'Batman: Hush' Is a Solid DCAMU Adaptation of an Acclaimed Comic Book Story Arc

The 13^th installment (14^th, if we count 2013’s Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox as the first installment instead of Justice League: War) of the DC Animated Movie Universe series is an adaptation of the comic book story arc “Hush.”  The film pits Batman against a mysterious new villain named Hush, who appears to be aware of Batman’s secrets, allowing him to be a step ahead of the World’s Greatest Detective.  The Dark Knight also has to deal with several notable members of his rogue gallery – Bane (performing the role that Killer Croc played in the comics), Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Joker, Scarecrow, Riddler, and Clayface – whom Hush has manipulated into carrying out his schemes.  Meanwhile, the film also explores the love triangle between Batman, Catwoman, and Bruce Wayne as well as Bruce Wayne’s friendship with the renowned brain surgeon Thomas Elliot.

Batman: Hush is a pretty solid adaptation.  It gives justice to its source material, which is widely regarded as one of the best Batman storylines ever.  It condenses the plot into its runtime without turning it into a sloppy and rushed translation.  It’s well-paced and well-scripted.

Props to Ernie Altbacker (screenplay) and Justin Copeland (director).  At the hands of lesser filmmakers, this could have been a mess.

Batman: Hush is essentially faithful to its source material, but it also does some things differently with the story, which may surprise those who have read the comics and thought they already know everything that’s going to happen.  In fact, there’s an argument to be made that these changes are actually more logical for the story – or, at the very least, are more fitting developments in the context of a movie narrative.

Furthermore, being a DCAMU movie and all, it smoothly connects itself to the DCAMU movie that precedes it, Reign of the Supermen.  Actually, the way it does so is as if it’s basically saying, “Hey, I just want to remind everyone that I’m part of the DCAMU, and I want to make it clear that I’m set after Reign of the Supermen.  Remember Reign of the Superman?  Remember this thing that happened there?  Don’t forget about it.  It’s going to be relevant in the next DCAMU Justice League movie.  Anyway, I just want to remind you in case you forget.”   It could have easily been annoying, but it’s somehow executed without losing momentum.  On the contrary, it comes off as a satisfyingly organic, worldbulding-enriching touch.

In the end, I don’t think Batman: Hush is better than Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Justice League vs. the Fatal Five – the last two DC animated movies of 2019 that were released before it.  But as one of the better DCAMU films so far, it’s easily better than Reign of the Superman, the first DC animated film of the year and its DCAMU predecessor.