Batman: Hush is the fourteenth installment in the DC Animated Movie Universe. It was released on Digital July 20, 2019 and 4K Ultra HD, BLU-RAY, and DVD on August 6, 2019. Voice cast for the film was leaked on 2 January revealing it to be part of the universe.[1] While it’s the fourth Batman film in the DCAMU, the film isn’t a sequel to Batman: Bad Blood, but instead to Reign of the Supermen.
Synopsis[]
The mysterious villain known as Hush is determined to destroy both the crime-fighting career and personal life of Batman, which is already complicated by his relationship with Catwoman.
Plot[]
Bruce Wayne is attending an evening party where he meets Selina Kyle and his childhood friend and renowned brain surgeon Thomas Elliot, until he receives an alert from Alfred about a child kidnapping from Bane. After a brief fight, Batman is confronted by Lady Shiva who tells him an unknown intruder has used the Lazarus Pit and asks for his assistance in identifying them. Batman rescues the child but Catwoman steals the ransom money. As Batman swings through Gotham City in pursuit of her, a mysterious villain shoots his grapple line and he falls to the ground, fracturing his skull. He’s nearly killed by a group of nearby criminals until he’s saved by Catwoman and Batgirl. Catwoman delivers the ransom money to Poison Ivy, who’s controlling her through a hypnotic kiss.
Alfred summons Thomas to remove skull fragments from Bruce's brain. Batman recovers and pays a trip to Blackgate Prison to interrogate Bane on the whereabouts of the money. Bane eventually escapes, and Batman strikes a deal with Amanda Waller, who allows Bane's escape so Batman can track him. Bane leads Batman to Poison Ivy's now abandoned greenhouse where Catwoman is. Waller captures Bane and returns him to prison.
Catwoman, seeking retaliation for Ivy's manipulation, offers information on her whereabouts to Batman in exchange for a kiss and a tenuous romance blooms between them. Batman and Catwoman follow Poison Ivy to Metropolis. Batman visits Lex Luthor, now a probationary member of the Justice League, and asks for information on a delivery list of an ethylene compound to track down Ivy's location. There, they find Ivy has taken control of Superman and she commands the Man of Steel to kill Batman and Catwoman. Batman observes that Superman’s subconsciously resisting Ivy's influence, holding back on his attempts to kill both of them. Using knuckledusters made from Kryptonite, Batman stalls Superman while Catwoman lets Lois Lane fall from the Daily Planet building. Superman breaks free of Ivy's control to save Lois. Batman, Superman, and Catwoman work together to capture Ivy, who reveals that she was being manipulated by a mysterious foe called Hush.
Bruce goes on a date with Selina, who’s unaware of the former's identity as Batman, much to the encouragement of his family. The two, along with Thomas, attend an opera when Harley Quinn arrives and attempts to kill Bruce. In the ensuing struggle, Thomas is apparently shot dead by the Joker. An enraged Batman violently beats Joker who claims that he’s innocent, and he’s stopped short of killing him by James Gordon. Bruce attends Thomas' funeral and deduces Joker's innocence as well that Hush must know his secret identity.
After foiling a robbery by the Riddler, Batman chases after Hush but fails to catch him. Afraid for her safety, Batman asks Selina to leave Gotham so she doesn't fall victim to Hush, who vowed to murder everyone close to him. He eventually decides to trust Catwoman and reveals his identity to her, and the two become a romantic crime-fighting couple. Later, Batman investigates Thomas' office and discovers one of his patients was someone called Arthur Wynne who sought an operation for an inoperable brain tumor. Nightwing and Catwoman investigate a graveyard break-in and are attacked by the Scarecrow. Nightwing is overpowered by the fear toxin but Catwoman defeats Scarecrow and gets Nightwing to safety. However shortly after the Batmobile takes Nightwing back to the Batcave for medical treatment, she’s captured by Hush and taken to an abandoned steel works with the intent to kill her.
At Arkham Asylum, Batman interrogates Riddler who reveals that he’s been Arthur Wynne as well as Hush. He’d used a Lazarus Pit to cure himself of his brain tumor and during his time in the pit, he figured out Batman's identity as Bruce Wayne and formed a plan involving several villains to destroy both the personal life and the crime-fighting career of Batman. Batman deduces that Riddler is actually Clayface mimicking his identity while the latter communicated via satellite. After defeating Clayface, Batman finds Riddler's location and the two engage in a final confrontation during which Catwoman barely manages to escape her predicament and teams up with the Dark Knight to defeat the villain. Riddler is nearly killed in the process but is saved by Batman with his grapnel. However the steel works is on the verge of exploding with much of the machinery sustaining damage from Riddler's recklessness causing the systems to overload and, in a desperate effort to save Batman's life, Catwoman cuts the line and allows Riddler to fall to his death allowing the two to barely escape the facility as it explodes.
In the aftermath, Batman and Catwoman decide to go their separate ways after a fierce disagreement over Batman's ethical code. Both of them acknowledge that while their relationship can’t happen presently, it may someday.
Cast[]
- Jason O'Mara As Batman
- Jennifer Morrison as Catwoman
- Jerry O'Connell as Superman/Clark Kent
- Rebecca Romijn as Lois Lane
- Rainn Wilson as Lex Luthor
- Sean Maher as Nightwing/Dick Grayson
- Stuart Allan as Damian Wayne
- Peyton R. List as Batgirl
- James Garrett as Alfred Pennyworth
- Bruce Thomas as Police Commissioner James Gordon
- Maury Sterling as Thomas Elliot
- Vanessa Williams as Amanda Waller
- Geoffrey Arend as Edward Nygma/Riddler/Hush
- Jason Spisak as Joker
- Peyton List as Poison Ivy
- Sachie Alesisio as Lady Shiva
- Adam Gifford as Bane and Clayface
- Hynden Walch as Harley Quinn
- Chris Cox as Scarecrow
Videos/Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- This is the Joker's, Riddler's, Hush's, Poison Ivy's, and Catwoman's first full appearances.
- Batman changes his costume in the film to match the suit used in the graphic novel. Making this the 4th DC Hero of the DCAMU to receive a new suit also after Nightwing in Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, Superman in Reign of the Supermen, and Nightwing also was shown with a new costume in this film from the previous one we saw in his last appearance in Teen Titans: The Judas Contract
- In the graphic novel Barbara Gordon was Oracle and Huntress was an ally to Batman while Killer Croc was an unwilling tool in the story. However in this movie Barbara Gordon is Batgirl while Huntress is absent from the movie, and Killer Croc is replaced with Bane.
- Despite having a positive reception by critics, the movie received polarizing reviews by public audiences and fans. After quick analysis, Batman: Hush became the second least favorite movie in the DCAMU, after Justice League: Throne of Atlantis.
- Lex Luthor is a probationary member of the Justice League as a result of Reign of the Supermen.
- A running gag in the film is all of Bruce's family and friends tease him about his relationship with Selina.
- Batman reveals that he know the existence of Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad, which slightly surprises her.
- Peyton List previously portrayed Poison Ivy on Gotham.
- Riddler using a Lazarus Pit to cure his tumour is taken directly from the comics where after using it he also learns Batman's true identity. However, Batman blackmails Riddle to keeping his secret or he will inform Ra's Al Ghul that he used one of his pits.