I have been sitting on this post for quite a while and rescheduled it multiple times.
Writing - 4/10
Storyline - 4/10
Art - 8.4/10
Color - 7/10
Cover Art - 9/10
DELAYED: Batman #162 and #163 were delayed months and are now releasing on October 15th and October 29th, respectively. It'd be bad enough if this wasn't delaying the heavily-advertised “H2SH” storyline, but the final chapters of this Batman volume will release after DC relaunches the main Batman title in September.
https://comicbookroundup.com/comic-books/reviews/dc-comics/batman-(2016)/161
As for the next issue, #162 in the new series is scheduled for release on November 12, 2025.
But then that's been pushed back multiple times already.
When we left off issue #160, Hush had gotten the drop on Damian and now paranoid with the way Hush has turned allies to adversaries, Batman actually wondered if Hush had gotten to his own SON!
Batman #161 review
Within Batman comics there are a number of topics that get brought up pretty frequently as a way of questioning the character’s core premise. I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of them before, if not in comics themselves then in countless fan arguments. “Why doesn’t Batman kill the Joker?”, “Does Batman work better alone?”, etc. They’re the sort of questions that are especially popular from the outside because the real answer often relies on the realities of the superhero genre. The thing about this sort of discourse is that if you’ve read even a moderate amount of comics, you’re probably sick to death of them. They’re never going to be fully addressed, and yet writers can’t help themselves from revisiting them again and again.
That’s why this comic is so frustrating to read. The story is meant to ultimately build up to a civil war within the Bat Family, (which alone is something we’ve seen far too often recently) and needs to come up with justifications for why these allies would suddenly be fighting. As is often the case when this plot is used, there are no good justifications, so what we get are contrivances based on those sorts of tired question. The story is all but forced to simply go down the list, one by one, and explain why each member would feel the need to fight Batman.
First up on that list is Damian. Last issue left off on a couple of big cliffhangers, the first of which is the attack by Hush and his henchman Silence. Hush threatens a scalpel to Damian’s neck, mirroring what Hush/Jason/Clayface did to Tim in the first Batman: Hush story. What this is meant to do is make Batman believe that Damian (and by extension his other allies) are too much of a liability to keep around. Except they clearly aren’t. Pretty much every member of the Bat Family has had to go through the “prove themselves to Batman” phase followed by an extensive solo career, so having him question their abilities just feels like tedious regression. These aren’t civilians caught in the crossfire; they are an obvious asset. In fact, Damian takes care of Hush all on his own with a bird version of the bat sonar lure from Batman: Year One.
Batman’s paranoid tone seems to imply that the growing distrust between him and Damian is all part of Hush’s master plan. For the story to work, the reader needs to buy into the idea that he’s this supreme genius that can manipulate everyone else like pawns on a chessboard. In fact, that chess motif is behind the naming convention for the individual issues. This would all work better if it seemed like Hush knew how to play chess. I’m by no means Garry Kasparov, but I know enough that the metaphors Hush keeps making about things like en passant and castling don’t actually make any sense.
This would be an incredibly petty and minor thing to criticize about the story, except that it’s emblematic of the fact that throughout the whole thing Hush comes off as a pretentious pseudointellectual. Nothing he does convinces that he’s smarter than everyone else except that everyone else is acting incredibly dumb. I’ll fully eat my words if by the end of this it turns out to be masterfully laid plan, but as of now it’s just scene after scene of Hush talking about how smart he is, and then Batman talking about how smart Hush is. Most of the time this is conveyed through overwritten, purple prose like how Hush’s plan is “more and more like a Russian nesting doll wrapped inside an enigma”.
The other cliffhanger was the fact that Damian brought Bane along with him to help rescue Batman. This was a shock because it raised so many questions. How could Damian be working with the man who killed Alfred? How did he get him out of prison? Now that he’s out, what role will he serve? In my last review I said I was eager to know how the story would answer these. Well let me save you the time: “he just needed someone to help punch the bad guys”, “he just did”, and “nothing, he just gets put right back”. I’m honestly surprised at how much of an anticlimax this subplot ended up being. Why even include Bane in the story? Was seeing him punch Silence for a couple panels that important?
Part of what makes this scene fall apart is the way Lee draws it. The hows of Batman avoiding gunfire is always a bit of a dance by artists because in any “realistic” scenario, he would have been shot by now. Because this is a superhero comic, genre convention means that you just need to give enough plausible deniability via implied stealth and misdirection for the reader to suspend their disbelief. This does not do that. Jason charges at Joker who fires wildly, missing every shot. In fact, the misses are so wildly off target that you almost get the impression that it’s on purpose (but if so, then why?) Moreover, Dick somehow tackles Jason away from Joker despite being behind him. Jim Lee’s pencils are very pretty to look at, but the first goal of art in a comic is to convey the story, and this fails at that.
Finally we get to the last Bat Family member on the list and see what has turned Barbara against Batman. Theoretically this should be the easiest one, as of all his allies Barbara is the one Bruce has kept most at arm’s length (after maybe Steph). Unfortunately, this is where we dip into the “why hasn’t Batman killed the Joker?” discourse. I won’t disagree that, of anyone short of maybe Jason, Barbara has the most reason to want him dead, but also just like Jason, we’ve already done this. Not only is the question pointless from a meta perspective where we know the Joker will never die, but comics have already addressed the fallout from The Killing Joke and Sarah Essen’s death numerous times. To have it suddenly be an enormous issue where they come to blows because of the nonsensical way Batman saved the Joker last issue feels contrived and out of character for everyone involved. It’s that sentiment which really just summarizes the whole story.
Recommended If
- You just need any justification to see the Bat Family fight
- Hush is like, super smart you guys
- You love old drama revisited
Overall
If the first Hush story was a showcase to introduce all the characters in Gotham to new readers, H2SH is shaping up to be an demonstration of why you should hate them. It dredges up old drama settled decades ago coupled with nonsensical character behavior in order to manufacture a reason why they would all turn against one another. All of this in service of a plot where the Bat Family once again fights in a sort of civil war, but this time it’s all being orchestrated by Hush, who we know is a genius mastermind because they keep telling us so.
Score: 2.5/10
Batman #161, by DC Comics on 7/23/25, sets up huge stakes across Gotham’s rooftops but keeps tripping over its own cape when it comes to how these iconic characters act.
First Impressions
I opened this comic hoping for clever twists and memorable character moments, but was met instead with a jumbled game of chess where the pieces keep breaking their own rules. Instead of clever maneuvers, I got nonsensical character choices that left the whole story teetering.
Recap
In Batman #160, focuses on Hush bringing Jason Todd into his plan to stave off a deteriorating brain injury, while Damian Wayne enlists unexpected help. Batman reviews security footage revealing Hush's manipulation of Jason to prevent him from killing the Joker, who is crucial to Hush's scheme. Elsewhere, Jim Gordon receives an exploding tablet with a taunting message about Batman saving the Joker, and the Riddler warns Nightwing and Batgirl about confronting Jason alone. The narrative features various confrontations, including Batman battling a new villain named Armori created by Hush, Jason fighting Nightwing, and Damian arriving with Bane to assist Batman, only for Hush to take Damian hostage at the issue's climax.
Plot Analysis
The issue opens in the aftermath of Hush’s latest masterstroke. Robin is captured, and Batman offers himself as a trade, only to be mocked by Hush, who reveals he knows more about the fates of Jason and Nightwing than he’s letting on. Batman and Robin escape with a little help from a colony of "birds" and Damian’s own improvements on his father’s old tricks. Meanwhile, Damian confesses to breaking Bane out of Blackgate - a debt owed, apparently, for past help - which sets Bane loose in Gotham once again.
Elsewhere, Jason Todd and Nightwing confront the Joker at gunpoint in the Gotham Lighthouse. The Joker, ever the twisted showman, taunts them, firing wild shots and driving a wedge between the heroes. Surprisingly, the fight goes so badly that Jason and Nightwing end up fleeing, overwhelmed and thoroughly outplayed, leaving the Joker in control of the situation, mocking them all the way.
Back in Gotham, Barbara Gordon checks on her wounded father, Commissioner Gordon, after the Joker’s violent attack. The emotional core of the issue lies here: Barbara struggles with the aftermath, guilt, and frustration at Batman’s decisions, even as her father pleads for restraint and justice. Their conversation is cut short when Batgirl confronts Batman atop a Gotham rooftop, blaming him for her father’s plight and immediately flaring into a physical fight.
As Batman tries to explain, Batgirl throws him into a chimney, matching her anger with upgraded tech and martial prowess. Just as Batman recovers, he’s surrounded by Huntress, Nightwing, Catwoman, and Robin: each ready to challenge his decisions and actions.
Story
For a book that wants to play chess with Gotham’s fate, Batman #161 keeps knocking its own pieces off the board. The central plot tries to be a clever web of mind games and double-crosses from Hush but relies on way too many coincidences and abrupt character shifts. The big set pieces - a Joker standoff, Batgirl’s rooftop attack, Bane’s reckless release - should feel explosive, but the whiplash in character decision-making fizzles the drama. Instead of tension, I got confusion. Jason Todd and Nightwing straight-up running from the Joker is less “Dark Knight Returns” and more “Keystone Cops.” Batgirl’s snap decision to physically attack Batman after years of working together is jarring. The issue wants to be an emotionally-driven showdown but doesn’t put in the work to make these payoffs believable.
Art
The pencils by Jim Lee are sharp, with clear action beats and strong emotional close-ups. Alex Sinclair’s colors give Gotham that essential moody haze, especially during the lighthouse confrontation. The fight choreography has energy, but it’s held back by odd character body language. Panel layouts are solid, propelling the reading experience at a swift clip, but background details can feel undercooked, sometimes relying on repeated silhouettes rather than fleshed-out environments. Still, when the story moves to the rooftops or the gloom of Gotham’s alleyways, the visual atmosphere works overtime to sell the stakes, even if the plot can’t quite keep up.
Characters
Here lies the issue’s biggest Bat-problem. Batman bending to Hush’s manipulations is par for the course, but his sudden willingness to trade himself for Robin feels more histrionic than heroic. Damian breaking Bane out for emotional reasons is a narrative convenience that flies in the face of his tactical upbringing. Jason Todd and Nightwing’s retreat from a gun-toting Joker stretches disbelief way past snapping. Most egregious is Batgirl’s instant hostility: she not only attacks Batman outright but does so in a way that betrays years of earned trust and teamwork; an action completely at odds with her post-Oracle persona. These characters don’t just make questionable decisions; they actively betray the personalities that made them compelling.
Positives
The art style gives the book a cinematic flair, drawing out the moody, electric feel that’s essential to Gotham. The lighthouse firefight, despite the character oddities, is visually memorable. When the script pauses to let Barbara and her father talk, the emotional stakes are palpable, grounding the issue in the real consequences of all this chaos. Some linework, especially in grimacing closeups or shadow-draped action, offers a real sense of urgency.
Negatives
The plotting hurls logic out the Batmobile window. Character decisions feel driven by the demands of the twisty plot, not organic development. Batman one-punching Bane? Jason and Dick running from Joker? Batgirl smashing Batman into a chimney on sight? Each of these moments breaks immersion and character continuity, replacing believable tension with forced spectacle. Hush’s big “blow up a building” move is pure comic book coincidence, stripping his threat of any cunning. The book wants emotional fireworks but delivers head-scratching moments instead.
Final Thoughts
5.5/10
The central plot twist of Batman #161 introduces an unexpected and somewhat baffling alliance: Damian Wayne (Robin) and Bane team up to rescue Batman from Hush. While this is an interesting team-up, given Bane’s recent history with Alfred, it’s a real head-scratcher. Why is Bane working with Robin? The comic doesn’t really offer enough emotional groundwork to justify this sudden partnership, making it feel contrived. However, the interaction between Batman, Robin, and Bane does provide a moment of unexpected humor, with Batman’s formal “I was not speaking to you” adding a touch of much-needed levity.
Hush’s grand scheme continues to revolve around manipulating the Bat-Family into internal conflict, often using chess pieces to represent his strategic machinations. However, the mystery surrounding Hush’s overall plan remains unclear, leaving readers with more questions than answers.
A significant portion of the issue focuses on the strained relationships within the Bat-Family. There’s a confrontation between Batgirl and Batman regarding his continued saving of the Joker, a recurring point of contention that further strains their dynamic. The dialogue here, and throughout the issue, can feel a bit stilted, especially Batman’s overly formal speech.
We also see a touching scene between Batgirl and Jim Gordon. It’s always been an unspoken understanding that Jim knows Barbara is Batgirl but chooses to remain oblivious, and this moment resonates with genuine father-daughter emotion.
Things get a bit more convoluted when Batgirl saves Batman, only to attack him for allowing Joker to hurt her father. While their fisticuffs might seem like a waste of panel space over a misunderstanding, it leads to a great character development moment for Bruce as he confesses his admiration for her. It does feel like a long time coming, as many in Batman’s circle disagree with his repeated decision to let Joker live.
Batman #161 certainly delivers on its visual promise thanks to Jim Lee’s consistently strong artistry. However, Jeph Loeb’s narrative feels a bit lacking in depth compared to recent Batman comic showings. The repetitive plotlines, questionable character decisions (especially with Damian and Bane), and underdeveloped mystery surrounding Hush ultimately hinder the story. While the action is solid and the art is fantastic, the narrative’s reliance on familiar conflicts without offering a fresh perspective leaves something to be desired.
‘Batman’ #161 Review: A Visual Feast with Narrative Fumbles
Batman #161 certainly delivers on its visual promise thanks to Jim Lee’s consistently strong artistry. However, Jeph Loeb’s narrative feels a bit lacking in depth compared to recent Batman comic showings. The repetitive plotlines, questionable character decisions (especially with Damian and Bane), and underdeveloped mystery surrounding Hush ultimately hinder the story. While the action is solid and the art is fantastic, the narrative’s reliance on familiar conflicts without offering a fresh perspective leaves something to be desired.
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