Batman #685

Overall- This issue continues the story from Detective Comics #852. So, Catwoman has captured Hush(who has had his face cosmetically altered to look like Bruce Wayne), and has been abusing him for his role in removing her heart from her body during the Batman R.I.P. storyline. After Catwoman has had her fun, she tells Hush that she is going to allow him to escape because she is more interested in breaking up an animal poaching ring in Vietnam.

Catwoman has two armed guards arrive to escort the beaten Hush to a waiting boat, where Hush watches Catwoman , who destroyed the poaching operation, fly away in a helicopter. Upon arriving on the boat, the two guards reveal themselves as Nightwing and Robin. Bad news for Hush to say the least. Hush weighs his alternatives, try to escape and be hunted down by the poachers Catwoman pissed off, try to swim away in the river, which with his open wounds would cause disease and death, or attempt to fight off Robin and Nightwing in his weakened condition. Hush decides on the latter strategy and is soundly defeated.

After waking up, Hush finds himself locked in a super high tech prison cell at the top of Wayne Tower. Nightwing explains that they can't have Hush locked up in a conventional prison, due to the fact that he looks like Bruce, so until they figure out what to do with him, he's stuck there. Hush confidently tells Nightwing and Robin he'll eventually escape, and the current and former Boy Wonder's tell him it would be near impossible to escape this prison. Hush lays back as the comic ends, already plotting his next move, which is to convince Nightwing and Robin that he is reforming and counting on his likeness to Bruce to one day get Nightwing or Robin to drop their guard, for just that one moment he'll need to make good his escape.

I've stated before, that out of all of Batman's foes, Hush is one of my favorites. I enjoy reading about a villain who is as cold and calculating as Hush. Every move he makes is well planned, and then thoughtfully executed. Plus, he isn't a raving madman like most of Batman's rogues gallery, which is a welcome change. Overall, this comic was OK, I probably won't remember it a few months from now, but it told a good story. For a score, I'll go with a 7 out of 10.