Never have I read such an emotionally satisfying Batman tale. 
 As much as I loved The Dark Knight Returns (and what sixteen year old comic book geek in 1986 didn't?), there is something inaccessible about Frank Miller's Batman that always pushed me two paces to the side. Jeph Loeb's Batman, though, is a different guy. 
 Well, he's the same guy, but Batman Hush invites us into Batman/Bruce in a way I've never experienced. I can't pin down exactly why, but there are a few possibilities. First, he's physically and emotionally vulnerable in ways I didn't expect. He doesn't just take a beating; he comes as close to death as he's ever come, and it weakens him for every fight he faces for the rest of the comic. He doesn't just care about people around him, he actually falls in love, opens himself to love and embraces the love that was always and already there. The invulnerable Batman and "Teflon" Bruce actually come together with a little bit of humanity, and this time around he actually listens to his allies and takes advice. Wow! Second, it could be that, for the first time since the Dark Knight era of Batman dawned, I've read a story arc that put Batman's need for vengeance at the end of the queue. It still appears, particularly in Batman's umpteenth beating of the Joker, but it doesn't dominate the man, which means it doesn't dominate the story. Third, and maybe most importantly, Batman Hush finally finds a balance between the Dark Knight and the World's Greatest Detective. The two incarnations become one. Sure the mystery is a bit clunky, but Loeb really tries to deliver suspense, offering clues and red herrings like all good mystery writers should, and the cracks in the mystery are mercifully papered over by Jim Lee's stunning pencils. Which leads to number four -- the art. Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Lois Lane, Huntress, Oracle, they're all sexy as hell. Nightwing, Robin, Superman, Batman, they all look the part of heroes. Joker, Clayface, Killer Croc, Scarecrow, R'as Al Ghul, Two-Face, Riddler, they all have their menace and madness intact. The flashbacks are beautiful, the action is often in motion, literally, the depth of the landscape and even the rain of Gotham is tangible. It is truly a luscious visual experience, and it perfectly captures all of the things Loeb wanted his Batman/Bruce to be. 
 Batman Hush hit every emotional chord in me, and I loved being played. Even Batman's mindfuck victory over the mastermind of the Hush conspiracy was what I wanted it to be. And then Selina Kyle walked away. So perfect. 
 Now, I admit that there are thematically superior Batman tales (most of Miller's work and Alan Moore's unparalleled The Killing Joke come to mind), but Batman Hush is know slouch, and it did everything else very right. For the first time in a long time I could actually see myself choosing a DC title over a Marvel -- that's gotta be worth five stars.