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| Publisher |
DC |
| Series |
Batman |
| Published | December 2002 |
| Artist |
Jim Lee |
| Writer |
Jeph Loeb |
| Inker |
Scott Williams |
| Colorist |
Alex Sinclair |
| Letterer |
Richard Starkings |
| Cover Artist |
Scott Williams |
| Cover Artist |
Jim Lee |
HUSH CHAPTER 1 - THE RANSOM Batman sneaks through an FBI perimeter at the Gotham City Shipyard, using acid to burn the lock off a door despite it being unpredictable, although faster than picking it. Successfully getting into the Shipyard, he takes down the crew guarding the area the four members being, Nails Nathan, Tommy Harper, Carlos Valdez, and Spider Hancock. After defeating the hired crew with the utmost ease, he discovers Edward Lamont IV, the sole heir to the Lamont Chemical fortune, who had been kidnapped walking home from school two days ago. While attempting to escape with the boy, Killer Croc arrives and attacks Batman, as Bruce had calculated that he would have had two minutes before Croc returned and discovered the boy was missing, being off by exactly eleven seconds. While fighting him, Batman silently questions the reasons behind Croc's actions as his Modus Operandi was never kidnapping and when it came down to it, Croc wasn't smart enough to pull off an operation as well planned as the one it seemed he had. Batman notes Croc's mutated body, and wonders why he needed the ten million dollar ransom that everyone, including the President of the United States had been willing to pay to get Edward back. After subduing the villain with hypersonics, the F.B.I. arrives to arrest to Killer Croc. One of the officers tells him - despite not being how they would have handled it,- Batman gets results, the boy being in one piece, and soon then discovering money they had given Croc was nowhere to be found. Batman assumes that someone must have taken it during their fight, despite the FBI officer protesting that no one could have gotten past their perimeter, though Batman retorts they he had. Using his heat sensors, Batman spots Catwoman leaving the scene and begins to chase after her. He internally argues as to why Catwoman would take the money, as ripping off someone elses' take had never been her style, and also her recent actions as of late attempting to make a go on the right side of the law. During midswing, Batman's rope was cut, sending him soaring downwards, breaking his shoulder in the process and landing in an alley occupied by homeless ruffians. Meanwhile, Catwoman makes her way to the Gotham Tower Apartments, presenting the money to Poison Ivy as, -No man or woman could resist her-, not even Catwoman herself being able to fight off Ivy's mind control.