Case 03: The Old Gangs of GothamWhen a dead body is found burned to a crisp in the heart of one of Gotham’s oldestneighborhoods, the Rookery, the Dark Knight Detective finds himself enmeshed in atwisting murder mystery dating back to the early days of the Red Hood Gang.
This is peak classic Batman content, and it's elevated to the next level by the brilliant Hayden Sherman art their style always had an eerie and surreal edge, and it's perfectly suited for bringing Gotham City's darkest secrets into the light. It might not be as immediately disturbing as the first two arcs, but this is a great start to the finale. Read Full Review
A dive into Gothams past appears to test Batmans resolve in his latest throwback case. Watters pens a dynamic start with excellent writing. Sherman and Farrell keep raising the levels with every image on page. This series never ceases in setting a high bar of storytelling. Read Full Review
: Issue #7 of this excellent title sees things seamlessly transitioning from its episodic nature to a larger narrative throughline. There has always been a sure-handed creative team at the helm here, but readers are now witnessing just how masterful their strokes are. Do not wait around for a bad Dark Patterns issue. It won't happen. Read Full Review
'Batman: Dark Patterns' #7 is what people have been asking for in a Batman story: less multiversal threats and Joker wars, more gritty mysteries and properly set up clues. No soap opera, no city-destroying threats, just a dead body and a detective. It's a premise that is executed with skill and well-defined style. Read Full Review
A new arc, a new grim murder, and more gorgeous and twisted artwork. Sherman does a fantastic job in presenting not just the body, but how the Rookery looks and feels, giving it something that feels real, old, and disturbing, there in the midst of the rest of Gotham. The murder doesn't get too much detail here yet as the investigation is just beginning, but this feels like it's more about Batman trying to not fall victim to his own analysis of things and seeing things that aren't there since we now have three deaths involving fire. There are some fun little moments, as anything with Sereika and Gordon seems to lean into that, but I really liked getting time between Bruce and Alfred, and just the lonely man in the mansion on the hill overlooking the city material. Bruce things a lot of himself and his fight for good reasons, but there's a hubris and ego that's just delightful to watch here as it does make you mentally take him down a peg because of it. Read Full Review
Batman: Dark Patterns #7 promises a compelling mystery centered around a burnt body and the re-emergence of the Red Hood gang. The art, coloring, and paneling aren't just there to serve the story; they actively enhance the storytelling experience. While this arc is clearly headed in a more mystery-thriller direction than the previous arc's intense hostage situation, it sets the stage for what could be a truly captivating and unsettling journey into Gotham's shadowed past. Read Full Review
With credit given to absolute Batman and all other Batman titles, this is what I want from a Batman book. I would buy this forever.
Sherman’s art is out of this world
Rock solid old school Batman.
I continue to enjoy this series and it's grounded, back to basics approach.
The fanboy in me wants to rate this as a perfect "10". But the realist in me knows that this is closer to an "8" or "8.5". But I'm sticking with "8" because I'm not really a fan when people continually give comics perfect scores. It taints the credibility, as I know for myself there are very few comics from my personal favorites that I'd honestly rate as "9.5" or even "10".
That being said.... This issue was FANTASTIC!!! Very few comics can draw me back in right away to read a second time within the same week. This issue, I've went and read a total of THREE times since it came out. I truly am LOVING this series!!! This is really on par with some of the best "early" style Batman tales, up there with the original (1989) comic run more
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