Slacking off here. Yes, I said slacking. Tons o'reviews!

Detective Comics #864
Written by David Hines (Co-feature by Greg Rucka)
Pencils by Jeremy Haun (Co-feature by Cully Hamner)
Inks by Jeremy Haun and John Lucas
Colors by David Baron (Co-feature by Dave McCaig_
Letters by Todd Klein (Co-feature by Jared K. Fletcher)
Published by DC Comics
Review by Lan Pitts

"I know you want the best for Gotham. You always have." - Batman

Over the past three years or so, Detective Comics has been my quintessential Bat-book. I find that it has had some of the best collaborations we've seen all decade. I fear a lot of people will be dropping this book, and sad to say I think I might be one of them. Where as Hines and Haun succeeded with Arkham Reborn, something here just fell sort flat.

After Dr. Jeremiah Arkham is revealed to the new Black Mask, he's sentenced to time in Arkham Asylum, where Batman can keep a watch on him. Where he can be monitored, and so forth, as well as give Batman information since Jeremiah has been diagnosed as a "genuine schizophrenic", which means there is some doubt he is indeed the new Black Mask. Consider Batman on the case.

Now this is where the book begins to fall apart. I wouldn't consider Jeremiah a schizo, as much as multiple personality, or something in that field. From there, we get a hint of Jeremiah's madness as he's confronted by his other inner-villains: No Face, the Mirror Man, and the Hamburger Lady. Enraged, by their visages, Jeremiah slashes them to pieces, but apparently they were real, and the cliffhanger confused me as much as the first time I watched "American Psycho". I understand it's a two-part arc, and my answers will (hopefully) be revealed in the following installment. The truth is,though, between the mediocre dialog and uninspiring art, I didn't care.

I believe Hines was trying to paint a sympathetic, yet malicious picture of Jeremiah (and there is one bit of okay dialog) but it comes off as trying too hard. I didn't feel his threat level, or believe Batman's intensity on getting answers.

Onward to the Greg Rucka, Cully Hamner and David McCaig Question and Huntress co-feature, in which the ladies take on Vandal Savage. Now at first you wouldn't suspect two urban-centric heroes to take on somebody like Savage, but Rucka has some clever moments and in doing so, the feature that is usually over-shadowed really gets to take centerstage. Hamner continues to do some of the best line work of his career, and McCaig does a great job making it look even better.

Now, the mentality of dumping a book because of Rucka making his exodus just on principle is, for a lack of a better word, silly. Though if you found Hines' style as lacking as I did, that's understandable.



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In Case You Missed It...

American Vampire #2
Written by Scott Snyder (co-feature by Stephen King)
Art by Rafael Albuquerque
Colors by Dave McCaig
Letters by Steve Wands
Published by Vertigo Comics
Review by Lan Pitts

"You, Pearl Jones, are a different kind of vampire." - Skinner Sweet

Talk about a series you can sink your teeth into. Yes, I started off with a cheesy pun. I've seen ads for a while and after a few recommendations, I checked it out. Glad I did. With the vampire craze at a fever pitch, I guess it was only a matter of time before we saw them back on our comic shelves. I honestly can't remember a vampire-themed comic I read since Crimson. Since it carried the Vertigo imprint, I wasn't sure on what to expect. Add to the fact I was not too familiar with Scott Snyder's work, save for Iron Man: Noir.


Now, I wasn't blown away by the concept, but more intrigued. Snyder has woven an interesting story about an inspiring actress named Pearl who is turned into a vampire and gets a bit of revenge in this issue. It's not glamorous. It's gutsy, it's gory, and with Raf Albuquerque, it's glorious. From Pearl's metamorphosis from human to vampire to the desert landscapes, everything seems in place and nothing is wasted. On top of that you, Dave McCaig does another stellar job, but doesn't take away from Albuquerque's work. You can feel the heat of the sun, and the cold of the morgue.

One of the best things I love about this book is that it's a double header. Yes, it has a co-feature, but unlike most of the DC co-features, the b-story is intertwined with the main story and acts as a prequel. It's also not everyday such a feature is written by one of the most prolific authors in the horror genre: Stephen King. King touched on the vampire lore with "Salem's Lot" decades ago, and it seems he hasn't lost his touch. Albuquerque and McCaig are on art duties on this one as well, and while the style is slightly different, it's just as good.

The dynamic of Pearl and her mentor of sorts, Skinner Sweet (who is the main star in the co-feature) is going to be fun and bloody, I can tell. So if you like your vampires with a little bit more balls and less sparkles, be sure to pick this up.

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X-Force #26
Written by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost
Penciled by Mike Choi
Colors by Sonia Oback
Lettered by VC's Cory Petit
Cover by Adi Granov
Published by Marvel Comics
Review by Lan Pitts

"I believe in you."

If you've been following the teasers Marvel has shown about Second Coming, you're aware that a death is on the horizon, and a major one at that. This is where it all happens. If you have NOT read this issue, consider this a warning shot, because things are about to get spoiled.

With mutant teams scattered over the country, you would think the book would seem scattered yet Kyle and Yost focus the issue mainly on Hope, Rogue and Nightcrawler trying to tackle a juiced-up Bastion to try to reach Utopia. Rightfully so, since one of those X-Men die, though if you've seen the teasers and just rationalized it all, you would know that all signs point to one person. Though, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Since this is usually considered Wolverine's team book, they play a minor part in the story, which I guess is to bring focus more on an X-Man's sacrifice and death. I love how Bastion is considered a real threat this time around. I do this his design is a bit overcomplicated, but not crossing the border as silly. The combination of Choi and Oback is one of my favorites in comicdom. I know some fans have a problem with photo-realism, but I think their style really captured the emotion of a story that is supposed to weigh heavy on a reader's heart. You have Cyclops looking speechless, Wolverine on the verge of tears and doesn't seem to believe the news of, wait for it, Nightcrawler's death. The issue feels light on dialog, but the art speaks for itself.

Kyle and Yost did what was promised, but I wish it was handled differently. Not the fact that he wouldn't have died, his death had a purpose and without vain. Just perhaps the panel direction and construction of it. It didn't feel as dramatic. I will say the imagery of Kurt with Bastion's arm sticking out of his chest is brutal, but Kurt was a man of God, and we know that he is in a much better place.

What will be the fallout from this? I can only imagine how the X-teams are feeling after losing a member that embodied their beliefs so well. Bastion received another upgrade at the end of the issue, so if you thought the slugout was brutal before, I'm sure we have another barn-burner on our hands.

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The Killer: Modus Vivendi #1 (Published by Archaia; Review by Lan Pitts): You know, this is my first experience with this character, but after reading this issue, I want to go back and try the rest out. Essentially, The Killer centers around a nameless assassin with a murky and mysterious past, whose crimes and sins are catching up with him. Some moments are intense, and reminiscent of television shows like "The Shield" and some parts even echo "The Departed", with it's gritty dialog and violence. Alex Nolent, aka Matz, has such a way of telling the story that you know everything the Killer is thinking. There is hardly any page, much less a panel, without some sort of dialog or narration. The layouts by Luc Jacamon are exquisite and reflect the serious tone of the story when it needs to be, and lets up ever so slightly when the mood changes. Yet the color selection isn't noir-ish at all and is more bright and warm, and really make the pages pop with such a bold presentation I wasn't expecting. Faithful fans of the series will want to give this a try, but readers looking for a certain edge to add to their pullbox, I strongly recommend this one.

The Best Books of 2009, what to watch for in 2010

It was difficult as a reader and a reviewer to narrow down three choices for my "best of..." list, but I really think these were the books that really shined this past year and hope to continue to in 2010

Bronze: Witchblade

Talk about a series that has seen some highs and lows in the past decade. Once thought of just something pre-pubescent boys can drool on, Ron Marz has really put a new stamp on this book as easily one of the best. Supernatural hero, meshed with elements of a cop drama, with a lead character who is the mother of an infant makes for a great read with solid stories. Now, in 2009, there was "War of the Witchblades", with both bearers of the fabled gauntlet try to kill one another, with one almost succeeding. While artist Stjepan Sejic really soared with the best of them on some of the more horror/mystical elements, he stumbled here and there more often than not with the more quiet moments. Even with that minor hiccup, Witchblade is excellent and events coming in 2010, makes this a book not to be missed.

Silver: "Elegy" arc in Detective Comics

I know, I know. I did a 'Tec arc last year for the Silver Medal, but this book has just had great teams, and this year it went from already amazing to just down right the best "Bat" book on the shelves. Greg Rucka is nothing short of a great story-teller, but add his words to J. H. Williams' avant-garde style that echoes something out of Steranko-land, you've got one hell of a book. While the story of a bat-themed hero going after a pale-skinned villain might seem familiar, but Rucka and Williams wove something unique and different and set the bar for other super-hero books. You have my sympathies if you've been missing out on this one.

Gold: The Unwritten

Please tell me you've at least heard of this book. Now, I know the common concern is that most Vertigo books are so heavy and dense that it makes it difficult to just pick up a random issue and follow along. I can understand that, and this book is no different. However, what Mike Carey and Peter Gross have done here is just incredible and my favorite book of the past year. Unwritten is just so...just by itself and creative, it's hard to fathom that a lot of people are ignoring this work of art. The story is deep and rich with literary allegories, and is just damn smart. Let's see, it's the story of Tom Taylor, whose father was a prolific and famous children's book author best known for his Tommy Taylor series (think Harry Potter). Tom's father goes missing and it turns out Tom may actually be the boy wizard from the book series. With a Harry Potter-like character, you might think this is kid-friendly, well that's not exactly the case, just so you don't go running out and buy this for a young reader. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Sandman of this generation and my pick for best book of 2009.

What to watch for in 2010: Moon Knight
Yeah, I know he's not the center of any universe or anything like that. There's not a ton of MK merchandise out there or no Saturday morning cartoon (do they still even make those?). However, I've been having a blast reading "Vengeance of the Moon Knight", and there's been a slow build on Spector's lunacy (pun intended) and it's only a matter of time before he does finally snap, but if that moment comes, can he be find redemption? The weird thing is that the title of the book has the word vengeance in it, yet he hasn't really taken revenge out on anything yet, it's mainly his rogue's gallery going after him. Also, I just love what Hurwitz and Opena are doing and I'm just captivated by each page. Sure, there are some heavy events for all major companies lined up for next year, but I think this character will catch you by surprise.

The End is Nine, er, Nigh for 09 #7

How freaking awesome Detective Comics has been.

I mean SERIOUSLY. I know that I really loved Detective Comics last year, but Greg Rucka and J. H. Williams III have just been great here. Taking out Batman in place of Batwoman as the lead character, with a Question b-story by Rucka and Cully Hamner, is just a one-two punch. It's engaging, interesting, beautiful and easily one of my favorite runs of comics ever.

Triple Feature Review: Detective Comics, Billy Batson and Spider-Woman

Detective Comics #857
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by J. H. Williams III and Cully Hamner
Colors by Dave Stewart and Dave McCaig
Published by DC Comics

Well the people over at 'Tec have done it again. While this arc ("Elegy") for the Batwoman ends, it raises several questions in the process, and the Question's arc continues on. This issue really defines Kate and gives her more definition rather than just a female Batman. Rucka has spun a great story here and how it ends is something I didn't see coming, though really should have since the cover is a huge hint and elbow nudge.

So basically, Alice alerts Kate that she has abducted her father and plans on releasing poisonous chemicals over Gotham. Now while the bat-eared hero versus the white-skinned villain distibuting chemicals over a major metropolitan city sounds familiar...it should. However, Williams and colorist Dave Stewart turn something we've seen a myriad of times, into pages that are out of left field and very inventive. One of the main fight scenes between Batwoman and her albino adversary, resembles that of a tarot card, but it is not as confusing at all. I always find myself taking longer to read this title because I just linger at the pages making sure I catch everything, and it sometimes is a lot to take in.

Now, on to the second feature of this issue: the Question still on the trail for the slave traffickers. Now I know that Cully Hamner is not J. H. Williams, and the best part is, he's not trying to be. I have to admit though, Hamner has really stepped up his game with this issue. With only eight pages of story there's only so much one can do, but Hamner, aided by new colorist for this feature, Dave McCaig (Adam Strange, Superman: Birthright) really delivers.

This issue of Detective Comics continues the tradition of solid story-telling and creative art styles that well and translates into something wonderful and difficult to put down.



Spider-Woman #1
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Alex Maleev
Letters by Cory Petit
Published by Marvel Comics

This book has been in the works for sometime now and it's finally here: Spider-Woman #1. The thing is though, the issue isn't really that action-oriented or heavy on the espionage. It reads more like a character study for Jessica Drew with the Bendis standard of way too many inner dialouge caption boxes which I got burnt out on rather quickly. There's some points in the book that you don't even need to read them, because Alex Maleev's artwork captures the turmoil Jessica is feeling with his wild colors and figure composition. I mean, she compares herself to Wolverine on their levels of being screwed up and you can see the anger and frustration in the panels. It's something to behold.

So what we have in this issue, is Jessica Drew being offered a position for SWORD by Abigail Brand for hunting down the remaining Skrull from "Secret Invasion", basically giving Jessica a chance at revenge. I really love Bendis' set up here, and I have to admit, I'm intrigued by the concept and curious about the next issue. My main complaint doesn't come from Bendis or Maleev (who is the selling point, in my opinion), but to Marvel itself. An extra dollar for only six extra pages? We really couldn't get a solid eight like they've been putting in Detective Comics or Streets of Gotham? Really?

I wasn't blown away by anything here, mainly because it was set up and flashbacks, but I'm not going to hold that against Bendis since I know this team up that produced some of my favorite Daredevil stories will deliver eventually. I just wish it wasn't so wordy. 



Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam #8
Since the team of Art Baltazar and Franco from Tiny Titans took over the book, I find myself making sure it's in my pull box each month. In this installment, Dr. Sivana is running rampant with his own iron giant that is feeding off the life force of Tawky Tawny and Captain Marvel indirectly frees King Kull. After some creative use of the Shazam lightning power and something we learned in Third Grade about creating a magnet, Cap and Mary Marvel take down the foes and free Tawny. Now if you've been missing out of what's been going on, there is a sort of "Previously on Billy Batson" introduction, so it makes it easy to pick up because you've heard the great things about this book, but can't seem to find earlier issues. Byron Vaughns' art style works well for this kid's title, but it's almost too simple that it makes me miss Mike Kunkel's more animated style. Despite that, the book is in great hands and wonderful for any young reader.

Detective Comics # 855

Detective Comics #855
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by J.H. Williams III and Cully Hamner
Colors by Dave Stewart and Laura Martin
Letters by Todd Klein and Jared K. Fletcher
Published by DC Comics

What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? Greg Rucka and J. H. Williams III have really brought a compelling book with a solid character and great story, accompanied by uncanny art that is not to be missed. Last issue, we had Batwoman (Kate Kane) firing a gun, which Batman would never use. Turns out, it's a pepper gas pellet and what follows is an action sequence that is so beautifully constructed, it's borderline absurd. After THAT is another double-page spread with no dialogue because the art tells the story so well.

Now Batwoman squares off with Alice, the new leader of the Religion of Crime. There's a quip about how Alice didn't get the memo about how Gotham already has a Carrol-themed rogue, though Alice is hardly the Mad Hatter. We know nothing about her (besides being one sick puppy) and I think Rucka may have created Batwoman's Joker equivalent. Now, Williams was pretty creative with panel construction and lay-out in the last issue, but in this one he cranks the meter up to 11. Batwoman gets drugged (by a poisoned razor blade that Alice hid in her mouth) and from there the pages just become so avant-garde, but not too muddled where it becomes confusing.

Meanwhile, Kate's father notices her bio-signs are deadly and goes looking for her. Luckily for Kate, he finds her just in time. Alice and her followers have found them and a gunfight ensues. Kate is still out of commission when Alice approaches her and her father. She doesn't finish them off, instead we see. . . monsters, almost something out of the old Universal movies. If there's one complaint, it's the fact I have to wait another few weeks for the next issue.

Of course right after the Batwoman adventure ends, the Question feature continues. The Question (Renee Montoya) is still looking for a missing girl and along the way thrashes some serious street trash. Now, Cully Hamner's style is a tad grounded from Williams. Though the way I see it, it complements the story. You don't need two artists with Williams' style, Hamner's is a solid break from Batwoman's story. It's only a few pages long, but Renee basically is getting her name out as the new face (or non-face?) of street justice. However, it doesn't end well and the issue ends on another cliffhanger.

I'm sorry to say, but if you're not picking up this book, you are seriously missing out.

Detective Comics # 854

Detective Comics # 854
Writer:Greg Rucka
Art: J.H. Williams III, Cully Hamner (second feature)
Colors: Dave Stewart, Laura Martin (second feature)
Letters: Todd Klein, Jared K. Fletcher (second feature)
Asst. Ed: Harvey Richards
Editor: Michael Siglain
Published by DC

To say this is the best Bat-book I've read in some time, is one hell of an understatement. It starts off pretty typical of a Bat-related title. Though, this time around it's not BatMAN interrogating thugs, but Batwoman, Kate Kane. Right off the bat (pardon the pun) we notice Williams' incredibly stellar art and interesting panel construction. The flow of the story reminds me of something Steranko might have pulled off in his heyday. Batwoman is trying to figure out the new leader for some covens and their religion of crime and during her investigation she runs into the new Batman. They talk shop and she actually corrects him on the number of covens in the city. It made me think she got that information because she was a woman and he couldn't have done that otherwise. Sort of empowering if you think about it.

Next morning, Kate stops for breakfast with a woman (I'm sure by now, you've heard that Kate is a lesbian) who is rather upset with her for being late, among other things. The woman leaves frustrated with Kate and accusing her of tomcatting around and whatnot. The woman also says she should have never gotten involved with some one "so privileged". I think Rucka did a great job of paralleling that with the life of Bruce Wayne. Later, we see Kate at her home. We see her, not just as a civilian, we see her as the real Kate Kane. The Kate who was nearly killed by the Crime Bible. Kate Kane who is trying to balance things between being Batwoman and alternative socialite. The dialogue is just fantastic and incredibly strong. By the end of the issue, it's really difficult for the reader to NOT like Kane. She's living with some sort of father figure, I'm not sure who he is, who acts as her sort of Oracle as well. He even mentions a "Bette". Hrm. Interesting since this could be something to do with my personal Batgirl theories.

I digress.

So, she finally hunts down the covens and in some pretty cool stylized pages too, I might add. One would think this book is called "Ass-Kicking Comics" as opposed to "Detective Comics" because of amount of vigilante justice being thrown around. Eventually, Batwoman is face-to-face with a woman called Alice, the new leader of the cult, and she is down-right creepy looking. Sort of like a Victorian noble and a porcelain doll and in addition has a peculiar vernacular. The story ends with Batwoman pulling out a gun and fires it! Now, I don't think it actually fires bullets, maybe some sort of pellets. Interesting to see somebody with a Bat-mantle using a gun. Love the cliffhanger angle.

Also featured in this book is a second story (entitled "Pipeline") starring the Question, Rene Montoya and I must say it's a nice compliment to Batwoman’s story. It seems we’re going to get less capes and cowls and more street-level style attitude. Cully Hamner (Black Lightning, Blue Beetle) and Laura Martin (Thor, Astonishing X-Men) may not be Williams and Stewart, but they’re deserving of a fair amount of praise for the same reason: the art is captivating yet gritty. This feature shows more of the "detective" side of the book's title. For the first few pages, it's dialogue heavy, but the remaining pages have hardly any words at all, it's mainly Question, as I mentioned earlier, doing some actual detective work and the art tells the story by itself. She's on the look out for a Mexican immigrant's sister who had crossed the border illegally and now has gone missing. Though finding her maybe harder than she had originally intended.

This book is easily worth the $3.99 price tag. My one complaint is that in the Batwoman story, she has an older man as her "Oracle", as is the same deal with the Question. It doesn't take me out of the story, I just would have thought Rucka would have been slightly more careful about not sounding repetitive with dealing with two different characters in the same book. Bottom line though, get it. No question about it. Sorry to end on a pun.

My Picks for Best of 2008

BRONZE: Marvel: 1985
In third place, I suggest 1985. Written by Mark Millar and art by Tommy Lee Edwards, 1985 tells the tale of a young boy named Toby, who one day starts seeing Marvel Comic characters, from the "Secret Wars" era. He uncovers a plot devised by Dr. Doom and Red Skull to take over his world, the real world, our universe. It's a thrilling story with a fairy tale-like ending. I thought the story was pretty cool and kid-friendly, the art though may not be for everybody.




SILVER: “Heart of Hush” arc of Detective Comics
In second place, the "Heart of Hush" arc in Detective Comics. Wow. Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen make a dynamite team on one of DC's flagship titles. Batman has never been more dynamic and a woman's revenge has never tasted sweeter. The sad thing is that this title was overshadowed by Batman's main "RIP" arc. Hush has always been a sort of bland villain, but Dini showed us what he is truly capable of and an origin story that seems it would have come out of Hitchcock.




Gold: Green Lantern
The best book of 2008, hands down, is Green Lantern. True, the title mainly consisted of telling Hal's New Earth origin in the "Secret Origin" arc, but it was needed to support the Blackest Night story coming out next year. As well, it was needed since Hal has not received one since Infinite Crisis. Geoff Johns talent is beyond superb. Not only did he show us how heroic Hal is, but how imperfect he is as well. He showed how Sinestro, one of comics' classic villains, was once the greatest of the Green Lanterns. Johns' words were aided amazingly by Ivan Reis, Oclar Albert and some of the best coloring in the business by the Major Brothers. Green Lantern is THE best super-hero book DC puts out right now and, in my opinion, the best ongoing series on the market. It's never late and always there for you to pick up and enjoy.

Heart of Hush conclusion: Detective Comics 850

Detective Comics #850
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Dustin Nguyen, Justin Fridolfs, and John Kalizs
Cover by Dustin Nguyen
Edited by Mike Marts
Published by DC
Review by Lan Pitts

"Heart of Hush" concludes in this anniversary double-sized issue, which I cannot suggest enough you go out and buy for yourself. Since the "R.I.P." event started, I've started reading only the main "R.I.P."-related stories from the main two Batman books: "Batman" and "Detective Comics". However, I slowly became less interested in the main story and became entranced by what the Dini/Nguyen team-up was bringing to the table. Dini's story is completely separate from Grant Morrison's, and luckily he managed to take one of the lamest villains in the history of Batman, Hush, and turned him into a formidable adversary for the Batman. Despite the odds, the "Heart of Hush" arc developed into a well thought-out chapter in the life of Bruce Wayne.

The action begins immediately and almost never stops. Even Alfred all have a skirmish with Hush before the issue is over, and one last flashback seals Dini's deal on just how demented Dr. Tommy Elliot really is. Dini then took what should have been an obvious story point for any past scribe who tinkered with the Hush character, and played upon the doctor drawn to evil element in Tommy Elliot's life. He's an accomplished surgeon and that should've been a major plot point when he first arrived in Gotham, or even when he was given a second go around. The double sized issue helped out with the story; the flashbacks, the final battle inside the Batcave, everything. Without it, it probably wouldn't be as better in terms of pacing and what Dini provided. In terms of Hush himself, what Dini did here was prove to us that Dr. Thomas Elliot was not a murderer at first, but someone who had reasons. How his mother treated him was enough for me to say "no wonder he hated his family, look at them". Obvious, Elliot's mother was spoiled and sees things right if under her rules and influence. And if Elliot doesn't do at least one or two things right, she does something horrible that wasn't needed like take away his money. No mother does that, and I found myself liking Hush and understanding him, but only from those flashbacks.

With the pencils by Nguyen, inks by Dustin Fridolfs, and colors by John Kalisz this art continues to be a winning combination. Nguyen's costumed heroes and villains have never looked cooler, nor have his women ever looked so beautiful. And, as always, he's equally adept at staging dynamic action and calmer moments both quiet and creepy. Kalisz brings a perfect palette of colors to the mix, and he knows when to let loose and when to hold back. Nothing seems out place, and as I mentioned Dini's pacing before, everything meshes well together. I loved the cameos by Dr. Mid-Nite, Mr. Terrific and Zatanna. Even though Bruce considers himself a lone ranger, he knows his limits and knows when he needs help.

When writing this review, I tried my best to remain spoiler-free. There's an endearing scene between Bruce and Selina near the end that will please all the hopeless romantics, while still playing entirely true to their relationship and where they both are at this specific point in their lives. It's just beautifully constructed. The ending is almost Shakespearean and the issue had several moments where I found myself either laughing or wanting to jump and down. It's that good. The double-sized format really assisted and gave the proper length for such a worthy conclusion. Also to add: the scene in the Batcave gave several nods to Bat-fans: the good-ole Batboat, "Whirly-Bat", and the Batmobiles from the '40s, Burton era, B:TAS, as well as the "Tumbler".

Heart of Hush ends with something worthy of Hollywood and a Greek drama, and with that, I give you an Aristotle quote that seems quite fitting to the Batman universe: "Great men are always of a nature originally melancholy."