Batman: Hush

Written by: Jeph Loeb
Penciled by: Jim Lee
Inked by: Scott Williams

Minor spoilers ahead...

Jeph Loeb's story is like a fanboy's wet dream. He includes just about every relevant character in Batman's world (even Huntress, ugh), and really plays to Jim Lee's strengths, giving him plenty of pretty lady's to draw, and lots of larger-than-life action. The primary antagonist, HUSH, is playing Batman's longtime enemies against him. Everyone, from Poison Ivy to The Scarecrow to The Riddler, gets in on the act. But it's not just the usual baddies Batman has to deal with. He even gets to throwdown with Superman again (and no matter how many times it happens, I always get a kick out of it, when it's done well). While HUSH throws Batman's life into chaos, Catwoman becomes even more of an ally, and Batman finally is forced to figure out exactly how much he trusts her. This romantic sub-plot plays out much better than I would've thought, and for the first time up to that point, I saw Selina Kyle as more than a sexy, leather-clad jewel thief. Anyway, it's not just the Batman/Catwoman show, as many of the longtime Bat-family get to shine, with appearances from Nightwing, Jim Gordon, Amanda Waller, and of course, Batman's go to hacker, Oracle. The ultimate reveal of HUSH's identity is neither shocking, nor satisfying, but once it's clear that there is yet another villain behind all of HUSH's machinations, things fall into place nicely. This one has everything you want in a Batman tale set in the larger DC Universe, dynamic action sequences, multiple villains and guest stars, shocking twists (Jason Todd? NOOOOO!), and a clever mystery for Bats to solve.