Streets of Gotham: Hush Money is another installment in the Batman Reborn series (or should I call it a “universe”?), and another in which Tommy Elliott, the villain Hush and Bruce Wayne’s good friend and bitter enemy, plays a large role.
After killing Selina Kyle, also known as “Catwoman,” in what was really a strike at Batman, Tommy Elliott makes the mistake of confronting Batman on his home ground. He winds up in the river and is fished out, closer to dead than alive, by a pair of boatmen, one of whom, fortunately for Elliott, knows CPR. They recognize him as Bruce Wayne. (As background, previous to the beginning of this installment, Elliott has had plastic surgery and is now a dead ringer for Wayne.) Being not only quick on his feet but completely amoral, Elliott cons them out of enough money to get himself cleaned up and, after a couple of casual murders, avails himself of enough cash to head for Australia and then Vietnam — both destinations in which Wayne has extensive holdings. Things start to go sour in Vietnam, where there are questions raised about his identity. He flees into the jungle, only to fall into the clutches of Catwoman, who has set herself up as the head of a smuggling operation dealing in endangered species, with the aim of destroying it. (Yes, she’s still alive — you’re not allowed to kill off major characters in these series — and is not really feeling very friendly toward Elliott.) Catwoman, however, is on to him, and turns him over to the new Batman and Robin — Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne. Elliott winds up under lock and key at Wayne Tower, but manages to make his escape by fooling Alfred into thinking he is one of the victims of the Firefly, who is responsible for the latest chaos in the new, crime-ridden Gotham. He goes public and starts giving away the Wayne billions to boost Gotham’s economy.
This is a “Part I,” so there’s no real climax. Nor is the story the hodge-podge it might seem from the description above. Although cobbled together from several original publications, it does hang together quite well — Paul Dini’s script is fairly tight, and no more blatant than one would expect from a superhero comic. Characterizations are not really very subtle, but there are some nice touches, and you really have to admire, in a way, Elliott’s complete lack of scruples. It’s sort of a counterbalance to the heavy introspection of the mainline Batman.
Dustin Nguyen’s pencils and Derek Fridolfs’ inks work together very well — the graphics are engaging, sometimes juicy, but maintain a spare quality that I found very appealing. The story is not buried under irrelevant detail. It’s a good, strong visual presentation that does a lot to support the narrative, marked by layouts that are a little more adventurous than the usual action/adventure comic.
The Batman Reborn series is shaping up to be worth following, although it’s been a little uneven so far. Streets of Gotham: Hush Money is a good addition, thanks to a strong script and visuals.
(DC Comics, 2011) Incorporates Detective Comics #852, Batman> #685, and Batman: Streets of Gotham #1-4.
