Batman: Hush 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.5

Batman: Hush 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

NOTE: All screenshots on this page are taken from the included Blu-ray disc, with the final image containing a potential spoiler. For an additional 20 1080p images, please refer to my separate Blu-ray review.

Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment continue their hit-or-miss series of Batman comic book adaptations with Hush, a re-telling of the immensely well-received 2002-03 twelve-issue arc by Jeph Loeb (story), Jim Lee (pencils), Scott Williams (inks), and Alex Sinclair (colors). The print version is a dense and layered tale with a staggering number of established DC characters -- Batman, of course, but also Superman, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, The Joker, Harley Quinn, Nightwing, The Riddler, Ra's al Ghul, multiple Robins, Clayface, and more -- as well as one major new one: the title character "Hush", a hyper-intelligent master of disguise who is somehow behind a rash of violent crimes in which the Rogues' Gallery villains seem to be acting out of character. Warner Bros.' new animated movie represents this story's first official leap beyond the printed page*. Is their 82-minute feature worth the nearly two-decade wait?

* This review initially claimed that "Hush" was planned as a full-length animated production in 2007 that was later cancelled, but that information was incorrect. It was, in fact, pitched as a single episode of "The Batman" during the show's later seasons but never went beyond that phase. Apologies for the confusion.

Available on the same day as that release is Warner Bros.' 4K edition, another outstanding effort that serves up a rock-solid A/V presentation and a decent assortment of extras that, similar to most DC releases, cover the main feature and other projects in their expanding animated universe. If you end up liking this very loose adaptation, you'll find Hush to be a fairly well-rounded disc. Although it only offers improvements in its 2160p transfer with the benefit of HDR, this still the best available version of this title; for that alone, it will likely be preferred by die-hard DC disciples.

Batman: Hush 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio, this 2160p transfer of Batman: Hush is an upscale but offers a handful of visual benefits that the Blu-ray just can't match. This is an extremely dark and shadowy production at times, with many characters (including Hush, of course) hiding under the cover of darkness -- it's almost as if they're half-toned against the background, but this format's increased resolution and HDR encoding make some of these more ambiguous details quite a bit easier to make out. Image detail and the film's overall color palette are both given more consistent support, from neon signs to costumes, generating a higher grade of visual interest due to the more refined level of contrast. Additionally, the 4K's much higher bit rate all but eliminates the stray digital imperfections that surface on the Blu-ray, including occasional compression artifacts and banding on several of the harshest and more subtle color gradients. Any remaining instances of either problem are most likely baked into the source material.

Overall, these strengths represent a fairly noticeable improvement during the bulk of Batman: Hush, although some scenes are more or less a visual toss-up in direct comparison -- again, partially due to the fact that this is an upscale and not a true 4K source, not to mention the film's relatively flat style of artwork. I'll stick by my initial judgment that the Blu-ray still offers a capable and largely satisfying 1080p presentation, but those with 4K-capable setups -- either now or in the very near future -- should opt for this edition, especially at the right price.

Batman: Hush 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For an evaluation of the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track, please refer to my Blu-ray review.

Unlike its Blu-ray counterpart, the 4K disc only includes optional English, Spanish, and French subtitles during the main feature. Omit all those other foreign subtitles on a disc that's region-free by default? Yeah, that makes sense.

Batman: Hush 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Warner Bros.' two disc 4K/Blu-ray combo pack arrives in a dual-hubbed keepcase with a Digital Copy code and sweet cover artwork (with matching slipcover) by original Hush artists Jim Lee, Scott Williams, and Alex Sinclair. The extras are light but entertaining although, like most DCAU releases, they don't all focus on the main feature.

For an evaluation of these extras (which are all contained on the Blu-ray disc), please refer to my Blu-ray review.

Batman: Hush 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you're a die-hard fan of Jeph Loeb's original Batman: Hush story arc, it's important to know that this animated adaptation changes a lot of it. I can't say that most of these changes offer any kind of improvement: the new "twist" isn't as satisfying, the pace is compromised, and too much attention is devoted to Batman and Catwoman's budding romance...not to mention the film's relatively stiff animation, which is a far cry from Jim Lee's stunning original art. That said, new fans -- or at least those with fewer nostalgic ties to the original story -- may be a bit more forgiving of its sins and objectively, those who enjoyed this loose adaptation of Hush will really appreciate Warner Bros.' excellent 4K package, which serves up an improved 2160p transfer and a handful of decent bonus features. Those on the fence may want to stick with the Blu-ray or just stream it first, but established fans might as well go all-in.