Batman has 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 of Saw-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 in Batman: Dark Patterns #3 by Dan Watters and Hayden Sherman, Batman is 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.

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 this grotesque intensity that relates directly to the movie Saw.

Batman Gets the Saw Treatment in a Terrifying Cover for a Dark New Series

The Dark Knight Is Tasked with Finding a Jigsaw-Like Killer in Batman: Dark Patterns

Saw is 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 that the primary ingredient of dungeon torture isn't just the slashing and the gore but the mystery involved. Saw is 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.

Saw is the perfect narrative space for Batman to play in.

From that perspective, Saw is the perfect narrative space for Batman to play in. Set during the early years of Batman's career in Gotham, Batman: Dark Patterns will 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 in Dark Patterns

Batman: Dark Patterns #3 Variant Cover by Ashley Wood

It's no wonder that Batman is clashing with his 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.

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 why Batman has so many contingency plans. This much is clear: in the style of Saw, Batman might have to figure out how to stay alive to survive this new villain's grotesque schemes.

Batman: Dark Patterns #3 is available February 12th, 2025 from DC Comics!