Batman: Dark Patterns is exactly what it sounds like: an incredibly dark, realistic, detective story featuring the Caped Crusader. It's gritty, realistic, and impeccably written by Dan Watters and drawn by Hayden Sherman, who is the artist behind Absolute Wonder Woman. To anyone who is a fan of the Dark Knight or comics in general, I highly recommend this book.
The issue starts with Batman providing an internal monologue, quite reminiscent of The Batman. Bruce thinks about local Gotham kids who play chicken on the train tracks, many of which die, but they keep doing it. There are vicious dogs roaming the streets and being allowed to do so because locals "rescue" them and set them free. The message is this: people don't want change; they stick to their patterns, no matter how dark. It is a fantastic opener for the comic.
The art was almost off putting at first, but, just a few pages in, it struck a perfect chord with me. It fits the tone of the story very well, and this is improved when the strange new villain is introduced. It has a 1980s style to it that I usually don't love, but the realism in this story connects with the art. Batman is drawn with a costume that is seemingly made out of fabric only with no armor. I like it when Batman's suit is very high tech or bulletproof, but making his costume actually just a costume is a choice that fits well with this story.
The overall story also is reminiscent of The Batman or The Long Halloween or any other number of Batman stories that start with a mysterious serial killer, but there's a particular element to this story that makes it different: the killer is looking to cause as much pain as biologically possible to his victims. To the only victim we see, he has inserted needles into every major nerve cluster in their entire body. Right away, this comic lets us know that it'll be dark. There's also a strange professor whose presence is written quite ominously. He is obsessed with corpses and what the patterns on dead bodies tells him. I really hope he doesn't turn out to be the villain we see later in the story. It's so obvious that there's no way it will be the case. Gordon, Batman, and Sereika, the new guy, speak for a little while before Batman tells Gordon he doesn't trust Sereika, naturally. Then, Batman goes off to do his own investigating.
When infiltrating the offices of a lawyer that is connected to all the victims, Batman encounters a swatch of private security guards, further hinting at a larger cover up. What's most revealing about this scene is the fact that Batman is shot. His costume seems to have no armor whatsoever. The bullet goes right through him and his suit. The suit is seemingly not really a suit, but more of a costume. It's just fabric, no armor. Like I said above, this fits very well with the realistic tone of the story and makes this journey for Batman more threatening. If a single bullet can take Bruce out, the stakes are much higher.
Finally, Batman identifies who is most likely to be the next victim, the killer is simply going in alphabetical order on a list categorizing men who have lost loved ones, and waits outside his apartment for the killer. Listening through the bug he implanted, Batman hears the killer enter and talk to the next victim. This is when the comic goes from good, to incredible. This unnamed villain is terrifyingly drawn. He seems to be a regular person, but has inserted nails, spikes, rebar, and blades into his own body. When Batman begins to plan his strike, he realizes he can't hit him anywhere. If he hits him, one of the objects stuck in him will also be hit, and they've been strategically placed so that, if they are moved at all, they'll strike something vital, and the villain will die. This makes it impossible for Batman to fight back without killing him. Whoever this guy is, he knows Batman's no kill rule. Not only that, but he seemingly feels no pain at all. He's able to get wild hits on Batman, until the would-be victim fires a shotgun, scaring him off. Batman notes that the villain moves impossibly quick with so many things cutting into his body at once.
Lastly, the comic ends with Bruce sifting through Thomas' old medical books for clues as to who the villain is, an interesting way to include Thomas' background as a surgeon which is usually ignored. Bruce finds what he's looking for: a diagram of every possible way to inflict maximum pain on the human body. He then gives the villain a name: the Wound Man.
This comic is truly great. The 80s art style synchronizes with the gruesome and brutal story being told. The more realistic take on Batman makes each physical encounter more of a threat which is perfect for a detective story. The idea of a villain who makes it impossible for Batman to hit him without killing him is an innovative new way for Batman's no kill rule to be taken advantage of. There isn't a single thing about this comic I don't like. It is a masterpiece and a 10/10.