HOT PRESS 3/26/25: Loeb & Lee's "H2SH, Chapter 1"
DC's Batman sequel brings the warm-n-fuzzies and absolutely nothing else.
Braving the gauntlet of tentpole events, off-the-radar releases, and a non-stop avalanche of movies, TV, comics, and other stuff that's bad for you is DoomRocket's HOT PRESS. This week: DC’s “H2SH” and some love for the late Norm Breyfogle.
I realize that as someone who earns a living writing online about my feelings on trivial matters, I’m obliged to take a swipe at the title of DC’s latest big swing at the mega-buck fences. Especially since they made the conscious choice to 1) not use a single brain cell’s worth of creativity in naming their sequel to “Hush” (could be worse; after all, this is the same group that approved Batman: The Long Halloween - The Last Halloween last year), and 2) to stylize “Hush 2” as “H2SH,” and then slap a crappy png of it on the cover as if the bluntness of their intent would collectively stun us into silence. (See below.) So, really quick: yes, the title stinks, “H2SH” spells “Htoosh,” these are stupid times not just for the comics industry but for the world.
And now, Batman #158, or “H2SH, Chapter 1.” I’m hesitant to dunk too much on it. The issue wasn’t very interesting, which isn’t much of a hot take. Despite the visible sweatiness of this sequel, any honest comics reader will admit that writer Jeph Loeb can spin an entertaining enough yarn if it’s spread out over enough issues to dull our senses or just short enough not to waste our time. Historically, the first part of any Loeb story sinks its hooks in the reader effectively enough, as we saw with Batman #608 in 2002 and The Long Halloween #1 in 1996. If I encountered a hook in Batman #158, it did not break skin.
I will say that if you, like me, have been reading comics for well north of 20 years, you will feel every day of the intervening two decades while reading Batman #158. Quite a lot of time has passed between 2002 and today, and in comic terms, that’s an eternity: continuity overhauls, an abundance of new characters, and paradigm-breaking story choices have been the status quo at DC for eons. If you skipped most, if not all, of the in-continuity Bat-books between Hushes, you’ll notice that Alfred Pennyworth is no longer in the Batcave (as he’s been dead since the Tom King run), Oracle has managed to become Batgirl again, and Batman had a kid with Talia al Ghul named Damian (and isn’t that ridiculous). While these developments factor into the issue and may even play a larger role in future chapters of “H2SH,” the time between these arcs feels like it has both blinked by and frozen in place. (Batman even puts a nostalgic yellow oval over his Bat-logo before the end of the issue; real flat-circle stuff.)
Regarding the villain — whom we can assume is either still former Bruce Wayne buddy Tommy Elliot or someone really into Tommy’s dork-ass gimmick of quoting Aristotle, providing unlicensed medical care, wrapping their face in bandages, and whispering — his main change so far is that he now has a henchman. This henchman is huge and has a roar that brings anyone within earshot to their knees. Loeb calls him “Silence.” I love how bad that is. Silence was the most exciting part of the issue for me. If DC has to do another “Hush,” please let the rest of it be as consciously idiotic as a big, loud henchman named “Silence.”
Unfortunately, everything about this enterprise so far suggests it will do little more than meticulously repurpose what came before, right down to Richard Starkings’ layout of the credits and chapter page. Stale warm-n-fuzzies from the supposedly revitalized “All-In” DC. The reason I’m inclined to give Loeb the benefit of the doubt at this dubious juncture is that, between this and The Last Halloween, he seems to recognize the rut he’s in — “Why repeat the old jokes?” Batman asks when the Joker once again poisons the Gotham City reservoir. That self-awareness may keep Loeb on his toes, compelling him to generate real surprises in future issues. Who knows? Maybe “H2SH” will turn out to be bolder and livelier than we’ve been led to believe, given how this issue is so committed to replaying the hits.
Probably not. Place Batman #158 next to Batman #608, and feel the passage of time more acutely. Superficially, you’ll notice that, despite the issue being more expensive than ever, the quality of paper stock that DC now uses is lousier (effectively turning Alex Sinclair’s colors into mud). You might observe the stiffness in Jim Lee’s pencils and the hollow echo in Loeb’s narration, which aims to recapture Batman’s noirish interior monologue from older, better comics. You’ll definitely notice the page showcasing all 17 variant covers available for purchase at participating comic shops, presented next to the issue’s non-cliffhanger that involves *checks watch* the Joker. They’re not promoting the second chapter of “H2SH;” they’re selling you the comic you just bought. “H2SH” is a sales driver. I hope DC achieves the numbers it’s aiming for. It would be embarrassing if something this cynical, loud, and empty ended up being a flop, too.
3 / 10
Batman #158 is in comic shops now. To find one near you, click this.
DC / $4.99
Written by Jeph Loeb.
Art by Jim Lee, Scott Williams, and Alex Sinclair.
Letters by Richard Starkings.
Jim Lee’s cover for Batman #158 left me visually malnourished, so for this week’s UC, I’m turning to an older Bat-cover that, while being a pin-up like Lee’s, still manages to incorporate a story element from the issue while being dynamic.
A great comic cover should convey a moment from the story contained inside. This only kind of does that. If you crack the issue, you’ll find it marks the first time Tim Drake patrolled Gotham City with Batman in his new Robin duds. Aside from that, nothing particularly remarkable occurs in the issue — no major revelations or game-changing character moments. Just an issue of Batman and Robin on patrol that lets the readers hang out with their favorite characters with no serious stakes gumming up the experience. The kind of superhero comic that simply doesn’t get made very often anymore, to my woe.
So Bat-artist Norm Breyfogle seized the opportunity to promote the issue by showing us what to expect inside: Batman and Robin together again for the first time. Simple. An easy lay-up that becomes a slam-dunk through its execution. He takes what is essentially a tribute cover to Fred Ray and Jerry Robinson’s Batman #9 and amps up the drama with that weirdo sensibility that makes Norm Breyfogle’s art so unique and unforgettable. (I doubt Breyfogle could have drawn static figures if he tried.) Here’s an issue that kicks off a new era in Batman comics with all the dynamism, energy, and mystery every great cover should possess. Pin-up or no, Breyfogle sells the comic.
Now, refer back to Lee’s cover above. An issue that launches a new arc for Batman, vomits a hideous array of logos to sell the event, and features a static image of the character that Lee has drawn a million times before. I won’t pretend that Lee isn’t a remarkable draftsman or a legend in his own right. But when I put these two issues of Batman side by side, both showcasing very different approaches to logo use and pin-uppery, I know which one I want to read first, and it ain’t the one with the superstar publisher on art duties.
That's all I got for this week. Read any good comics lately? See any movies? Drop your new favorites, recommendations, and questions (any at all!) in the comments or The Chat. Or, heck, just shoot me a line: jarrod@doomrocket.com.