Paul Dini is just another word for 'fun', at least that's how I see it. Dini has been writing Batman for so long, it's shocking to see just how little step he has lost going from animation to comics. With this 'Heart of Hush' storyline going into the sunset, I wonder just how successful this arc really was. My doubts early on was that Dini did an okay job with Hush, but didnt make him a worthwhile character. Plus it didnt help that Nguyen's art was all over the place issue after issue. But now with the anniversary issue I can say without hyperbole: This is the most fun I've had with a Bat title in years.

Right from the start Dini gives us a great mini fight scene with Alfred and goes into how Bruce got out of his predictament. From there it's just a huge chase and fight scene that ends in a huge Batcave. Hush to me, is now a soild villain and can easily be considered a respectiable rouge for Batman. His intelligence and pomousness makes him arrogant, but he's got the brawn to take you down. Although the backstory of him turning into the evil genius has been mixed at best, Dini does a great job with the final act of his flashbacks in this issue. But more often the fight scenes got me in this. It was exciting reading every page and the references to the Batequipment was funny.

'Bruce, you bastard! This is magnificent! A computer the size of a billboard! A car for every mood swing! And in the river...Jet boats, a submarine, a bathysphere and...good god, is that a whale?!'

Overall the fight was brilliant and Hush quipping Bruce at every second was entertaining. Having a villain just essentially be jealous sounds lame, but Dini handles Hush's emotional problems perfectly. Plus let's not forget Dini's take on Catwoman, next to Catwoman's own title (now cancelled) it's some of the best you'll read from her. Her conversations with Zatanna and her revenge on Hush is a cherry on top of a great sundae.

Finally theres the art and again, I have been wish washy on this whole Nguyen guy. Although the big problem of lines where they shouldnt be still prosists, it can be otherwise ignored here. His layouts are just amazing and that huge panel with the Batcave is just gorgeous. He might be the best in the industry when it comes to backgrounds, they just simply look amazing. Nguyen's angles of the fight scenes are great too and that sequence on the Bat-copter is really great. Overall it is a 100% improvement on when I first started on this arc. Hopefully Nguyen can keep this type of quality up for his next arc on Detective.

This isnt an RIP tie-in and Hush is the main villain. Five issues ago I would've said that and be pissed off. But Dini and Nguyen has done something here that is what I want in a Bat title: Fun. Dont get me wrong, I love Morrison's work on Batman, but it is nice to have two sides of the entertainment coin for Batman. If you want an action packed mystery filled with twists and turns, this is where you can get your fixed. Let's just hope and pray that Paul Dini will never, ever leave the Bat Universe.

Easily my Pick of the Week.