Batman: Dark Patterns (2024-) #4: The Voice of the Tower Part One

Batman: Dark Patterns

by Dan Watters, Hayden Sherman (Artist)

CASE 02: “The Voice of the Tower,” Part IThere is a strange tower in Gotham City where the voices of the living and the dead echo. Its inhabitants are in a standoff with the police—with one officer dead and another held hostage inside, a riot seems all but guaranteed…unless Batman can navigate the building and save the missing police officer.But what the Caped Crusader discovers is that the people of the tower are following the direction of a single, strangely familiar voice that thrums throughout the building…and the voice wants blood.

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Batman, Comic Book, Superheroes, Mystery

26 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 12, 2025

About the author

Dan 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.

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second Arc in Batman Dark Patterns#4. A Tower, a Villain Ventriloquists and captured Cops. So Dark, i really like it. Okay Start

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Batman vs a old foe, but with a new body! A fun maze like ending that'll keep this one from being another hitter for the series.

[Cybernex007 · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS SERIES IS SO PEAK OH MY GOD!! This story is batman meets the movie the raid with its own Scarface (the batman villain) twist!! I love it so much! The story starts with a somewhat all too typical story, ab apartment complex in Gotham is set for demolition except the residents don’t want to leave their homes. While there are a lot of normal people still living here, the complex is also an epicenter of gang violence, and has since escalated when two cops went in and one came flying out a window and was found dead. When Sereika examined the body he was able to determine the cop died before he was thrown out the window and was tied up while inside. The problem still stands that the apartment complex has a cop as a hostage and none of them can get inside. At the very least Sereika was able to inform batman that when the cop was thrown out, he bounced on the ground, so while they can’t know exactly what floor he was thrown out of they know it was above the 5th. But that barely makes things any easier for batman with the 215 apartments that make up the building. Additionally when he gets inside through an open window, Sherman’s art immediately throws us for a loop with the complex hallways and setup of the building that makes it even hard for batman to determine where voices are coming from as they bounce around throughout the walls.

But I mentioned there was a Scarface twist as Gordon never actually mentioned, or even knows, what gang violence is associated with this building. As we check in on the cop who was taken hostage, we find that she had been tied up end gagged in an apartment with a pretty abusive husband who works directly for the “boss.” As the other gang members come to report Batman’s presence in the building they desperately want to tell the boss, but the hostage taker assures them the boss is always listening…only for him to look over in the corner at the Scarface puppet sitting there and talking to them!! Oh shoot, Scarface is going next level!

As batman makes his way JL the stairs suddenly he ducks as gunshots go over his head and he hears “End of the line, Gatman.” OMG, they brought back Scarface’s problem with pronouncing anything with B with a G sound instead. This immediately throws batman for a loop as it sounds like Albert Wesker, the ventriloquist, someone he stopped and sent into a panic attack when he stopped him from commuting triple homicide by smashing his puppet. Batman throws a few batarangs up the stairs to throw Scarface and his ventriloquist off balance before smashing both of them into the ground and destroying Scarface in the process, but the man now in his grasp is not Wesker. Suddenly a laughter rings throughout the entire building as Scarface talks one more, lunching that it is time for all of them to show him they mean “gusiness.” Suddenly people pop onto the balconies as they spray paint the building and some dawn cheaply made masks that look like Scarface. As the dust settles we get a look at the building again and find that Scarface’s face has become the building! He doesn’t need a puppet body anymore as everyone is standing in the new and improved version! And batman is now surrounded by gang members with Tommy guns and Scarface masks. WELCOME TO SCARFACE TOWERS! This series is genius!

[Logan · Rating 2 out of 5]

If this was the first issue of the overall ‘Dark Patterns’ series, I’d never pick it up again.

The author lost his way and went back to the basics of comics. Failing a perfectly good story. I’m fine with the introduction of the new antagonist, Scarface. Personally, I’m very intrigued with the character and haven’t read enough about him. But Batman crushing his doll body and he becomes a building…really???

I understand that some iterations say he is a haunted doll and some it’s a manifestation of the weilder. I’m happy that they seem to be going with the supernatural side do the doll - perfect for this series. Turning into a building seems a little too silly for me.

The one thing this comic still has going for it is the artwork and characterization of Batman. Still one of my favorites but it better get a whole lot better real quick.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay I absolutely love the Dark Patterns stuff.
Diving into the early days with these unique cases is just so interesting.
Also the building itself? So fascinating with all its lore.
Very curious as where this case will go from here.

[Nick LeBlanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great choice of villain--I grew up in the 90s, so it's a welcome (and proper) return. The art kicks ass and there is a great little self-contained set up for a small arc. This is the best stuff any Batman property has done in a long time!

Read as a single issue.

[alejandro galvez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scarface is Gack!

Absolutely love this series. The art is nice and the stories are fresh takes with original ideas. Love the fact that they used a classic Batman villain. One of my favorite Batman books out. Love it.

[Derrick McCall · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I HAVE A NEW GODY NOW, BATMAN. A GETTER ONE. AND YOU'RE STANDING IN IT. WELCOME... TO SCARFACE TOWERS."

Yo... Batman in DREDD (2012)?! Sign me the fuck up. This is gonna crush so hard.

[Arianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating. It's the kind of comic where you could just stare at the pictures for hours, and it takes one of my favorite villains into a really unique direction.

[Shazne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best hook issue of the run so far. The art is stellar as ever. Super intrigued by this circumstance, a very 'The Raid' (2011) like set up. Exciting.

[Laura Zarzyńska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dawać mi kolejne zeszyty!!

[Garth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super quick read! But a great new take on an old villain. I think Dark Patterns and The Last Halloween are my favorite Bat titles out now.

[Richard A · Rating 5 out of 5]

the villain of this story is quite unusual. Should be interesting to see where this storyline goes and how Batman defeats him/it.

[James B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what I'd imagine a comic based on The Raid but with Batman in it would be like. Amazing start.

[Annemarie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected more after the really good first arc. I like the introduction of a new (familiar ?) villain, but then it went... very silly. The art was a bit hot or more here too for me, unfortunately.

[Mark Cubillos · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second case starts in this issue and brings in Scarface, but in terrifying new form.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scarface didn't work as well for me, but Dan Watters clearly knows what he's doing.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have no idea who Albert Wesker or Scarface the puppet are but this seems interesting. Honestly more interested in why every B is replaced with G

[luz · Rating 4 out of 5]

another interesting premise! and the art is just so good