One of DC’s most essential stories for the Batman character, Quietis finally getting a sequel 22 years after the original. The landmark storyline has started its run at DC’s flagship Batman. Comically, and in no time, readers were caught up in the mystery of publishing to publishing. When all was said and done, it was clear that fans had witnessed a modern classic, and one of Batman’s best comic book arcs of all time.
DC Comics held a “Jim Lee & Friends” panel at New York Comic-Con this past weekend, where a sequel to Batman: Shut up was announced. The announcement also comes with Lee’s artwork for Batman: Hash 2 (or, more specifically, Batman #158 by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee, currently scheduled for release March 2025), see below. There will also be a practice page Quiet 2 Introduction in Justice League Unlimited #1.
Apparently confirms that Chip Zdarsky’s Batman Run as head writer ends up with Batman #157, Batman #158 will feature the writer-artist duo behind the original Quiet Back to the franchise.
What a hash sequel means for Batman fans
The impact of the original justifies a sequel
Batman: Shut up Originally ran from October 2002 to September 2003 between Batman #608-618. The story centers around Batman being targeted by a mysterious, bandaged enemy who seems to know everything about the Dark Knight. It was eventually revealed to be Bruce Wayne’s childhood friend, Dr. Thomas Elliott. The storyline as a whole was critically acclaimed and has proven to influence current Batman storylines in notable ways. Most importantly, long before news of a sequel hit the press , DC has revisited Hush in one way or another over time.
For example, a brief tease that the then-dead Jason Todd might be Hush under the mask ended up inspiring the former Robin resurfacing in the canon shortly after as the Red Hood. The tease ends up being one of Red Hood’s most defining moments before he legitimately comes back from the dead. More recently, a female version of Hush named Shush debuted to torment Bruce and Damian Wayne. Meanwhile, the original Hush recently returned to DC canon in Catwoman’s ongoing series.
Our take on a Batman: Hash sequel
Revising Hush in a new way
Both readers and creators can’t stop talking about Hush to this day, more than two decades after that Batman Storyline first hit shelves. Revising the original story for an actual sequel allows creative teams to explore Hush – the character and story – in new ways, beyond just paying homage or inspirationAs DC Comics have recently done. Now, DC has a chance to explore Quiet In a way that recontextualizes the original Batman storyline, extending its legacy in the process.
Batman: Hash 2 is expected to arrive in March 2025 from DC Comics