Batman #162: Anyone Home?

After months of delays, Batman #162 has finally hit shelves with little fanfare—and rightfully so. This issue is nothing more than a battle royale without stakes, thematic direction, or any storytelling merit to justify picking it up over any other Batman book out right now. I wish there were more to say or criticize about this issue, or the “Hush 2” storyline as a whole, in a way that felt constructively meaningful. But there isn’t. The story has flatlined thematically, and all that’s left is noise.

So instead, let’s talk about the one saving grace: the glory of Jim Lee’s art, which has somehow grown more vibrant with each passing issue of this schlock fest. There are some genuinely interesting framing choices here that, in the hands of a better story, could have been iconic. Batman and Catwoman crashing through the stained glass of a church should have been a major emotional beat for two characters who were once nearly married. Instead, because there’s no thought or care behind the writing, it’s nothing more than a pretty picture with no soul behind its shining eyes.

That about sums up not just this issue, but the entire run. It feels as tired of trying as I am of reviewing it, and cares as little about itself as it does for recent continuity. Batman is written like a psychopath, the Batfamily continues to act without reason, and nothing seems to matter except giving Jim Lee endless time to illustrate the most banal mainline arc since the early days of the Comics Code Authority.