Up to this point, few had ever figured out the greatest riddle of all: Who is Batman? Undoubtedly, one can feel Loeb's influence on Scott Snyder's crafting of the 'Zero Year' story arc some 15 years later here as Riddler is once again brought out from the 'B' list and elevated to the top of the class. Fans of the Riddler no doubt appreciated Loeb's elevation of Nigma to a whole new level of criminal mastermind after years of seeing him treated as a second-stringer. We see most of the classic villains participate in this story to varying extents. What makes this story arc stand out today though – just as it did when it closed its run – is that Loeb actually presents readers with two mysteries: The first being the one that Batman solves (who was behind the Hush crimes, with an assist from Harvey Dent) and the other that he won't uncover until years later.įrom a perspective of wanting to simply see the classic Batman villains rolled out, 'Hush' does not disappoint. The threat to Batman's family and his failure to protect Jason Todd are continued concerns we see play out in his resistance to let others in as a way to protect them from the harm those who have relationships with Batman and Bruce Wayne seem to experience. Loeb demonstrates a real knack for understanding his characters, what motivates them, and as we see in 'Hush,' what they fear most. It's also worth noting that writer Jeph Loeb was fresh off his critically acclaimed Batman: Dark Victory – the sequel to his collaboration with Tim Sale, Batman: The Long Halloween. While previous artists masked Batman in shadows as well, the iconic outline of the cowl, glowing white eyes, and nothing else made its most indelible mark here. Anytime Loeb sets the scene at night, Williams' work shines brightest. Likewise, Jim Lee's linework frequently takes on a finer and lighter nature, so much of the weight and power throughout the story comes from Scott Willams' inks. For example, we see the graveyard scene with Clayface masquerading as an older Jason Todd covered with a bloodied red sky and the muted green grass – reminiscent of Robin's colors. Of note is his choice to select a single color to emphasize a particular mood or tone and allow it to play out through the entire scene. Alex Sinclair's colors continue to stand alongside some of the most dynamic work done in superhero comic books today. Of course, 'Hush' doesn't just showcase Jim Lee at his best. (Image credit: Jim Lee/Scott Williams/Alex Sinclair (DC))

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