DC Round-Up: BATMAN: DARK PATTERNS #1 adds a dash of strangeness to the Dark Knight’s past

THIS WEEK: Rising stars Dan Watters and Hayden Sherman take on the Dark Knight, in the debut issue of Batman: Dark Patterns. Plus, micro-reviews of Batman and Robin #16 and Superwoman Special #1!

Note: the review below may contain spoilers. If you want a quick, spoiler-free buy/pass recommendation on the comics in question, check out the bottom of the article for our final verdict.

Batman: Dark Patterns #1

Writer: Dan Watters
Artist: Hayden Sherman
Colorist: Tríona Farrell
Letterer: Frank Cvetkovic
Cover Artist: Hayden Sherman

I’ve been excited for this one. Batman: Dark Patterns is a self-contained, mystery-focused maxiseries set early in the Dark Knight’s career. While that might sound like the type of story you’ve read before and don’t need to again, this latest version is written by Dan Watters and illustrated by Hayden Sherman, both of whom are rapidly climbing my Personal Favorite Creators list. If you recognize those names, you’re likely unsurprised to learn that Dark Patterns #1 is beautiful, haunting, and weird-as-all-get-out.

Typically, I want one thing from these sorts of “set in the past” Batman stories. I want them to be inventive. If a story just retreads the same ground we’ve seen in other Batman tales – “plays the hits” as it were – then I don’t have time for it. But if the art team finds a unique way to depict Batman and Gotham City, or if the writer has found a character or concept to showcase that I’ve never seen before, then I’m in.

Dark Patterns’ debut delivers ably on both these fronts. Sherman and colorist Tríona Farrell have crafted slightly askew, pulp-fueled pages that give readers a dizzying sense of what it’s like to inhabit their version of Gotham City. And Watters twists a solid mystery setup into something much more terrifying, when Batman comes face-to-face with a foe whose gruesome gimmick is pointedly designed to flummox the Caped Crusader in a way I can’t believe I haven’t seen before. (I’ve read a lot of Batman comics.)

If you’re a Batman reader who prefers a low-tech Dark Knight dealing with gritty mysteries and a potentially-lethal dose of strangeness, you’ll find a lot to love in Batman: Dark Patterns. This first issue not only met my high expectations, but left me quite excited for chapter two.

The Round-Up

• Back in present day Bat-continuity, Batman and Robin #16 plays in similar space as Dark Patterns #1, featuring an eerie mystery (and potential new love interest) tied to Batman’s past. What sets B&R apart is its focus on Bruce and Damian’s relationship, played up to maximum angsty effect by writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson, artists Miguel Mendonça and Carmine Di Gindomenico, colorist Marcelo Maiolo, and letterer Steve Wands. If you’re a Batman reader who prefers the Dark Knight and Boy Wonder getting into a tiff while training, then Batman and Robin #16 might be your preferred Bat-pick of the week.
• I love me a Lois Lane comic, so I was excited to dive into Superwoman Special #1. But while I found writer Joshua Williamson’s story quite fun, the mish-mash of artists Edwin Galmon, Laura Braga, and Nikola Čižmešija’s pages and styles left something to be desired. Colorist Rex Lokus and letterer Dave Sharpe do their best to help this story remain cohesive-looking despite having three different artists, but ultimately, this issue didn’t quite get there for me.

Miss any of our earlier reviews? Check out our full archive!