What do you think?
Rate this book
Batman: Dark Patterns
Batman: Dark Patterns (2024-) #3: We are the Wounded Part Three
Batman is in the dark now, amidst the accumulated devastation and suffering at the root of Wound Man’s grotesque reign of terror. Can the Dark Knight bring it all to an end before the twisted killer claims another life? Don’t miss the end of “We Are Wounded”!
30 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 12, 2025
10 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Dan Watters
432 books144 followersDan Watters is a UK based comic book writer. His first book, LIMBO, was released through Image Comics in 2016. He has since written THE SHADOW at Dynamite Comics, and ASSASSIN’S CREED and WOLFENSTEIN for Titan Comics.
Currently he is writing the relaunch of LUCIFER for Vertigo’s Sandman Universe, as well as DEEP ROOTS for Vault Comics. Deeply rooted in London Town, and firmly of the Devil's party.
Currently he is writing the relaunch of LUCIFER for Vertigo’s Sandman Universe, as well as DEEP ROOTS for Vault Comics. Deeply rooted in London Town, and firmly of the Devil's party.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 19, 2025
Book Three, final issue of case 1. The solution to the Wounded Man Case.
Liked it.
Liked it.
February 26, 2025
Damn this is Batman at his best IMO.
We have Batman finally figure out all the pieces, but it's too late for the man without pain. But not too late for the people who caused such pain. A dark, twisted, but wonderfully told story putting batman in a tough spot.
We have Batman finally figure out all the pieces, but it's too late for the man without pain. But not too late for the people who caused such pain. A dark, twisted, but wonderfully told story putting batman in a tough spot.
February 22, 2025
I really like this run so far!
Wound Man is unsettling to look at for so many reasons but now knowing why he did what he did was just so sad.
Exploring these early career cases for B has been so fun!
Wound Man is unsettling to look at for so many reasons but now knowing why he did what he did was just so sad.
Exploring these early career cases for B has been so fun!
February 17, 2025
This is such a good series. Dark, gritty, great art and truly awful rich people thinking they should be allowed to mess with everyone because they have money.
It's always weird to see how much we need or sense of pain, no matter how much I hate it.
It's always weird to see how much we need or sense of pain, no matter how much I hate it.
February 16, 2025
Loving this story so far! I feel so bad for the Wounded Man, which if you told me would happen when I first read issue one, I wouldn’t have believed you.
September 23, 2025
This three issue format for stories is peak! It’s straight forward while providing an amazing in depth story with even better art. I know the first issue description said there would be four investigations, but I beg this team to keep it going for longer if they have the creative juices for it. PLEASE! The start of this issue takes us back to the first murder, when the wound man killed the lawyer that worked for Ace chemicals and used every trick on the book to gag him from getting the truth out. The wound man went to him as he couldn’t imagine what pain the lawyer was on for letting ace chemicals do this and the wound man figured he could purge it from the lawyer as he can’t purge it from himself anymore. But it seems they the would man is highly suggestive when it comes to others in pain and resolving pain, as the lawyer was the one of point him on the direction of his filing cabinet filled to the brim with tales of human misery. That’s when the idea of the wound man “healing” all of them came to be. Which makes it all the more concerning with the conversation last issue with Sereika about the “root” cause of his problems.
We also continue the story with batman in the town without screams aka the Green Fields suburbs. As the kids from the neighborhood crowd around the Batmobile, batman investigates the ruined house of Doctor Jessup Hartnel who is the wound man and tried everything he could to get the word out and where the lawyer blocked at every turn. It’s another story where a town was built on a chemical dumping site. But instead of causing seizures of forms of cancer, this nerve toxin prevents the people of the town from feeling. But as batman is trying to give all this information to Gordon, all he hears from the weak connection is that the wound man was trane and he is certain axe is behind it. But as batman tries to head out to his car to come back and reveal all of this to the world…he finds that his car is surrounded by men trying to stop him. But they don’t work for ace chemicals…they are residents of the town. Batman immediately notices the leg that’s not healed properly and the fingers that have been cut off, alongside all the other bruises and scratches they just brush off. You seen on theory you may like living your life without pain…until you slice off your fingers while cooking without even realizing it. And even after going through so much pain they can’t feel…these people aren’t ready to give it up. While they don’t feel anything anymore, they don’t need to know how to fight only that whatever punches and kicks they throw Batman’s way will hurt him. As batman falls to the ground and the merciless kicking continues he finally blacks out…but when he wakes up they have stopped as a woman approached and made them stop and rethink everything they are doing. She is also a local but she wants this revealed as well, she respected Doctor Hartnell and can’t stand what has happened to him le his wife after they didn’t back him up. With her standing on the way, the men disperse before moving her aside to her back to batman. She was the one who painted the image of the wound man on the house, she fully believes he was a good man they failed and is sure he’s doing whatever he can RK bring them help…unfortunately it comes as quite a shock when batman informs her of the people he has killed. But he is more curious to know the story of his wife and what happened to her.
As batman drives back into the city we check in on the wound man, carefully tied up to a chair facing Sionis and two of his men. Sionis still remembers Hartnell, even under all that metal, and how much he cost them on legal fees, and now he is sure it’s time for this to all go away. All he has RK do is find one of the pieces of metal near a major organ, pull it out, and just let it bleed. But the wound man doesn’t slump down or start to die, he only seems to gain more energy as the “root cause” of all his problems is now within view. He actually breaks free from the ropes tying him down and runs just out of view before the men can unload their guns on him.
Batman meets up with Gordon in Sereika’s hospital room. They are able to compare notes as the mayor and Sionis working together is who took the wound man and put Sereika in the hospital. The major doesn’t want a scandal either as he was head of the city council when the deal was made for the land. But before Gordon could fall in back up for batman to take in Sionis…batman was already gone and swinging across the city towards Cherry Hill where the privileged and powerful keep second homes…including Sionis. As batman climbs through the window he finds Sionis men dead and Hartnell bleeding out on the floor, murmuring about how he almost cured the root cause. Suddenly Sionis walked up behind batman and thanked him for being here, spinning a tale about how the wound man broke on and tried to tie him up and kill him, but luckily his security were here to rescue him…unfortunately costing their lives in the process but knocking free one of his spikes in the process. Of course batman knows that’s not how it happened and tells Sionis just as much. But who is everyone going to believe? But then batman stands up and faces Sionis and asks if he knows about Hartnel’s wife? Her name was Amber, and one night when Hartnel was working late trying to get the word out…she fell asleep in front of the tv. She didn’t feel the cold but she had the fireplace burning as a habit. An ember escaped and the rug caught on fire, she wouldn’t have felt the heat or as the flames reached her skin, she probably slept through her body burning and melting. Batman describes it in the most blood curdling way possible, but what he knows for certain is that Hartnel came home to find his house destroyed and wife dead…and then desperately tried to make himself feel something, anything, creating the wound man we know today because of what axe chemicals did to him. Sionis claps back that there is no proof and it will become another forgotten terrible thing in Gotham. But batman decides to leave a Sionis with a reminder, he grabs Sionis by the shoulder and targets the brachial plexus, a network of nerves that connects the arm to the neck and spin, it’s the reason why even minor shoulder injuries don’t always heal right.
“There is another fire in Gotham tonight. It burns in the shoulder of Christopher Sionis. It will burn for the rest of his long, privileged life. And with every twinge, he will remember why.”
We also continue the story with batman in the town without screams aka the Green Fields suburbs. As the kids from the neighborhood crowd around the Batmobile, batman investigates the ruined house of Doctor Jessup Hartnel who is the wound man and tried everything he could to get the word out and where the lawyer blocked at every turn. It’s another story where a town was built on a chemical dumping site. But instead of causing seizures of forms of cancer, this nerve toxin prevents the people of the town from feeling. But as batman is trying to give all this information to Gordon, all he hears from the weak connection is that the wound man was trane and he is certain axe is behind it. But as batman tries to head out to his car to come back and reveal all of this to the world…he finds that his car is surrounded by men trying to stop him. But they don’t work for ace chemicals…they are residents of the town. Batman immediately notices the leg that’s not healed properly and the fingers that have been cut off, alongside all the other bruises and scratches they just brush off. You seen on theory you may like living your life without pain…until you slice off your fingers while cooking without even realizing it. And even after going through so much pain they can’t feel…these people aren’t ready to give it up. While they don’t feel anything anymore, they don’t need to know how to fight only that whatever punches and kicks they throw Batman’s way will hurt him. As batman falls to the ground and the merciless kicking continues he finally blacks out…but when he wakes up they have stopped as a woman approached and made them stop and rethink everything they are doing. She is also a local but she wants this revealed as well, she respected Doctor Hartnell and can’t stand what has happened to him le his wife after they didn’t back him up. With her standing on the way, the men disperse before moving her aside to her back to batman. She was the one who painted the image of the wound man on the house, she fully believes he was a good man they failed and is sure he’s doing whatever he can RK bring them help…unfortunately it comes as quite a shock when batman informs her of the people he has killed. But he is more curious to know the story of his wife and what happened to her.
As batman drives back into the city we check in on the wound man, carefully tied up to a chair facing Sionis and two of his men. Sionis still remembers Hartnell, even under all that metal, and how much he cost them on legal fees, and now he is sure it’s time for this to all go away. All he has RK do is find one of the pieces of metal near a major organ, pull it out, and just let it bleed. But the wound man doesn’t slump down or start to die, he only seems to gain more energy as the “root cause” of all his problems is now within view. He actually breaks free from the ropes tying him down and runs just out of view before the men can unload their guns on him.
Batman meets up with Gordon in Sereika’s hospital room. They are able to compare notes as the mayor and Sionis working together is who took the wound man and put Sereika in the hospital. The major doesn’t want a scandal either as he was head of the city council when the deal was made for the land. But before Gordon could fall in back up for batman to take in Sionis…batman was already gone and swinging across the city towards Cherry Hill where the privileged and powerful keep second homes…including Sionis. As batman climbs through the window he finds Sionis men dead and Hartnell bleeding out on the floor, murmuring about how he almost cured the root cause. Suddenly Sionis walked up behind batman and thanked him for being here, spinning a tale about how the wound man broke on and tried to tie him up and kill him, but luckily his security were here to rescue him…unfortunately costing their lives in the process but knocking free one of his spikes in the process. Of course batman knows that’s not how it happened and tells Sionis just as much. But who is everyone going to believe? But then batman stands up and faces Sionis and asks if he knows about Hartnel’s wife? Her name was Amber, and one night when Hartnel was working late trying to get the word out…she fell asleep in front of the tv. She didn’t feel the cold but she had the fireplace burning as a habit. An ember escaped and the rug caught on fire, she wouldn’t have felt the heat or as the flames reached her skin, she probably slept through her body burning and melting. Batman describes it in the most blood curdling way possible, but what he knows for certain is that Hartnel came home to find his house destroyed and wife dead…and then desperately tried to make himself feel something, anything, creating the wound man we know today because of what axe chemicals did to him. Sionis claps back that there is no proof and it will become another forgotten terrible thing in Gotham. But batman decides to leave a Sionis with a reminder, he grabs Sionis by the shoulder and targets the brachial plexus, a network of nerves that connects the arm to the neck and spin, it’s the reason why even minor shoulder injuries don’t always heal right.
“There is another fire in Gotham tonight. It burns in the shoulder of Christopher Sionis. It will burn for the rest of his long, privileged life. And with every twinge, he will remember why.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2025
pretty solid conclusion for the first arc
August 17, 2025
Maybe one of my new favorite comic iterations of Batman so far. This issue finally wraps up the case of the wounded man and sets in place how horrifying this Batman actually is.
Batman, while investigating Green Fields, discovers Ace chemicals has polluted the water and air supply. Leaving all the residents with missing limbs and the inability to feel pain. It was strange to see Batman get his ass kicked by four of the crippled citizens, but to me, it even further displays that this Batman is not a warrior - but a world class detective.
Batman discusses with Jim Gordon how Christopher Sionis could possibly be involved (surprising never heard of Roman’s father in a comic before). He is part CEO of Ace chemicals and wants to keep Green Fields a coverup. Batman gives Christopher a visit with the wounded man bleeding to death (yet we are still unsure if he’s alive by the end of the issue). One of my favorite parts throughout these three issues is when Batman crushes Christopher’s upper shoulder with one hand. Another reason why this Batman is more badass than the rest.
Although I’m only three issues in and this series is already my favorite, I am worried where they’ll go from here. The Wounded Man seems to be a brand new character and was a real hit with me. I’m not sure if they’ll go back to their old way and bring up already established DC characters. We’ll see.
Batman, while investigating Green Fields, discovers Ace chemicals has polluted the water and air supply. Leaving all the residents with missing limbs and the inability to feel pain. It was strange to see Batman get his ass kicked by four of the crippled citizens, but to me, it even further displays that this Batman is not a warrior - but a world class detective.
Batman discusses with Jim Gordon how Christopher Sionis could possibly be involved (surprising never heard of Roman’s father in a comic before). He is part CEO of Ace chemicals and wants to keep Green Fields a coverup. Batman gives Christopher a visit with the wounded man bleeding to death (yet we are still unsure if he’s alive by the end of the issue). One of my favorite parts throughout these three issues is when Batman crushes Christopher’s upper shoulder with one hand. Another reason why this Batman is more badass than the rest.
Although I’m only three issues in and this series is already my favorite, I am worried where they’ll go from here. The Wounded Man seems to be a brand new character and was a real hit with me. I’m not sure if they’ll go back to their old way and bring up already established DC characters. We’ll see.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2025
What seems to be the conclusion of the first arc in Dark Patterns is an extremely successful issue. Some slight character change in Batman, some answers, great art, the indication of a larger conspiracy. Big fan of this series so far!
Read as a single issue.
Read as a single issue.
March 3, 2025
Hated the villain in the first issue (Wound Man), loved him in the second issue, and in this issue, it turns out he's not the villain. Cute writing.
March 13, 2025
A very fitting conclusion to the first story arc of this fantastic run so far.
September 19, 2025
A good ending to this first arc, it’s pretty depressing to see why the wound man became what he is now. It’s a darker ending but not one without justice and I love how Batman handles it all here.
January 24, 2026
Simple but effective
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews