It’s the end for Batman: Dark Patterns, as its finale comes out today in comic shops. Gotham is on fire, Batman has a fever, and the fire is raging on all sides inside and out. Can Batman save Gotham, or will the architect behind everything Batman has faced in this series win?
If you’re a fan of answers in detective mysteries, Batman: Dark Patterns #12 is going to be your favorite comic of the week. Not only does it wrap up the latest conflict, but it also connects the dots between the various cases throughout the series. While that gives this a bit of an extra clip of exposition, it does wrap things up nicely.
The issue opens with Commissioner Gordon transporting Firefly. Gordon’s concern for Batman telegraphs to the reader that he’s weakened in this final fight.
We then cut to where we left off, as Nick Harris is literally on fire in his fire suit, and Dr. Sereika is bound in a similar suit. The building is burning around them as Harris details all that he’s done throughout the series. Artist Hayden Sherman beautifully renders the flames around them with neat licks of smoke that convey Batman may be there with them.
The flames look great in this issue.
Credit: DC Comics
Ultimately, Harris’s defeat is fairly easy, though writer Dan Watters writes some beautiful prose to wrap up the issue. There’s an almost supernatural case made for Batman’s ability to protect the people of Gotham. Even when he’s feverish, he somehow can combat the flames up against Gotham and steers them away. For a narrative about Batman’s earlier days, there’s a kind of beauty to this story, conveying how he becomes a trusted savior to Gordon and the citizens of Gotham.
Sherman’s layouts continue to impress, though there’s a bit less symmetry this issue. The slashing diagonal gutters create a sense of frenzy in the early pages, while the closing conventional layout gives the reader calm. A standout page with a layout modeled after the bat symbol is a nice touch, and, again, the fire effects are excellent. Triona Farrell’s colors add depth and detail to the flames. Her colors ground the story, though they lift up the bright yellow Batman logo and other elements, reminding us this is a comic, after all.
Batman: Dark Patterns #12 closes the series on a fiery, heartfelt note, balancing noir mystery with mythic heroism. Dan Watters, Hayden Sherman, and Triona Farrell deliver a finale that’s both reflective and intense, reinforcing Batman’s place as Gotham’s guiding light amid the flames. Even when weakened, this Batman proves that resolve and artistry burn brightest in the dark.
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