Polite Dissent

As anyone reading my last post can surmise, I was not a big fan of the Hush storyline in Batman. It was overwrought, underdrawn, and padded in terms of both characters and storyline. Sure, Jim Lee can draw. But remember when he used to draw action instead of pin-ups? Remember when characters were added to the story to add substance, not to give the artist another character to draw (and DC Direct another statue to sell)? Sigh.

Still, I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when Jeph Loeb was pitching the story to Paul Levitz, President of DC…

Jeph: Paul. I’ve got this great idea for a new Batman villain…Hush!
Paul (whispering): What’s his name?
Jeph: Hush!
Paul (still whispering): I’m being as quiet as I can!
Jeph: No, Hush is his name!
Paul: Oh. What are his powers?
Jeph: He’s a neurosurgeon!
Paul: A neurosurgeon?
Jeph: He’s the best damned neurosurgeon in the whole world!
Paul: Oh. Who is he?
Jeph: I’m going to introduce Bruce Wayne’s best friend from childhood in the first issue. That’s who Hush will be! I’ll fool everyone!
Paul: So you’re going to fool everyone by having him be the obvious choice?
Jeph: Exactly!
Paul: Oh. And what sort of costume will he have?
Jeph: It’s brilliant in its simplicity and originality: He’ll wear a trench coat and have bandages around his head!
Paul: So Batman’s new villain will look like the Unknown Soldier.
Jeph: And I’ll have Two-Face seek redemption by getting plastic surgery!
Paul: Didn’t Frank Miller already do that in Dark Knight Returns?
Jeph: No, he copied me.
Paul: What?
Jeph: You see, Dark Knight Returns is set in the future, and therefore will happen after my story. Thus, Miller copied me!
Paul: I don’t think that-
Jeph: And I’ll have Catwoman, Superman, and Krypto. And there’ll be Poison Ivy, Harlequin, the Joker, Clayface, Huntress, and Killer Croc! I’m even thinking about bringing back Signalman! And Benedict Arnold!
Paul: Jeph, how are you going to get people to buy this alleged “masterpiece.”
Jeph: I’ll have Jim Lee do the art.
Paul: Well, OK then. Sounds good.