Batman travels into The Rookery, one of Gothamâs darker neighborhoods, investigating a murder and learning about the history of a familiar name: The Red Hood Gang. Batman: Dark Patterns #7 is written by Dan Watters, drawn by Hayden Sherman, colored by Triona Farrell and lettered by Frank Cvetkovic.
Will Nevin: Itâs no âthe man is getting an extended run on Detective Comicsâ sort of news, but itâs cool nonetheless that Dan Watters is writing the first issue of a new Twilight Zone miniseries for IDW. Weâre in a real damned golden age for anthology series. *pokes DC editorial*
Matt Lazorwitz: Even if we canât get a new Legends of the Dark Knight volume, youâd think with the All-In initiative, we could get a fun anthology using all the characters who arenât getting spotlights elsewhere. Or an anthology The Brave and the Bold that leans into big-name creators. Let someone not writing a regular Bat book team Batman up with their favorite character. Not some big, chunky 80 pages crammed with backups, but a sleek and glossy standard book from big names.
Will: The Brave and the Bold model is terrible for a peanut brain like me. Itâs hard enough to remember one story from month to month. But keeping two or three straight in my brain? Yikes.
The Rookery and the Red Hoods
Matt: Iâve talked about using continuity as a guide and not being beholden to it. And I have talked about the irritation of tying things together that donât feel necessary, or name dropping for the sake of name dropping. The way Dan Watters introduces a history and an antecedent to the Red Hood Gang here is the best example of this done right. It takes a minor element of Bat lore, adds dimension to it, supports the ongoing narrative, but at no point feels like you need to go deep into the history of the Red Hood as a concept.
Will: What a cool idea, speaking to the mythos without overwriting it or dancing too close to the raindrops, like with the 14th or 15th âBruce Wayneâs childhood best friendâ who pops up for the first time in some new writerâs first arc. Recasting the Jokerâs Red Hood Gang as a group leeching off of something older and more sinister is a brilliant touch. And I loved the introduction of the Rookery as a neighborhood at the end of a line, one that has risen and fallen with the overall history of Gotham. Just a great move that gives Gotham a real sense of history and change.
Matt: I would love someone (and it might have to be me, but I mean someone official) to write up a travel guide to Gotham. Bring in all the neighborhoods that have been introduced over the years and make this full vision of the city. Even if it theoretically makes Gotham the size of most of the state of New Jersey, it would just be cool.
The Rookery fits into the pattern of what weâve seen in this book. This is a place forgotten, ignored or intentionally hidden, like the town that the Wound Man came from or the building that became Scarface in the last arc. If we are following the pattern, are the Red Hood Gang trying to take control of the Rookery as is? Or are they the sinister force of gentrification? Some outside force using the myths of the neighborhood to try to get people out for their own purposes?
Will: Not to try and go 2-for-2 in predictions on this book, but what if there was no crime here? What if the victim was stumbling through the fire, suffered some sort of acid burn and then crawled into the dryer looking for safety? I donât know that I believe that after having written it, but it would speak to the name of the arc. And I would fucking love two chapters of Batman chasing at shadows and constantly questioning everything. Batmanâs greatest enemy, Matt? Ainât the Joker. Itâs himself.
Matt: That is a fascinating idea. I like how pareidolia was discussed throughout this issue. Watters does tremendous stuff with narration, doesnât he? We have read so many comics for the podcast that are over-narrated. But Watters knows just the right amount of narration to use.
Is this the first time we have gotten Alfred in this book, by the way? It is definitely the most Alfred weâve gotten, and boy howdy, does Watters get that characterâs voice. The gently prodding at Bruce about not bleeding on the sheets, but then immediately helping him with his insight into the history of Gotham? The balancing act of what Alfred should be is tricky, and Watters just gets it.
Will: Itâs a delicate thing to pull off, keeping a sardonic wit, loyalty, love and independence all in one fake guyâs brain. Alfred, man. He contains multitudes. Alfred had to be in the first arc, right? Definitely wasnât in the last one considering I donât think there was any time at the manor.
Matt: And letâs not forget the real star of the issue: Rat Guy. This series gets all the points for introducing these fantastic bit characters who appear just for one issue or one scene. Whether itâs the townsfolk in Green Fields willing to defend their toxic town or the residents of Bledin Towers like the mother and daughter from issue #5 or the guy who talks to Batman through the gap in his door in issue #4, they feel fully realized even if they are only there for an eyeblink.
Will: Heâs got an astrophysics degree, Matt. And thatâs his rat.
One of the really great things about this series is that (despite my above boasting) itâs generally unpredictable. Rat Man could be a central character. Or he could just be Rat Man. In either case, you do need to get your own rat. I will say, I do hope this is not an assault/interrogation of the entire Rookery. Batman exploring a foreign landscape was great for one arc. It might be a little too samesy for another.
Matt: I think Watters has some tricks up his sleeve. Even if it is in the same vein, I think he will have something different to it. I mean, make it a real investigation, more of a step-by-step process rather than the big action piece, and you have something in the same shape but very different in its execution, and I will be down for it.
Also, maybe since we havenât gotten a ton of it in this book, I forget how funny Watters can be. âI did nothing wrong! I only kill for Satanâs glory!â is a line I donât think I can easily work into conversation, but if it ever presents itself, is sure to get a chuckle from anyone.
Will: You can steal anyoneâs joke without a problem. But you will need to get your own rat.
Bat-miscellany
- Patreon backer John Wickham returns to the show bringing three of the worst stories he could remember. He was shooting for a new worst on the Big Board. He succeeded.
Buy Batman: Dark Patterns #7 here. (Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, ComicsXF may earn from qualifying purchases.)
Matt Lazorwitz read his first comic at the age of 5. It was Who's Who in the DC Universe #2, featuring characters whose names begin with B, which explains so much about his Batman obsession. He writes about comics he loves, and co-hosts the podcasts BatChat with Matt & Will and The ComicsXF Interview Podcast.
Will Nevin loves bourbon and AP style and gets paid to teach one of those things. He is on Twitter far too often.
