Batman: Heart of Hush Paperback – March 16, 2010

While this collection only has five issues, it has a really good story. Heart of Hush is proof that Paul Dini should have been involved with writing the story of Batman Arkham Knight. Hush and Scarecrow are set up as the main antagonists. They also have history with one another before becoming the people they are in the present day. I could have seen this work in Rocksteady’s final installment. Love the fact that Dini provides so much emphasis on how much Batman cares about Catwoman and will do whatever it takes to save her life. Pick this up if you are a Batman fan. You will not regret it.

As a huge Batman fan and regular comic book reader, I have to say Paul Dini's run on Detective Comics is really good. Great mixture of noir and mystery that's a staple of the Batman mythos. Hush's insane plan to replace Bruce Wayne was very terrifying and what he did to Catwoman is very disturbing to say the least. The story itself was very suspenseful and scary but there's a great payoff at the end. I love the artwork as well, particularly the scene where Batman meets with Gordon in the hospital among others. Suffice to say, Catwoman gets her revenge on Hush which gives new meaning to the idiom, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Overall, I recommend this story to any Batman or comic book fan. I'm looking forward to reading Dini's early stuff in Batman: Private Casebook before Batman: Detective (which I reviewed as well) which was also really good.

I think I like this better than the original Hush storyline. The art isn't as photorealistic, which is fine by me; I like heavier lines anyway. I like the action and I especially like how - even though Selina is a damsel in distress for a good chunk of the story, what with her heart being removed and all - she is the one to deal Hush the coup de grace and seriously impede his future ability to engage in villainy.What kind of bothers me is how Hush's knowledge of the batcave is basically ignored. Hush himself makes one comment about it - that, now that he knows where it is, he can come back at anytime - but we never see any precautions being taken to prevent this. Selina has made sure Hush is broke - that he doesn't even have two nickels for bus far, to paraphrase her message to him - but that won't prevent Hush from helping himself to the batclan's supplies without changing some security protocols and adding in more barriers than an antique grandfather clock. Maybe this is dealt with a later issue, but it is not referenced or pictured here, so that's a big lose end that he authors left dangling.Overall, though, I really, really like Heart of Hush. I like the story, I like the characterizations, and I like the art. This is a book that I would highly recommend to others.

I will admit my only complaint about Loeb's Hush story was Hush's motivation. Money? That's it? That's why he killed his parents? Heart of Hush takes care of that small complaint.In Heart of Hush, Dini takes you back and shows quite clearly the dysfunction and abuse that made Hush decide to cut those brakes and eventually what drove him to become Hush. It made him a much more believable villain in my mind.Dini also always seems to take small characters and flesh them out more. You see Peyton Riley who eventually becomes the next ventriloquist,adding still more tragedy to her past.I loved this story. Start to finish. What is a more sinister way to destroy your enemy than by cutting out the heart of the person he loves? I can't think of one. I am a sucker for the love between Batman and Catwoman because it shows there is more to Batman than his cold exterior, that he does in fact have one weakness, which we have witnessed time and time again between these two. This is an amazing story, but I expect nothing less from Paul Dini.Dini creates an epic scene where Bruce finally tells Selina how much he loves her, how much hes always loved her and how much he always will.You need to own this if you are a Batman fan, a Dini fan or just a sucker for Batman and Catwoman's love.

This manages to recapture much of the same noir thrill as the much lauded original, while maintaining a tighter, more intimate focus. Where the first Hush storyline was a world spanning mystery epic, this one is a gripping character study.

"Heart of Hush" is a good companion piece to the earlier graphic novel simplay called "Hush". "Hush" is a great graphic novel, but I always thought the origin of the character Hush was kind of underdeveloped. He blamed Bruce Wayne for something beyond his control. "Heart of Hush" elaborates on his origin more, and it tells why Hush has such hatred for Wayne and Batman.Hush is an interesting villain and his plans are so complex that I respect anyone that can wrtite a good Hush story. The only bad things about this novel are. 1) One surprise I saw coming, but it's still pretty good 2) The story is a little too out there 3) I was kind if diappointed in the way Hush was defeated.Despite those problems "Heart of Hush" is a good read and worth buying, but I reccommend you read Hush first so you'll know where the character got his start.

Paul Dini is a great writer - nice plot, catchy dialogue - and the art by Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs is spectacular - realistic enough to be believable, stylized enough to make it enjoyable, and dazzling colors that know how to enhance the story from moody shadows to vibrant lights. It collects Detective Comics 846-850; the plot follows up on Private Casebook (Detective Comics 840-845), and both should be read together. Both collections are self-contained, which is a welcome relief from the half-finished, confusing storylines of the Grant Morrison Batman RIP story arc.