Batman #617
Review by Everest
Story: or
Art:

Written by Jeph Loeb
Pencils by Jim Lee
Inks by Scott Williams
Colors by Alex Sinclair
Lettering by Richard Starkings

Published by DC.
Price: $2.25.
My verdict: Buy it now at your local comic shop or later on eBay

The Story So Far: Jeph Loeb has, if nothing else, certainly shaken up Batman’s world. If you haven’t been reading the "Hush" storyline, stop reading this review (as there will be a couple of spoilers in it) and go out and by the damn issues. Yes, the early issues will feel like some sort of Hey-Everyone-We’ve-Got-Jim-Lee-Drawing-Batman-Let’s-Make-Sure-He-Gets-To-Draw-Every-Character-In-The-Batman-Pantheon, but after a few issues, things settle into an actual story, and it’s worth reading.

That said, let’s proceed. Batman has been trying to figure out who has been setting him up for a mighty big fall. Piece by piece, he’s figuring out that it’s none of his usual suspects: not the Joker, not Two-Face, The Riddler, Ra’s-al-Ghul, Poison Ivy, Bane, The Penguin, none of them. None of these people is planning this; so far, they’ve all been used by someone else. These people are being used by someone who knows too well how to play the game, by someone who knows both Batman and Bruce Wayne too well. In this issue, he and his new compatriot, friend and lover--none other than Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, with whom he has entrusted all of his secrets, up to and including his secret identity--are trying to get to the bottom of this mystery.

It’s really hard to break down the plot of this story any further without giving away too much. Suffice to say that there’s a big catfight between Catwoman and The Huntress, who is acting under some sort of drug influence or hypnosis. Batman and Robin swing in to put a stop to it, and then...the unspeakable happens. The last page of the book. I’m not going to spoil it, but it’s either one of the coolest things to happen to comics in 14 years or it’s the worst thing to happen to them ever. I can’t decide.

The Writing: From the early issues of this storyline, the writing has improved quite a bit, but I just can’t make up my mind about this new development. I wasn’t sure where Loeb was going with this, but now that we’re there, I’m dumbfounded. I’m leaning towards "worst thing ever," but I’m just not sure. Read it and decide for yourself.

The Art: Jim Lee’s artwork is classic Jim Lee. That means, for the uninitiated, clear, crisp lines, power, and lots of detail, especially with Scott Williams inking over the pencils. This art team is incredible. Yes, the proportions are occasionally a little off and perspectives are occasionally a little distorting, but, overall, WOW.

You might as well save yourself some money and buy this book now, because, love it or hate it, curiosity will make you want to read this issue, and it’s only going to go through the roof on eBay since this is a guaranteed collector item.