Gotham City is a busy place, with a lot going down each and every week. In this monthly column, Joshua Lapin-Bertone helps you stay on top of it all by letting you know what you should be paying attention to within the Bat-Family…and why.
 

SPOILER ALERT: The following column includes spoilers from this week’s Batman #158. We suggest reading it only after you’ve read the comic.

Tommy Elliot is striking at Batman from a distance, manipulating the Dark Knight and his enemies. What is Hush’s game, and what does it mean for Batman?

In 2002 Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee teamed up to create Hush, a twelve-issue saga that shook up Batman’s world. Hush served as a perfect introduction to the world of Gotham, showcasing the Dark Knight, his allies and his enemies. At the same time, the storyline also took Batman in a bold new direction, introducing a new enemy, setting up a new status quo for Riddler, and finally putting Batman and Catwoman together.

Now the original gang is back together for a sequel. In addition to Hush, writer Jeph Loeb is behind classics like Batman: The Long Halloween (which also recently got a new sequel). He’s one of the most celebrated Batman writers of all time, so it’s exciting to have him back for a new story. Since the publication of Hush, Jim Lee’s career has grown—and then some! The legendary artist is now President, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC, which means it’s become quite rare to see him penciling a monthly comic book. The fact that he’s back for H2SH is a very big deal.

To top it off, inker Scott Williams and colorist Alex Sinclair are both returning, and even original letterer Richard Starkings is back for the new series. In other words, H2SH couldn’t have more authenticity. It’s a true sequel in every way.

Opening Batman #158, I felt like I was back in 2002. The dialogue, the pacing, the inking and the panel layouts felt like they came from two decades ago. I half expected to see a DC in Demand promo page at the end, a staple of that era. That’s not to say that the book feels dated. Loeb and Lee have crafted a fusion of modern storytelling with nostalgia.

In a way, that seems to tie-in with Hush’s current plan. It’s too early to tell what Tommy Elliot is up to, but he seems to be sending Batman a message by referencing events from the past. For example, H2SH begins with the Joker trying to poison Gotham’s reservoir, recreating one of his earliest encounters with the Dark Knight. This symbolism isn’t lost on Batman, who struggles to make sense of why the Joker is pulling from the past.

However, there’s another scene with Batman and the Joker this issue that really grabbed my attention and got the gears turning in my brain. Batman tracks his longtime nemesis back to his lair, where he finds the Clown Prince badly wounded and on the verge of death. An audio message tells Batman that he could let the Joker die. It wouldn’t even be by Batman’s hands. He could just walk away and never have to worry about the Joker again.

To make matters more tempting, nearby video monitors display images of some of the worst things the Joker has done. We’re reminded of how he tortured Jim and Barbara Gordon during The Killing Joke and killed Jason Todd in Death in the Family.

I don’t know if this is intentional or not, but this scene mirrors Batman #614, a chapter from the first Hush storyline. During that comic, Hush manipulates Batman into almost killing the Joker. In his rage, the Dark Knight was reminded of many of the heinous crimes the Joker had committed and nearly winds up beating him to death.

Is this a coincidence? Is my brain seeing a pattern where none was intended? Don’t forget, the beginning of the issue makes it clear that Hush is alluding to events from Batman’s past.

While we won’t know for certain until our next issue, it doesn’t seem like Batman is going to allow the Joker to die. I have to imagine that Hush realizes this, and leaving the Joker there was less about tempting Batman and more about sending a message. I’m going to put my theory hat on and guess what it is.

In Hush’s eyes, by allowing the Joker to live, when he would have otherwise died from his wounds, Batman is now responsible for every act the Clown Prince of Crime commits going forward. This is Tommy’s way of saying that some people aren’t worth saving. Sound familiar?

I think it’s meant to be a parallel to Thomas Wayne saving Tommy’s mother after her near fatal car accident. As we know, Tommy engineered the car accident, and he never forgave the Wayne family for ruining his plan. Maybe this incident with the Joker is Hush’s way of trying to get Batman to truly understand what his motivation has been this whole time.

To be clear, this is all guesswork and speculation, as Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee haven’t let me in on any of their grand plans. However, the guesswork is part of the fun. If you were around in 2002, then you would remember all the theories that populated message boards and comic shop discussions as each chapter of the first Hush was published. I’m glad to see that the same energy is back for the sequel.

The Joker almost died, Batman is being psychologically challenged, and we’re only one chapter in. H2SH is going to be a bumpy ride, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
 

Batman #158 by Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee, Scott Williams and Alex Sinclair is now available in print and as a digital comic book.

Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.