Quite likely the best Batman novel I've read to date. HUSH was fantastic, start to finish, weaving a new antagonist into the Batman universe so smoothly it's incredible to think the titular villain hasn't been around since the early days, alongside the Joker and the rest of the familiar foils. In doing so, the creative team behind the novel also provide a wonderful overview of the "Bat family", from Huntress through to Oracle, even touching on the relationship Bruce has with other superheroes (one Boy Scout in particular) within the DC Universe. The result should be an incredibly broad, confusing mess but actually comes together perfectly; you definitely need a little bit of a primer going in as to who people are and rough relationships to the titular hero, but if you have even the most basic level of knowledge of the pre-New 52 universe then HUSH is an extremely accessible entry point into the deeper ideals and plot threads that were ongoing at the time.

More than simply being a meta-analysis though, HUSH is the turning point in several of the characters relationships. It plays off past failures wonderfully, finally putting to bed certain plot threads that may have been a little "up in the air" from previous big events, all without feeling the least bit like fan service. Similarly successful is the whole relationship subplot with Catwoman, which is spot on. A love interest that has been a previous enemy could have overloaded the entire story (too many cooks and all that) but instead becomes central to the plot, without ever feeling forced for either character; particularly masterful is its conclusion, neatly leaving questions open for the next creative team to play with, without leaving readers jilted. The deftness with which the team handle all these myriad characters is truly remarkable, in fact, with each one feeling unique and the plot never truly feeling rushed. Huntress does feel like there may be something else going on off-page, potentially in another comic run, but otherwise the story is paced wonderfully, which is a real rarity amongst graphic novels I find (indeed, a lot of Marvel's work could have learnt a lot from HUSH in how pacing should go!).

Plus, it would be heinous of me not to point out that the artwork is stunning throughout, the scripting is practically flawless and the colouring, quite simply, blew me away. HUSH has to be one of the best coloured graphic novels I've ever come across, with some incredibly clever use of colour washing panels and using digital techniques to really bring out highlights and darken shadows without looking over-contrasted. Just superb.