Arkham Asylum: Living Hell #1

Batman stands resolute at Arkham Asylum's iron gates, cloaked in shadow and surrounded by a haunting chorus of grotesque, leering faces that press in from every direction — a genuinely unsettling composition from cover artist Eric Powell. Dan Slott and Ryan Sook open this six-part 2003 DC series with "Whole in the Head," and that title alongside Powell's painted imagery makes it clear this won't be a comfortable visit to Gotham's most notorious institution. If you've ever wondered what it's actually like inside those walls, this first issue looks like a promising — if deeply creepy — place to start.