Batmanhas had more than enough experiences delving through asylums, the Joker’s traps, and even the Riddler’s torturous puzzles - but he’s never been at the mercy of this kind ofSaw-like torture. In a new cover, the Caped Crusader is going up against a killer like no other in comics. It’s often said that Batman can beat any villain with enough prep time, but how prepared he would be against Jigsaw is any comic fan’s guess.
As revealed in DC’s February solicitations, in the finale of the “We Are Wounded” arc inBatman: Dark Patterns#3 by Dan Watters and Hayden Sherman,Batmanis on the case of the killer known as the Wound Man. Unfortunately, it looks like he’s turned from the World’s Greatest Detective to one of Gotham’s newest victims.
February 12th, 2025
Variant Covers:
Ashley Wood
SOME WOUNDS NEVER HEAL… Case 01: We Are Wounded — Part III Batman is in the dark now, amid the accumulated devastation and suffering at the root of Wound Man’s grotesque reign of terror. Can the Dark Knight bring it all to an end before the twisted killer claims another life? Don’t miss the end of We Are Wounded!
In a stunningly bleak cover image released for the third issue of this new series, which launches in December, Batman is seen dragging himself across an endless field of nails. Batman has dealt with a lot of villains over the years but never one with thisgrotesque intensity that relates directly to the movieSaw.
Batman Gets theSawTreatment in a Terrifying Cover for a Dark New Series
The Dark Knight Is Tasked with Finding a Jigsaw-Like Killer inBatman: Dark Patterns
Sawis a classic of the horror genre, and its first film, by James Wan and Leigh Whannell, witnessed the birth of a new subclass of that very genre: dungeon torture. There have been many variations within that genre, but it’s important to remember that the primary ingredient of dungeon torture isn’t just the slashing and the gore but the mystery involved.Sawis first and foremost a mystery: a mystery about who the victims are, who the villain is, and how the detectives try to solve the mystery.
Sawis the perfect narrative space for Batman to play in.
From that perspective,Sawis the perfect narrative space for Batman to play in. Set during the early years of Batman’s career in Gotham,Batman: Dark Patternswill return him to his roots of a detective hunting down killers.Batman is no stranger to being trapped in torture dungeons, but the severity of his enemy, already glimpsed in recently released pages, hints at a mystery unlike the Dark Knight has ever seen.
Our Take on How Batman’s Rogues Gallery Gets a Grim Update inDark Patterns
Batman: Dark Patterns#3 Variant Cover by Ashley Wood
It’s no wonder that Batman is clashing withhis very own version of Jigsaw with the Wound Man.Batman is known for his villains, and over the years, the Joker has become the primary torturous foil for the Dark Knight. Yet even in the last few decades, the introduction of the villain Professor Pyg, created by Grant Morrison, Andy Kubert, and Frank Quitely, pushed Batman out of the superhero world and into the world of serial killers. But nowhere before has there been this level of Riddler brilliance coinciding with the barbaric mutilation of Victor Zsasz.
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With an early career filled with nightmares like these, no wonder Batman is so sour-faced even today - he’s still being haunted. Especially considering that this Jigsaw-like villain might finally out-plan Batman, maybe comic fans are getting to see the reason whyBatman has so many contingency plans.This much is clear: in the style ofSaw,Batmanmight have to figure out how to stay alive to survive this new villain’s grotesque schemes.
Batman: Dark Patterns#3is available February 12th, 2025 from DC Comics!
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
