Batman: Dark Patterns Vol. 2

by Dan Watters, Hayden Sherman (Illustrator)

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Batman, Graphic Novels

304 pages, Paperback

Expected publication March 31, 2026

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

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in single issues format

[Bryan Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty much all my thoughts on this book are the same as volume 1. See previous review for details.
Writing, plot, and art are all top notch.

I really hope this series gets extended from a mini series to an ongoing, or at least bring this team back for another mini series run.

[James De Leon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A finale that lifts the entire series, including my old rating.

Batman: Dark Patterns Vol. 2 ended up being a genuine surprise for me. In a way, giving this a 5/5 feels like my attempt to make up for the 3/5 I gave the first volume. The last three issues of this collection retroactively strengthened the entire series. They tied together every thread, including several I had not even realized were being set up, and made the whole run feel far more intentional.

I struggled at first with the vulnerability Bruce shows in the early part of the story. I am now so used to the version of Batman who survives falling from orbit, walks away from explosions, and shrugs off injuries that would end anyone else. This series presents a more grounded, believable Batman, and it threw me off. That was my mistake. Looking back, this approach gives the story more weight, and it ultimately makes the payoff far more satisfying.

Dan Watters delivers some of the strongest modern Batman writing I have read in a while, and Hayden Sherman’s art is fantastic from start to finish. Together, they make this volume feel like an instant classic - one that I'll need to buy in deluxe format when it becomes available.

[ShamNoop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of full series:
Just absolutely brilliant in every way. The most obvious and prominent feature is Hayden Sherman’s art, which not only looks incredible but frequently uses creative panels and layouts to induce claustrophobia and a sense of motion and flow that an artist has to work extremely hard to create.
Then there’s the stories on the surface, four fantastic crime noir horror stories, each of which builds upon the ones before it. These stories are exciting, tense, and maybe a little easy to predict but so well executed you’ll find it hard to really care. Beneath it, this comic has some of the clearest but strongest thematic and symbolic writing I’ve seen in a DC comic in a while, all in service of the character arc of the title character. It’s subtle in its progression, but you can see Bruce’s character, in his narration and the physicality of the art, go through change, doubt, and pain, and come out the other side just a little bit changed.
Fantastic comics, highly recommended to everyone, even people who don’t really read DC.

[Luke · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I was relatively impressed by the writing and presentation of the first volume in this series, presenting 2 seemingly unconnected vigettes in the world of Batman, this second volume works to create an overarching conspiracy that connects all 4 short stories and in the process undermines some of the simplicity and beauty I felt the series benefited from. By the end of the final short story, I felt pretty clocked out of the experience, with the tone shifting from a Saturday morning cartoon to an all-important statement on Gotham, Batman, and the world these characters exist within.

[Cristian Marrero]

Volume 2 exceeded expectations. The last three issues interconnected various plotlines effectively, enhancing the series' overall coherence. Bruce's vulnerability contrasted with typical depictions, adding weight to the narrative. Incredible storylines connecting to a surprising big reveal that I should have seen, but glad I didn't. This is a full circle of darkness and what fires can reveal in life.

[Nana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as single issues.

Among the four arcs, the third one (#7-9) stood out as the most grounded and human story.

The final arc and its twist were shocking and well-developed, but I felt that they didn't really stick the landing in the last issue.

[MannyLikesPie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far Goodreads has the info of this wrong. This is the trade that has all 12 issues, not vol 2. Anyway this is one of the best written, drawn, and length comics ever. Plus a must read Bat story, I read Arkham City last year and I loved it. So anything they write, I’ll read

[Keegan Schueler · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better current series for Batman and it really sucks it’s ending. These finale issue arcs are great and really show who Batman is as a character. This needs brought back under another name but keep the creative team.

[Laura Zarzyńska · Rating 4 out of 5]

kocham ten komiks!!

[Utkarsh Bansal · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the great Batman tales. Maybe the best of the 21st century. Hayden Sherman is a god.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect follow-up to the first volume, building upon it's stories in a non-obvious way while providing both self-contained arcs and an over arching conclusion.

[Thomas Gagel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just…goated. What else could I say?

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is still peak Batman to me, both writing and art. It’s funny how a story where the villain is a geriatric man and his grandkids could be more interesting than a story involving the entire rogues gallery. I really like how Watters tied each story together in the end. This series fits perfectly with all the other early career Batman stories.

[Jon Rodzik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as individual comic issues ( #7 to #12) .