Batman: Dark Patterns (2024-) #10

Batman: Dark Patterns

by Dan Watters, Hayden Sherman (Artist)

A mysterious arsonist has been secretly guiding the growth of Gotham and Batmanfrom the shadows…now their dark design enters its final stage. Will this grand workbe a success, or will the world’s greatest detective douse the blazing plot before it’stoo late?

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Batman

Kindle Edition

Published September 10, 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

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very solid start to conclude this epic line. Dan Watters will be missed on this title. Overall creepy and errie buildup.

[Nick LeBlanc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite premise of the mini-arcs in the DP series but per usual the art and storytelling are top notch.

Read as a single issue.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good. The Child’s face is so unsettling and the setup of this case was really really good. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again Dark Patterns has NOT missed once

[Cybernex007 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow the twists and turns and everything this series has been alluding to through the last three cases is finally coming to a head! That’s what I’m talking about, this series is so peak! As we leave off from the last storyline with the red hood gang, batman is still hospitalized in the bat cave from the gunshot he received, but now a new firebug has hit Gotham harder than ever. We start this issue with our main villain sitting in a house surrounded by wooden effigies of the previous three cases, monologuing about how this entire city was built from flames when the Dutchmen who landed her lit a fire that burned down the entire forest that once stood here. With the forest gone it gave ample space and fertile ground for the settlers to setup. And now it’s time for a new fire to burn away the old and create a better tomorrow. As the man lights the building he is sitting in on fire, suddenly a couple walks by and noticed the blaze: they begin to call 911 and I have to admit this is really one of the first times (aside from the cars) that I’m noticing the modern technology mixed with the older dress style. I rock with it. But as they look into the blaze the woman notices someone moving in there, suddenly she is stunned as a man in a full flame proof suit steps up to the window with what appears to be a cracked porcelain baby mask strapped to the face. Suddenly he bursts through the window and pulls the two of them inside the burning building! All the while the bat signal shines brights agains the sky, asking where its protector is.

Meanwhile the GCPD is actually doing a pretty good investigation. They found that a guard at Arkham has been slipping letters to Firefly and the writer is the current arsonist they are dealing with. Jim went to go and confront firefly himself, and even though firefly talked big about giving them info in exchange for stuff, Jim realized he was bluffing and with an anonymous pen pal he doesn’t know much from what they do. We then jump over to Bruce as he sleeps and recovers, the story Nicky Harris told Batman about Doctor Sereika is finally revealed through Bruce’s dreams. Apparently Sereika used to work at a body farm in Florida, if you don’t know what that is I recommend looking it up, but as it can be pretty grueling work he started resulting to drugs. Unfortunately those drugs have hallucinating effects and after digging a body up one of them started talking to him about feeling everything that was done to it, so Sereika decided to help…by burning the entire facility down.

Seems a fire bug got past their background checks and wouldn’t you know it…Gordon is going over to check on Sereika now and his autopsy on the man that was killed earlier in the issue, his wife is still alive but in the hospital. But as soon as Gordon arrives to the lab, the found an effigy of batman burning in the middle of the room! Gordon immediately rushed for the fire extinguisher, only for tour arsonist to come up from behind and bar the door shut. Gordon quickly found that the fire extinguisher was empty, but when he went for the door he couldn’t get through…instead looking through to find that porcelain mask staring back at him. There is no other escape route and Gordon has started to fall victim to the smoke inhalation…until batman bursts through the window and quickly swoops him up before jumping out the window with him! Batman came here by chance trying to get Sereika, he explains the story to Gordon and the revaluation that a student died in the blaze. Batman is going after him. But as the issue comes to an end we check in on our killer to find Sereika tied up as a hostage! Sereika isn’t the fire bug batman thought he was, and instead the real killer is Nicky Harris! Weaving a story to draw batman in and snuff him out! OH SHOOT.

[alejandro galvez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

Best story yet in this series. Loved the art. The writing was great too. Also Garfield Lynn makes an appearance. He is a good character that should be used more often. But all in all, I love these more intimate and grounded Batman stories. It makes Batman put his detective skills to the test. And the story just feels natural. Plus Alfred is in the background. Always great to have him back.

[Richard A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an odd but interesting take on Batman from another period in his past, I am getting confused by all the different Batman titles and which ones are from now, an Else-world or his history. However, they are all good.

[Alex Fyffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[AJ Easterday · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected more considering all the great things I've heard about this series. It's not bad, but I'm not hooked either.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

love how everything tied well with previous issues, the slow build up is subtle but genius when you look back

[Ushnav Shroff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me likey.