery needs an answer. Nygma is like a steroid-pumped Ted Grant, spouting pseudo-philosophical one-liners meant to sound deep, but they’re just… annoying.
Silence the new supposed heir to Hush shows up again only to look menacing and then disappear. We still don’t know who he is, what he wants, or why he matters.
Dramatic Moment: Yep, Another Gun
The most talked-about moment of the last issue Batman aiming a gun at Jason wasn’t a fluke. It’s the new norm. In #160, violence and shock remain the main priorities. Bruce lashes out at his family members without reflection or strategy. It’s like the writer forgot that Batman is more than fists he’s a mind.
Jason literally pistol-whips Batman, who had previously… shot him (maybe?). Then Hush takes the same kind of blow and walks it off like it’s a light tap. Where’s the logic? Where’s the stakes?
Dialogue: All Style, No Substance
The dialogue is forced, stiff, and shockingly unnatural. The characters don’t talk they monologue. Bruce thinks aloud like a bad audiobook narrator. Jason repeats his motivations on loop, like he’s reading off cue cards.
At best, it feels like a rough draft written by AI. At worst it feels like the writer has no idea who these characters even are.
Art: Only Partially Redeemable
Jim Lee still has his moments. Yes, some panels are genuinely beautiful especially the flashbacks and Damian’s surprise entrance with Bane (even if it makes zero sense narratively). There’s mood, shadow, composition technically top-tier.
But it’s not enough to save a sinking ship. Some scenes feel rushed. Facial expressions are stiff, and a few backgrounds look incomplete or generic.
Conclusion: A Batman Who Doesn’t Know Who He Is
Batman: Hush 2 not only fails to live up to the original it clearly doesn’t understand it. Batman #160 is a series of aggressive decisions, illogical character arcs, and plot twists that lack emotional weight or coherent motivation.
Jeph Loeb may have created masterpieces, but this current version of Batman is a soulless, edgy shadow of what he used to be trying to be dark and gritty without purpose or direction. Instead of building something new on the foundations of the past, Hush 2 tries to recapture magic but forgot to invite the magician.
Pros:
+ A few panels by Jim Lee still show off visual polish+ The Damascus steel memory callback
+ The Red Hood vs. Nightwing moment
Cons:
– Damian and Bane as a duo: completely unbelievable
– Jason Todd reduced to a pawn in a cheap plot
– Bruce Wayne acts like a violent sociopath
– Narrative pacing and logic are non-existent
– Riddler and Silence are nonsensical, hollow characters
– Dialogue sounds like placeholder drafts or AI-generated text
– Total disregard for DC continuity and recent runs
My Score: 3/10
Batman #160 isn’t just a disappointment—it’s a warning. A comic that wants to be profound but has no idea how to get there. Batman fans deserve more than a soulless, nostalgia-baiting spectacle with no heart and no plan.
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