Warning! Spoilers ahead for Batman #160!The latest to the classic "Hush" saga is currently playing out in the pages of Batman, and now that it's a quarter of the way through, things are shaping up badly for Bruce Wayne’s closest allies.
“Hush 2” comes, in part, from Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee, who also crafted the original “Hush” storyline. Not too long after the sequel’s storyline kicked off, the duo all the Robins in his sights. But with everything the Robins have been through, is another death story what they need?
DC Comics Has Brought Hush Back to Kill a Robin (or Two)
Do Fans Really Need to Retread The Deaths of the Robins?
"Hush 2" by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee began in Batman #158 and when the run was only two issues in, the two took to DC's YouTube channel to discuss the storyline. They talked about the inspiration behind the story as well as hinting as to what fans could expect from the story. When the subject of Batman being a father to numerous Robins came up, Loeb teased fans, saying “We’re going to have to fix that.”, implying they were planning to kill off at least one of Batman’s closest allies.
Now it looks like the two weren’t joking around as Batman #160 by Loeb, Lee, and Scott Williams really amped up the story. Batman reviews the security footage of Red Hood and Hush and begins to hunt for Thomas Elliot. Meanwhile, Nightwing heads off to search for Jason Todd and finds him at a lighthouse, where Red Hood has brought Joker’s unconscious body. At the same time, Batman breaks into Wayne Med Tower, believing Hush is using it as part of his grander plans.
...the Joker is, in fact, conscious and draws a gun on Nightwing and Red Hood.
Dick and Jason exchange words before fighting, only to stop when they realize the Joker is, in fact, conscious and draws a gun on Nightwing and Red Hood. At the same time, Batman fights several of Hush’s underlings before Damian Wayne comes to his father’s assistance (with Bane in tow). While the allies manage to put a stop to Hush’s goons, Elliot sneaks up behind Damian and puts a scalpel to his throat. Hush tells Batman that Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin are all in jeopardy and that no matter what Batman does, all three Robins will die.
Death Has Come for All the Robins, So Please, Don't Retread This
The Robins Deserve to Be More Than Canon Fodder
Every Robin has had a brush with death. Jason was infamously killed in "Death of the Family", Dick's heart was stopped cold in Forever Evil, and Damian died in Batman's arms in Batman Inc. While each one of their deaths was temporary (some more than others), DC has already gotten as much out as it can of threatening the Robins with death. Assuming that Loeb isn’t kidding with these teases and that he and Lee actually intend to kill off a Robin or two, DC Comics is making a huge mistake.
... Jason, Dick, and Damian have all survived death before, so what would be different this time?
Comic book deaths are cheap enough without killing a character twice. Fans have already seen this kind of thing play out before, and it’s only going to be a hollow experience. After all, Jason, Dick, and Damian have all survived death before, so what would be different this time? Of course, this could all just be a misdirection (which would be appropriate given the theme of manipulation in “Hush 2”). But the idea that DC Comics could actually be considering killing one of Batman’s allies is already tiring enough, so hopefully, that’s not going to be the case.
Batman #160 is available now from DC Comics.
Source: YouTube
- Created By
- Bob Kane, Bill Finger
- First Appearance
- Detective Comics
- Alias
- Bruce Wayne
- Alliance
- Justice League, Outsiders, Batman Family
- Race
- Human
- Franchise
- D.C.
