Written by Paul Dini
Art by Dustin Nguyen; Derek Fridolfs; John Kalisz; Guy Major; John. J. Hill; Jared K. Fletcher; Steve Wands; Alex Ross; Andrew Robinson; & J.G. Jones
SUMMARY:
Released by DC Comics in 2011, this 144-page ‘Batman Reborn’ title reprints Detective Comics # 852; Batman # 685; and Batman: Streets of Gotham # 1-4 (all originally from 2009).
After a single-page introduction, first up is the Faces of Evil one-shot: “Hush: Resurrection.” Inadvertently rescued from attempted suicide, Dr. Tommy “Hush” Elliot realizes how he can now impersonate a missing Bruce Wayne. Perpetuating a worldwide scam, Elliot loots and kills his way from one mark to the next.
Eventually, Catwoman catches up to him in Vietnam. Their face-off continues in Catwoman’s own ‘Faces of Evil’ one-shot entitled “Catspaw.” Settling an old score with Hush, Selina Kyle ignites a nocturnal jungle firefight with a well-armed, Vietnamese poaching operation. The new Dynamic Duo is also hunting for an elusive Hush.
After pushing Harley Quinn to leave town, the new Batman & Robin must contain a Gotham inferno caused by the newly-enhanced arsonist-for-hire, Firefly. Aided by Alfred, Dick Grayson’s Batman takes his new flying Batmobile for a test run against a blazing onslaught. The arsonist’s destructive spree sets into motion Hush’s escape and subsequent public impersonation of Bruce Wayne.
Brazenly depleting the Wayne Family fortune, Hush’s deceptive antics force Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne to deploy their vast network of super-friends to contain him. Meanwhile, upon finding an ideal new hideout, serial killer Mr. Zsasz hires a crew to abduct homeless children for some sick game. His defenseless victims are held captive and herded inside portable cages. An underworld real estate agent may be Batman’s only chance to track down some of Gotham’s most elusive monsters, including Zsasz.
REVIEW:
Though well-illustrated by Dustin Nguyen’s distinctive style, writer Paul Dini’s gritty storyline isn’t a home run. It falls somewhere between a double and a triple. Possibly inspired by The Talented Mr. Ripley, the chilling opening salvo does a spot-on job narrating Hush’s psychotic rationalizations. His deceptive scheme seamlessly carries over to a well-played confrontation with Catwoman, Dick’s Batman, and Damian’s Robin. Seeing an undercover Dick & Damian resort to machine guns adds extra zip for a transition back to Gotham City.
While Dini’s Firefly-Hush-Zsasz storyline is mostly effective, there are unsettling images and inferences that are definitely inappropriate for kids. For instance, the script briefly shows victims of Firefly’s explosive carnage. At least, the final segment leaves Zsasz’s imminently horrific intentions to a reader’s imagination. More so, the bleak last page makes it clear that Batman’s possible failure means there won’t be happy endings in Gotham anytime soon. In that sense, Dini & Nguyen’s finely-honed teamwork makes Dick Grayson a far-less-omniscient and more plausible Dark Knight.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The superb covers by Robinson; Ross; Nguyen; and Jones (for the Batman: Streets of Gotham # 1 variant) are included.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
