Why all the hubbub on “Batman: Hush”?

I just borrowed and read the “Batman: Hush” storyline by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee.
Overall, I’d say this story arc was fair to good, but I wonder what was the general reaction to it?
I liked the art, but I found the plot a little questionable.
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Throughout the story, Batman lamented the fact that his opponents were using new tactics and had elevated their crimes. Really?
Killer Croc is too dumb to kidnap people?
Harley Quinn wouldn’t dare to rob an opera house? (A theater? And her name is Harley Quinn?)
Scarecrow doped up Huntress? He dopes up Bats all the time, why not one of his subordinates?
Why are any of these crimes so unusual for these characters?  
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Has Harvey Dent’s change stuck? Is he still just Harvey or has he since switched back?
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Tommy Elliot didn’t really die and turned out to be Hush. This didn’t surprise me in the least. Was it a surprise to readers when it came out?
The thing that clinched it for me is that Bats never actually saw him get shot. I immediately said to myself that it was “stage make-up blood.” I was a little wrong, but on the right track.
The other clue (to me) was that Tommy was a totally unknown character in the Batman universe until the beginning of this series. How could he not be the villain or in some way tied up in this intricate plot?
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Catwoman was great through the whole thing. An entertaining character without a doubt. Is she normally written this good?
Additionally, I’ve never seen a better looking Catwoman. Jim Lee’s art made her look fantastic.
Boy, she got the crap beat out of her every issue.
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Clayface. D’oh!! I always forget about clayface. His use did surprise me. Of course, when the fake Robin started melting I put two and two together.
I did know that it wasn’t the real Jason Todd because, as Batman had deduced, his body wouldn’t have “grown up” by being submerged in the Lazarus Pit. I just couldn’t figure out who it was.
(Of course, now we know that Jason was alive all this time and is now the Red Hood.)
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Why did Hush(or was that Clayface?) call Robin “Imposter” when Hush attacked him out of Batman’s sight? Surely he didn’t expect Batman to hear and Robin was being knocked unconscious. What was the point? —  Other than to try to convince readers that Hush was Jason Todd.
Just seems like bad writing to me unless it was Clayface portraying Hush and he was totally “in character” for the entire fight.
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In the end, it turns out that the Riddler orchestrated this whole thing.
I was glad to see good old Eddie be a big part of this, but I felt it wasn’t handled well.
Of course, Nigma said he did this just to be considered one of Batman’s heavyweight villians, but I found his methods to be very un-Riddler like. It seems to me that his primary schtick is to telegraph his plans to Batman while laying enough obstacles in the way to keep Batman jumping through hoops. The hoops were there, but not the traditional lead in.
Maybe I’m just being picky/fanboyish, but I don’t think the set up was there for a “proper” Riddler story.
Perhaps if we had a few scenes of a shadowed figure saying “Bwa-ha-ha. Batman is falling for this. He thinks Hush is the one behind this when it’s really me!” If that happened, it would have been just enough of a setup for me.
I guess, ultimately, I think it would have been better for the reader to know that  Hush and the mastermind were too different people.  Two mysteries are better than one, I suppose.
Lastly, the final “confrontation” between Batman and Riddler was just way too anti-climatic. It was just dull. The whole storyline ended with a whimper.
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Most of all, I’m very interested in what the fan reaction to this series was. Can you enlighten me?