Jeph Loeb has recently spoken out about why the Batman: Hush sequel is late: “Do not hate the man, hate the game.”
Jeph Loeb is one of the most beloved Batman writers ever. We’re talking about Batman: The Long Halloween, Batman: Haunted Knight, and of course, Batman: Hush. His comics have defined a generation of Batman storytelling. The long awaited sequel to the beloved 2002 classic Hush, which has become known as Batman: H2SH reunites artist Jim Lee, inker Scott Williams, and colorist Alex Sinclair. Originally designed as a 12-issue epic, it began in March 2025 with Batman#158. However, the run was hit with myriad delays; at this point, it’s been very well-documented.
As of now, Batman #163, the final part of H2SH Chapter 1, is set to release on May 27. “We always said it was going to be six issues, then we’d take a break,” Loeb said, per Popverse. “You’ll finish up that story, and then in 2027, you’ll get all six issues together, and that story will fit beautifully before Matt Fraction starts his book.”
When it comes to the delays, Loeb has a fairly understandable excuse. He’s working with Jim Lee, one of the busiest artists out there. Between promotion of the DCU’s Superman in 2025, to more recent work on the Superman/Spider-Man crossover, Jim Lee is ubiquitous in the industry. “Why are we late? The reality is, I have a partner who is the best artist living on the planet, name of Jim Lee,” Loeb said. “He also happens to be the publisher of the best comic book company, and that takes a lot of time.”
In conclusion, Loeb added: “Do not hate the man, hate the game.”
Additionally, in February 2026, Jim Lee himself posted an update on Facebook, citing personal circumstances as a reason for the delays. “As many of you have seen, Batman #163 has moved to the end of May. Personal circumstances have slowed the pace on Hush 2 (to put it mildly) —thank you for the patience and support.”
We’ll keep you posted on all the latest H2SH updates.
