Batman: Eternal #26 Review

How will Hush’s New 52 origin measure up against the original? Read on to find out.

The official description from DC Comics:

Martial law is imposed on Gotham City! Learn the secret history of one of Batman’s most dangerous foes as he takes center stage!

Batman: Eternal has seen Hush emerge as the primary villain, with everything up till now being his master plan. It’s natural then to get a New 52 origin for Hush during this, and that’s exactly what we get here. Now up till now I’ve been pretty open minded when it comes to change, feeling everything has potential. This however isn’t the case with Hush, as though his origin isn’t completely changed, the small aspect that is is done so in a way that ruins his whole meaning, turning him from a power hungry psychopath into a bit of a creep.

James Tynion IV once again handles the script for this issue, also joining Scott Snyder in working on the story, and being joined by Ray Fawkes, Kyle Higgins and Tim Seeley as consulting writers. Though the change in origin itself really bugged me, the actual plot development interested me. Yes I was upset that the Bat-Family reunion was next to non-existent, but the way in which Bruce told Hush’s backstory allowed a sense of transition, with the flow being very engaging.

R.M. Guera also handles the art once more, being joined by Juan Ferreyra who works on the flashbacks. Though I still feel Guera’s art isn’t best suited for the Dark Knight, the general layout of his work gives a very dramatic tone to the events. Ferreyra’s flashback art on the other hand really impressed, as though Tommy looked like the guy from Mad Magazine, the use of colours really helped convey the fact that it was a flashback.

Batman: Eternal #25 does a terrible job of changing Hush’s backstory, taking his jealousy and twisting it into something obsessive and creepy. Despite this there were some interesting developments that have me intrigued for the next issue. Nevertheless I can’t recommend this issue on its own.