The Dark Knight is many things to many people, but above all, he is a detective. This fact is often lost in some interpretations, which are more concerned with costumed combat than a good mystery. A new miniseries, Batman: Dark Patterns, aims to correct that, presenting four three-part stories that will test the deductive prowess of the Batman.
The miniseries is written by Dan Watters, who recently took over the monthly Nightwing title. The artwork is provided by Hayden Sherman, who is presently the artist of Absolute Wonder Woman.
The opening pages of Batman: Dark Patterns #1 find Bruce Wayne contemplating his city and his vigil. He ponders how there are evils that even he, with all his training and fortune, is powerless to fight. This simple truth seems particularly true on that night when there is so much going wrong. Despite this, this musing does not stop him from suiting up to face whatever Gotham City might throw at him.
The main cover and first four pages of Batman: Dark Patterns may be viewed below.
Batman: Dark Patterns to offer mystery and intrigue
Set during the third year of Bruce Wayne’s vigil, the focus of Dark Patterns will be on the process through which the Dark Knight conducts an investigation. The stories will present Batman at the core of what he was in the Golden Age. He will largely be depicted as a lone vigilante with few friends and fewer resources beyond his considerable intellect.
“I love the strangeness of Batman,” notes Watters. “A man dressed as a huge, gothic bat, solving crimes in a hostile city of black magicians, mad scientists, and superstitious, cowardly criminals. I’ve always wanted to write a series of mystery stories that would home in on that aspect of the character.”
Batman: Dark Patterns #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on December 11, 2024.
