Publisher's Weekly Review
By now, DC characters have become a kind of repertory company. The trick, for comics creators, is to find roles for them that both exploit their trustworthy familiarity and give them surprising things to do. Loeb (Batman: The Long Halloween) does his bit by supplying a rapidly unfolding plot in which caped crime fighter Batman battles Killer Croc and Poison Ivy. Simultaneously, he's pursuing and lusting after the lusciously amoral Catwoman, whom he teams with in a rousing (though improbably evenly matched) brawl with Superman. Other familiar characters make cameo appearances throughout. But Batman is actually following someone else's script; a mysterious, bandage-swathed observer is toying with him and the others. Readers can guess who this master manipulator is, but the real puzzle is what kind of game he's playing. Loeb is especially talented at underwriting, not crowding the page full of long explanations and snappy patter; after all, readers have known these characters for years. Penciler Lee and inker Williams also know not to overwhelm the action with fussy details: their large panels give plenty of room to let angular, sweeping lines collide in striking designs. It's beautiful stuff. Catwoman has rarely looked so seductive, nor has Batman's heroic but fearsome image often been used so well. This volume-a collection of the first five installments of a 12-part serial-doesn't achieve much emotional closure. Nor does it transform the characters, but that would be unlikely anyway. What it does do is make readers look at Batman and his colleagues with a fresh, enthusiastic eye. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
When writer Loeb and artist Lee were assigned to one of DC Comics' highest-profile titles, it resulted in the most acclaimed Batman stories since Frank Miller revitalized the character in the Dark Knight series nearly two decades ago. Both Loeb and Lee have large fan followings, Loeb for his thoughtful takes on iconic superheroes, and Lee for his flashy, dynamic artwork. This book collects the second half of their 12-issue run on Batman, picking up where volume 1 BKL Jl 03 left off. The story line is set in motion by a mysterious foe who is manipulating Batman's familiar villains, and that gives Loeb and Lee opportunity for distinctive versions, in this book, of Joker, Riddler, and Clayface as well as former villainess Catwoman, now embarked on a tentative romance with the Caped Crusader. For all the hype surrounding Hush, both volumes are built largely around the standard brawling by which, fairly or not, the superhero genre has long been characterized. Which is no deterrent to the wild popularity both volumes should enjoy. --Gordon Flagg Copyright 2004 Booklist
Library Journal Review
When DC announced that Loeb (Batman: The Long Halloween; Superman for All Seasons) and Lee (a founder of Image Comics, known for his work on Marvel's X-Men) would be teaming up on the regular monthly Batman comic, the resultant excitement among fans shot the book up to No. 1 in sales at U.S. comics shops. Now this volume collects Loeb and Lee's first five issues. Batman is critically injured after saving a kidnapping victim and needs the help of his allies, both to survive and to search for the villain behind the affair. Loeb's story is a cut below his other Batman work but makes good use of Batman's comrades, including the Huntress, Oracle, Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred, and Superman, plus a new character, Bruce's childhood friend Thomas Elliot. Most intriguingly of all, relations between Batman and a (semi-) reformed Catwoman heat up. Lee's pencils, inked by Scott Williams, are detailed, realistic, and dynamic; sexy women contrast with effective monochromatic flashbacks to Bruce Wayne's youth. The book also includes a previously unpublished two-page recounting of Batman's origin. Sure to be in demand, this book is recommended for all libraries, for teens and adults. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
