Batman: Dark Patterns Miniseries Announced by DC

DC’s Dark Knight is headed for a gruesome new mystery. On Friday, DC officially announced Batman: Dark Patterns, a new twelve-issue miniseries from writer Dan Watters (Coffin Bound, Nightwing) and artist Hayden Sherman (Absolute Wonder Woman, Predator vs. Wolverine), with colors from Tríona Farrell and lettering from Frank Cvetkovic. The first issue, which will be released in December, will feature a main cover from Sherman and variant cover from Stevan Subic.

“I love the strangeness of Batman,” Watters said in a statement. “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—a dweller in the shadows of Gotham’s towering, delipidated spires. After watching The Batman, this desire was reaffirmed. Batman: Dark Patterns explores the pulpiest part of the Dark Knight’s rich history and gives readers an entirely new perspective on the early years of DC’s Dark Detective.”

What Is Batman: Dark Patterns About?

Batman: Dark Patterns will be told as a series of four self-contained, street level, evergreen Batman mysteries exploring the early days of Batman’s place within Gotham City and his healing presence within its streets. The first case and story arc, “We Are Wounded,” involves a series of sickeningly gruesome murders sending shock waves through Gotham City. Are these the random works of a serial killer, or is there something more sinister at play? Across these first three issues of Batman: Dark Patterns, Batman attempts to get to the bottom of the mystery before any more victims are claimed.

“Each case is born from Gotham and its people adapting to the horrors they’ve been subjected to over recent and not so recent years—from Joker poisoning the water supply to the Falcone gang war. The criminals are superstitious and cowardly… but how could the whole city not be superstitious and afraid?” continued Watters. “And Batman’s role as a wounded healer shrouded in urban myth, who seeks to give hope to the hopeless.”

Batman: Dark Patterns #1 will be available wherever comics are sold on December 11th. Keep scrolling for a first look at the series.