Batman: Hush Money

{{DC Database:Storyline Template
 * Title                  = Hush Money
 * Image                  = Batman Streets of Gotham Hush Money.jpg
 * ImageText              =
 * OfficialName           = Hush Money
 * Aliases                =


 * Universe               = New Earth
 * Locations              = Gotham City


 * Heroes                 = Batman, Catwoman, Robin
 * Villains               = Black Mask, The Broker, Firefly, Great White Shark, Hush, Zsasz
 * Others                 = Abuse, Alfred Pennyworth, Commissioner Gordon, Creeper, Harley Quinn, Penguin, Tasmanian Devil, Tim Drake


 * Titles                 = Batman: Streets of Gotham
 * Collected              = Batman: Streets of Gotham: Hush Money
 * Creators               = Paul Dini; Dustin Nguyen
 * First                  = Detective Comics #852
 * Last                   = Batman: Streets of Gotham #4


 * Quotation              = The signal goes on and he shows up. That's the way it's been, that's the way it will be. Anything else about the man I couldn't tell you.
 * Speaker                = James Gordon
 * QuoteSource            = Batman: Streets of Gotham Vol 1 1


 * HistoryText            = Hush Money is a Batman storyline written by Paul Dini and illustrated by Dustin Nguyen. It follows their earlier work on the character Hush in Heart of Hush. Beginning as Faces of Evil tie-ins to the Last Rites event, it becomes the debut arc on Dini's Batman: Streets of Gotham series published as part of Batman: Reborn. In the aftermath of Battle for the Cowl and the disappearance of Bruce Wayne during Final Crisis, this event establishes the status quo in Gotham City with Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne as the new Batman and Robin. The other stories published simultaneously as part of Reborn include Batgirl Rising, Batman Reborn, The Deep, Elegy, The Grail, Long Shadows and Gotham City Sirens: Union. This is followed by Dini and Nguyen's next arc Leviathan.

Synopsis
Hush wanders the streets of Gotham City beaten and destitute before finally deciding to commit suicide on the same bridge where he killed his father. Instead he washes ashore and is recognized as Bruce Wayne with his surgically-changed face. Using this identity, he seduces a wealthy socialite and kills her at sea to steal her yacht. This allows him to travel the world as Bruce and he has a brief encounter with Tasmanian Devil in Australia. In Vietnam he attracts police attention and gets chased into the jungle, where he's captured by paramilitaries working for Catwoman. It's revealed that she's taken control of a poacher camp to destroy it from within, and she has him tortured by a rhino. Hush is allowed to escape into the jungle with Nightwing and Robin while Catwoman releases the animals. They take him to Wayne Tower and explain that he'll remain a prisoner in their well-protected cell until the real Bruce Wayne returns.

James Gordon has a run-in with Harley Quinn, who claims to have gone completely straight. A new vigilante named Abuse appears in Gotham hunting down men in the child sex trade. Robin begins playing chess with Hush so he can get a better insight into his character. Firefly begins to take advantage of his position as Black Mask's lieutenant by immolating people with incendiary microchips, Batman goes after him as he sets the city ablaze. Black Mask is furious that Firefly has disobeyed him, but Firefly reveals he's burned out his obedience chip and sets Mask on fire. Batman chases Firefly through the rooftops and takes him down, Zsasz takes down Robin to rescue Mask and gets promoted within their organization. Hush tricks Alfred into letting him escape, and publicly pledges as Bruce Wayne that he'll donate a billion dollars a month to Gotham relief efforts. Hush begins destroying the Wayne fortune by donating to charities so he can drain Batman's resources. Black Mask gives Zsasz a huge suitcase full of money at the Iceberg Lounge, with the intention of using his bloodlust for entertainment and profit. Grayson confronts Hush at the Elliot Estate and explains that he'll be followed around in public constantly by an agent of the Justice League or Outsiders, disguising themselves as board directors to inhibit his damages. Hush continues to be observed by the Creeper. The Broker does deals with several big Gotham villains such as Great White Shark before arriving at Zsasz, who is the only person that makes him feel dirty. It's revealed that Zsasz is kidnapping runaway children to slaughter them as gladiators in an abbatoir. Batman tries to beat the location out of him, but Broker refuses to break his own rules and accepts the beating.


 * Issues                 =
 * -- Faces of Evil, Last Rites
 * -- Faces of Evil, Last Rites
 * -- Batman: Reborn
 * -- Batman: Reborn
 * -- Batman: Reborn
 * -- Batman: Reborn


 * Vehicles               =
 * Items                  =
 * Weapons                =

}}
 * Notes                  =
 * Trivia                 =
 * RecommendedReading     =
 * Links                  =