DC Comics has announced a new twelve-issue comic book series focused on Batman‘s early days solving crime in Gotham. Batman: Dark Patterns is described as a ‘lo-fi, mystery-focused’ series.

Batman: Dark Patterns is created by Nightwing‘s Dan Watters and Absolute Wonder Woman‘s Hayden Sherman and delves into four mysterious cases The Dark Knight cracks in the early years of his career. Batman will try to cement his place as Gotham City’s protector in a series that forces him to rely on his wits and skills to tackle some of the most twisted mysteries he’s ever encountered. Batman: Dark Patterns will be told as a series of four self-contained mysteries, with the first case and story arc, “We Are Wounded”, involving a series of gruesome murders in Gotham. Batman: Dark Patterns #1 goes on sale Dec. 11.

BATMAN: DARK PATTERNS #1

Written by Dan WATTERS Art by HAYDEN SHERMAN Colors by TRIONA FARRELL Letters by FRANK CVETKOVIC Cover Art by HAYDEN SHERMAN Variant Cover Art by STEVAN SUBIC On sale Dec. 11

In addition to the two covers for the first issue, DC also previewed interior artwork that shows Batman dusting off the Batmobile and responding to the Bat Symbol. DC’s press release for the new series compares it to books such as Batman: Year One, The Long Halloween and Dark Victory. Watters and Sherman team up to tell a series of three-part standalone stories that explore Batman’s place in Gotham City and how he offers a healing presence within its streets.

Batman: Dark Patterns Writer Was Inspired by Robert Pattinson Film

Speaking in DC’s announcement of Batman: Dark Patterns, writer Dan Watters revealed that Robert Pattinson’s The Batman film inspired him to hone in on the mystery elements of Batman’s story. “I love the strangeness of Batman. A man dressed as a huge, gothic bat, solving crimes in a hostile city of black magicians, mad scientists, and superstitious, cowardly criminals. I’ve always wanted to write a series of mystery stories that would home in on that aspect of the character — a dweller in the shadows of Gotham’s towering, delipidated [sic] spires,” Watters said. “After watching The Batman, this desire was reaffirmed. Batman: Dark Patterns explores the pulpiest part of The Dark Knight’s rich history and gives readers an entirely new perspective on the early years of DC’s Dark Detective.”

Watters went on to discuss the cases Batman will work on in the new series, saying, “Each case is born from Gotham and its people adapting to the horrors they’ve been subjected to over recent and not so recent years — from Joker poisoning the water supply to the Falcone gang war. The criminals are superstitious and cowardly…but how could the whole city not be superstitious and afraid? And Batman’s role as a wounded healer shrouded in urban myth, who seeks to give hope to the hopeless.”

Batman: Dark Patterns #1 goes on sale Dec. 11 from DC Comics.

Source: DC