The DC Animation adaptation of Hush by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee is a solid piece of work and attempts to walk a balancing act between the established canon of the animated films, and the comics. There are also a lot of layers at work throughout the course of the film, something that doesn’t happen in all of the stories and films.

Batman/Bruce Wayne (Jason O’Mara) finds himself at a new crossroads, one that hints at a promise of something better, when he and Catwoman/Selina Kyle (Jennifer Morrison) finally cross that line and begin a relationship.

But will his own code get in the way? And will that very code threaten his continued existence as Batman?

There’s a new threat in town someone known only as Hush, and he is manipulating the people and events around Batman which brings Bats face to face with a number of members of his Rogues’ Gallery.

As Batman and Selina continue their relationship, fighting side by side, Bruce begins to realize that his relationship with Selina, as good for him as it is, is also a complete antithesis to who he is as Batman. He’s got a chance here to step away from all of it, to be a happy man, but it also means that he would have to let go of being Batman, and Gotham needs Batman.

But in the end, it’s not he that will make the decision that will save his identity, because he can’t violate his code, and that choice may cost him the happiness he’s found.

While I’m not the biggest fan of the animation style at work in this film, it’s almost a little too slick and doesn’t have the dirty edge you would expect Gotham to have. I do like the outfit they have Batman in for this story, I like the Batmobile that looks like a descendant of the Batman series of films launched by the 1989 film.

I like that the story is expansive enough that it sweeps out enough to include Superman (Jerry O’Connell), Lois (Rebecca Romijn) and Luthor (Rainn Wilson), and that Dick Grayson is by Bat’s side as Nightwing (Sean Maher). It’s an expansive story, which is why I feel that the climax and reveal feel like a bit of a letdown.

I remember reading Hush and loving the story, and when the identity of Hush was revealed I think I was disappointed with it then as well, so much so that I blocked it from my memory until it happened again in the film.

Still, I enjoyed everything else vocal performances and narrative for this entry in the DC animated films. I’m gonna dig into the other big adaptation next week, with part one of The Long Halloween.