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Batman: Dark Patterns
Batman: Dark Patterns (2024-) #8
Case 03: PareidolaBatman’s vigilant investigation of the Red Hood Gang killing in the Rookery putshim on a collision course with the unlikely culprits at the heart of the latest mysterythreatening to upend order in Gotham City.
Kindle Edition
Published July 9, 2025
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3 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.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 10, 2025
The detective feel of this comic harkens back to the late 80's, early 90's Alan Grant style and I love it. It helps the Red Hood gang are a piece of shit, but it adds to the mythos of Batman.
August 24, 2025
Batman falling for such a simple plan seems a bit silly.
July 22, 2025
A great follow up with an unexpected twist. Nothing but good to say about this series. Keep it coming!
July 14, 2025
When I tell you Dark Patterns has not missed once I mean it! This run has been nothing short of amazing. Each case has been gripping and unique. It hasn’t get repetitive or like it was meandering. Each panel has a purpose and a drive for the story and it’s just so good!
September 23, 2025
“The rookery does not want me here. That has been made evident. Too bad. This is still Gotham. My city. I will drag her truths kicking and screaming into the night.”
As we jump into this issue we see met with headline after headline from our favorite conspiracy reporter, Nicky Harris, about the batman terrorizing the rookery. With every night that passes, every resident hunted down and questioned, and every day that Sereika finds nothing…batman grows more and more tired, we see his facial hair grow out, and even Gordon has noticed. Gordon argues that while batman has been in the rookery two other murders have happened. It just so happens that these are murders batman is well aware of and his detectives are very capable of taking care of themselves, but no one is in the rookery but him and this matters. After visiting Gordon and Sereika, the next visit batman makes it to Nicky to talk about the papers. As it turns out, that irritation batman is feeling is exactly what Nicky wanted as he needed to chat. He is worried batman has been led astray, not by the current case…but by the company he keeps. He’s been working with Sereika quite a bit, even after being fired from the Florida body farm? This peaks Batman’s interest, he didn’t know Sereika was fired.
While we don’t know what story Nicky told batman, it obviously sticks with him. It keeps going through his head as he starts tonight’s investigation in the rookery, not even noticing the two kids watching him from the laundromat as this where he always starts. They talk about his obsession with finding the red hood gang, and laugh it off as if they know something he doesn’t. But as batman approaches the laundromat he notices the two kids, and as they run he chases after them until they climb through a fence and lead him to a dirt patch with a freshly dug grave. They keep running but he stops, it’s possible another victim. He doesn’t look for a tool and instead Syrra digging with his hands as his forearms scream at him. Until he finds an old box, and as he opens it…he finds it empty. Another dead end. But suddenly an old military rifle peaks out from a window above. If you remember last issue, Alfred mentioned the rise of the old gangs came at a time of men coming back from war with gun training and trying to make ends meet in a depression America. This rifle would fit into that tale without issue. And as batman hears the gunshot he immediately recognizes the caliber where the bullet was fired from and starts building a profile on the shooter. He does all of this in the split seconds…before the bullet hits him in his back. He jumps out of the way for cover and locates the shooter. As he climbs to the apartment, he has to cling himself up the guard rails on the stairs due to the spin. There he finds an old wheelchair bound man, no longer suited for running away. He starts blaming batman, asking why he couldn’t have just gone away as he is almost dead anyway. This man was a member of the red hood gang, the original, and now that he is dying some poor woman bad to die first because he didn’t want his legacy forgotten…pathetic. The man explains that she was his sweetheart in the old days but she was sleeping with a cop. His boys killed her and buried her in the back yard. Everyone knew and also knew not to say anything, they demanded respect and in returned settled any disputes in the rookery. And now he is all that’s left, so he dug her up and figured people might be nicer if they thought the hoods were back. Then batman came along and has been trying to destroy everything. But now batman isn’t doing to well, he’s bleeding out too much and collapsed in front of the man. The man claims the rookery doesn’t need him, and without batman here it’ll be all the better. That’s when the two boys from earlier, who batman chased, walk in and stand at the sides of the old man…pulling up their red hoods in the process.
As we jump into this issue we see met with headline after headline from our favorite conspiracy reporter, Nicky Harris, about the batman terrorizing the rookery. With every night that passes, every resident hunted down and questioned, and every day that Sereika finds nothing…batman grows more and more tired, we see his facial hair grow out, and even Gordon has noticed. Gordon argues that while batman has been in the rookery two other murders have happened. It just so happens that these are murders batman is well aware of and his detectives are very capable of taking care of themselves, but no one is in the rookery but him and this matters. After visiting Gordon and Sereika, the next visit batman makes it to Nicky to talk about the papers. As it turns out, that irritation batman is feeling is exactly what Nicky wanted as he needed to chat. He is worried batman has been led astray, not by the current case…but by the company he keeps. He’s been working with Sereika quite a bit, even after being fired from the Florida body farm? This peaks Batman’s interest, he didn’t know Sereika was fired.
While we don’t know what story Nicky told batman, it obviously sticks with him. It keeps going through his head as he starts tonight’s investigation in the rookery, not even noticing the two kids watching him from the laundromat as this where he always starts. They talk about his obsession with finding the red hood gang, and laugh it off as if they know something he doesn’t. But as batman approaches the laundromat he notices the two kids, and as they run he chases after them until they climb through a fence and lead him to a dirt patch with a freshly dug grave. They keep running but he stops, it’s possible another victim. He doesn’t look for a tool and instead Syrra digging with his hands as his forearms scream at him. Until he finds an old box, and as he opens it…he finds it empty. Another dead end. But suddenly an old military rifle peaks out from a window above. If you remember last issue, Alfred mentioned the rise of the old gangs came at a time of men coming back from war with gun training and trying to make ends meet in a depression America. This rifle would fit into that tale without issue. And as batman hears the gunshot he immediately recognizes the caliber where the bullet was fired from and starts building a profile on the shooter. He does all of this in the split seconds…before the bullet hits him in his back. He jumps out of the way for cover and locates the shooter. As he climbs to the apartment, he has to cling himself up the guard rails on the stairs due to the spin. There he finds an old wheelchair bound man, no longer suited for running away. He starts blaming batman, asking why he couldn’t have just gone away as he is almost dead anyway. This man was a member of the red hood gang, the original, and now that he is dying some poor woman bad to die first because he didn’t want his legacy forgotten…pathetic. The man explains that she was his sweetheart in the old days but she was sleeping with a cop. His boys killed her and buried her in the back yard. Everyone knew and also knew not to say anything, they demanded respect and in returned settled any disputes in the rookery. And now he is all that’s left, so he dug her up and figured people might be nicer if they thought the hoods were back. Then batman came along and has been trying to destroy everything. But now batman isn’t doing to well, he’s bleeding out too much and collapsed in front of the man. The man claims the rookery doesn’t need him, and without batman here it’ll be all the better. That’s when the two boys from earlier, who batman chased, walk in and stand at the sides of the old man…pulling up their red hoods in the process.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2025
Simply beautiful.
January 5, 2026
I want to like it more than I did. Batman obsessing and being trickled easily is fine, but I had hoped for more.
January 12, 2026
I enjoy that this is the Batman that still makes mistakes. The series also shows that Gotham is a place that needs Batman due to its dark past.
January 25, 2026
Okay so the Red Hood Gang has nothing to do with The Red Hood. Why did they do that
Batman also definitely maybe severed that dudes spinal cord on the first page of this issue
Batman also definitely maybe severed that dudes spinal cord on the first page of this issue
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews