The fourth issue of DARK PATTERNS is the beginning of a new three-issue story with a new mystery for Batman to solve: The Voice of the Tower. Recall from issue three that the Wound Man was captured, his identity revealed, and we know that the Sionis family is (predictably) up to no good in Gotham. Whether their criminal activities factor into this new mystery remains to be seen.
This new story kicks off with another mysterious and grizzly murder. This time the victim is a policeman at Bledin Towers, an apartment building set for demolition. Bledin Towers is the setting for this entire issue, save for a few cutaway panels with our friend Dr. Sereika “assisting” Batman with his work in the morgue. Though the building is set to be torn down, some of the residents refused to leave. Two police officers went in, one was thrown out of a window, and one is still missing inside. With Gordon and the cops stuck outside, Batman gets in and begins looking for the missing policewoman, known to be on one of the higher floors thanks to information shared by Dr. Sereika. From there we meet a very familiar villain, the story takes a sharp left turn, and we’re left with a cliffhanger ending.
What works: the art is still outstanding. The apartment building is a labyrinth, presented very effectively with a sideways barrel distortion view in our first look at the inside stairwell. The colors inside along with the noises and graffiti give the building a specific character, and you’ll see why this matters by the end of the issue. Batman is back in his amazing dark blue and yellow oval, though the oval looks more like a circle in a few panels. The standout page to me is Batman and Gordon outside the building at the beginning, the whole scene bathed in alternating blues and reds from the police lights. I don’t know if I should read too much into the way they’re framed in this discussion and what they disagree about. But if seeds are being planted for character development later on, it’s subtle and worth following.
What doesn’t work: I won’t say too much here, because I don’t want to spoil anything, but the story takes what might turn out to be a bizarre turn at the end. Hard to judge since it’s a cliffhanger, but it could be brilliant or ridiculous depending on how it’s handled. Also, the villain is familiar but still a bold choice. There’s a small twist on how this particular villain is usually presented, which quickly becomes a huge twist. If it all comes together it’ll make for a great story, I just hope it does. Eager to see what happens next. – Trey Jackson
