Maybe if I was exposed to Nguyen’s art before ‘Heart of Hush’, my critique of the art wouldnt have been so harsh.

That’s the idea that was in my head while I was reading yet another fabulous trade collection of Paul Dini. I can stress this again and again, but: Paul Dini is the best Batman writer PERIOD. He just gets Batman, and I dont know how he was gifted with this talent for one hero and his universe, but he is just that good. Some really great stories in this trade and what makes it so great is how you can read these and not get confused. I’ve stress you need to read all of Morrison’s run in order to get the gist of RIP. Well here you can pick up basically any trade (this is the forth trade of Detective Comics with Dini’s name on it I believe) and jump right into it. Whether it’s a cat and mouse game with Mad Hatter; the origin of the new Ventrilogist, or just simple moments with other villains and friends; everything just works here. It’s amazing how Dini can make even the lamest villain work; especially Mad Hatter.

As I stated in the beginning, I wished I knew about Nguyen before the Hush storyline. Before I started picking up that story arc, I was way behind on Dini’s run for Detective. So now knowning Dustin was on this beforehand, it makes me appreciate the art of his much more. His pencils are just beautiful, and his models are just top notch (especially Zatanna). There arent any weird head designs (like his Scarecrow) or awkward lines on some faces or bodies, although there are some weird background characters. Nguyen’s backgrounds….Just the best in the business, too hard to explain but you need to see this trade to believe Dustin Nguyen does the best background designs.

So go pick up this trade for obvious reasons: A) Paul Dini is teh best. B) Great mysteries and use of D level villains and C) (the most surprising) Dustin Nguyen’s art is just plain gorgeous. If people are still complaining about Morrison and his storytelling; then this is the Batman book you have been trying to look for.