I had read the story in the two separate trades before, so much of my comments back then apply to this compilation as well. However, I do want to comment on the larger format of this "Absolute" edition. It is much larger, so if you like to be able to really appreciate the art, and it is very good art in this series, then this is a good volume for you. It is much better in terms of readability as well. The volume features some additional material after the story including a gallery of covers and annotations. If you like extras like that, you will probably appreciate this edition. Basically, this is a good edition for fans who really want to have this story, and it is a good story. Loeb really delivers a good story where the real villain is the person one least expects. ( )

This is my second read of this story, the first in the oversize "Absolute" format.

Hush involves a mystery villain who is manipulating Batman's foes, allies, and even the man himself for... well, that's where it gets fuzzy. It seems like the author had a list of characters and set pieces he wanted to use, and then set about writing a story just so he could fit them all in. I'm still not sure why a lot of things (anything?) happened in the story. I couldn't figure out why the villain wanted to antagonize Batman at all. This new character would have better left as part of the supporting cast and his partner, a classic rogue, used as the sole mastermind. But the events in the story still would have seemed pretty contrived.

Why 3 stars? Loeb knows how to write drama and keep the pages turning. It isn't until you reach the end that you find it doesn't come together in a satisfying way. Jim Lee's art is pretty nice, though I still think he uses too many lines, and I prefer a more waifish Poison Ivy.

The Absolute edition includes supplements such as alternate cover art, preliminary sketches, and annotations in the back. ( )

Probably one of the greatest Batman stories of all time. Even the artwork was amazing. This story included many classic Batman villains and allies and at least one new character. ( )

I've always heard amazing things about Hush, the story arc that ran in Batman issues #608 to #619. In all honesty, I found it a bit disappointing.

As is the case with almost every "major" Batman arc, the storyline twists and turns to find its way to a scene with pretty much every villain in the Batman canon. I find Batman works best when he has one or two adversaries, and the dynamic between Batman and his enemies becomes thematically central to the book. The "parade-of-cameos" style is grating, and in this case its particularly heinous. In fact, the book is so blatant in its cameo style approach, that one can simply guess who the big baddie is behind the mystery by simply noticing which Batman villain hasn't shown up yet.

The story isn't particularly interesting either. It starts with Killer Croc kidnapping someone, and Batman defeats him. Then there's a bunch of crap about how this isn't "his style" and how there must be someone who put him up to it. Batman follows questionable clues from character to character, each time determining that Gotham's criminals aren't smart enough to pull off their crimes, and therefore someone else is behind it. There are a number of twists and turns through the story, but every time there's a big reveal, it later turns out that it was Clayface mimicking that person all along, the Batman Universe equivalent of It Was All A Dream. Eventually Batman is led to the person behind it all, where we're treated to 10 pages of dialogue trying to explain how the utterly convoluted plot was able to take place, and then the arc concludes.

Overall, pretty lackluster stuff. Decent art and all, but the writing was just forgettable. Batman's narration boxes annoyed me, with him INCESSANTLY talking about how he and Catwoman are now romantic and how that's a distraction for him. The two get closer and closer over the course of the book, even to the point of Batman getting into an argument with Robin about revealing his identity to Catwoman (don't worry, the argument Was All A Trick). Batman explains he trusts Catwoman so it's alright, but then at the very end Catwoman uses a WORD that makes Batman lose his fucking shit and decide he doesn't trust her after all, in an instant. So, so dumb.

The book is basically enjoyable, and in fact I was going to give it three stars, but as I was thinking about it to write this review I realized how incredibly dumb this storyline is and how poorly written it is. I enjoyed reading it, but now that I think about it, I'm almost kind of embarrassed for having such low standards. In the end, nothing of consequence happens in the entire book - every twist and reveal turns out to be Some Kind of Trick, and the only characters who die are ones who are introduced in the book itself. Thus, the entire story can be skipped without any impact whatsoever, which I suppose is what I recommend doing with it. ( )

An above average comic book story packaged in an above average package. With Lee's artwork presented at a larger size, you get to see more of what you want to see. ( )