Batman: Dark Patterns #1

Batman: Dark Patterns #1 delivers a gritty and intense new take on the Dark Knight's early years that blends nostalgic elements with modern storytelling. With its stripped-down approach and focus on Batman's detective skills, this series has the makings of an instant classic that Bat-fans are going to want to read. Read Full Review

Batman: Dark Partners #1 is a stellar kickoff to a promising maxiseries, blending intense detective work, fresh character dynamics, and haunting visuals to captivate fans of the Dark Knight. Though it lacks an iconic foe, the introduction of a chilling new villain and a grounded, early-years Batman make this an unmissable start for any Batman enthusiast. Read Full Review

Dan Watters has written some seriously disturbing Bat-comics before, but here he has a perfect partner in crime in Sherman, and a dark and disturbing take on Gotham that has the potential to become one of the all-time classics. I'm a little surprised this isn't Black Label. Read Full Review

A horrific case welcomes readers into an exciting chapter of Batman's past. Watters keeps readers walking the tightrope with the writing. Sherman, Farrell and Cvetkovic construct a terrifying glimpse though an inexperienced Dark Knight's eyes. Read Full Review

Batman: Dark Patterns #1 is a thriller in the most classic sense. It presents an intriguing mystery with a Gothic horror tone. If you, like me, feel many modern Batman comics have forgotten why Ra's Al Ghul simply addresses him as "Detective, you will want to read this one. Read Full Review

Batman: Dark Patterns #1 is a horrific blast of classic pulp-noir Batman drenched in a kind of dread that only the most human of horror stories can achieve. While a bit rocky on dialogue, the rest of the book is a warm yet chilling look at an era of Batman that's always returned to with nostalgia but never the same authenticity that the team has achieved by daring to try something new upon tired grounds. Read Full Review

Batman: Dark Patterns #1 is a solid start. It delivers a debut that feels like it emphasizes the detective aspect of the character while infusing horror aspects that could make readers wince at the visuals. It's a nice beginning for what should be an entertaining Batman series. Read Full Review

This is a strong start to an exciting new mystery; a title that has plenty of time to shake the arguably derivative art and shaky pacing. Read Full Review

In terms of story, there isn't a lot here that doesn't feel like a lot of other Batman books, or detective/murder mystery books for that matter. Which is fine, because the execution is strong and there are always going to be unexpected weird things showing up as we delve deeper into the Gothamness of it all. Watters' take is pretty solid for Batman at this point in time and I'm really curious to see how he handles the Bruce persona as we see him mingle in the world. The moodiness and atmosphere is very well done where it doesn't feel like it's leaning so hard that it becomes caricature but rather reflects a real city that is falling deeper into the chaos that exists because of both Batman and those he goes up against. The design and color work is really great as it doesn't go so dark and murky that it's hard to see, and Sherman has some strikingly strong panels during the fight in the lawyer's office that just made me grin. I'm looking forward to seeing where it all goes. Read Full Review

Walt (of waltscomicshop.com)

Dec 15, 2024

Stellar!

Aesopjer

Apr 19, 2025

If you’re a fan of The Batman, this is definitely for you and my goodness the art and page layout and colors, all incredible.

super_rex

Jun 26, 2025

I love it!

Ryan

Jan 01, 2026

This was awesome, classic vibes and perfect art

motorik

Dec 11, 2024

This was a blast.

George

Dec 15, 2024

Great!

BilyBobArmstrong

Dec 15, 2024

Very interesting first issue that will definitely pull you in and have you asking questions almost immediately. It’s really nice to see a young bats and who hasn’t missed Alfred?! It seems that Watters and Sherman have combined to bring a classic Gotham back and in a gorgeous way. I’m a little hesitant on the bad guy but it’s only issue 1 so we’ll have to wait and see more from him but the writing, art, colors, and letters are all DCs finest (all pun intended). Any classic Batman fan will certainly find a lot to love with this series.

DDJamesB

Dec 17, 2024

Really solid issue 1. The visuals are the selling point, but it also feels like a grounded batman mystery.

daspidaboy

Dec 11, 2024

this was a surprisingly gripping detective Batman story. I like the wacky side of Batman but It's nice to read a Batman grounded street level realistic story.

myconius

Dec 11, 2024

While the writing is just okay, the art of this series are what won me over. It is nice to have a no-nonsense/non-deconstructive Batman story, even if is is a bit too grimdark for my taste. The pacing and art sequencing are excellent. Look forward to seeing where this story goes with cautious optimism.

TSMack

Dec 12, 2024

(Cover Date: February, 2025)