The Comics That Inspired Matt Reeves' The Batman
7. Hush
Hush is comic series created by Batman legends Jim Lee and Jeph Loeb that ran from 2002 to 2003 in monthly instalments, and is widely believed to be a major influence on Reeves' The Batman and possibly the inevitable sequel.
The story follows Batman as he attempts to recover ransom money, stolen by Catwoman under the influence of Poison Ivy. Batman's skull is fractured after he plummets from high, having had his line cut by Catwoman. He receives emergency surgery at the hands of his childhood friend Thomas Elliot, now an eminent brain surgeon.
Chaos ensues in Gotham as Batman is pitted against an army of foes, only for it to be revealed that Elliot - manipulated all along by The Riddler - nurtured a secret resentment for Bruce Wayne. This was because Bruce's father, Thomas, was responsible for saving Elliot's mother, thus denying her son the huge fortune in inheritance he would have received.
The Riddler learnt the true identity of the Batman, and had Elliot (now going by the name of Hush) begin a vendetta again Wayne/Batman.
We know that The Riddler (Paul Dano) will feature as the film's main villain, and the version of him we see is covered up in wrappings similar to that of the comic's depiction of Hush. Whether this will lead to anything remains to be seen but the complex, multi-villain approach of Reeves seems to be in line with Lee and Loeb's stunning Batman tale.