Arkham Manor #1

The gate sign says it all — "Wayne" crossed out, "Arkham" scrawled in its place — and Batman crouches atop it like a guardian who can't quite believe what his ancestral home has become. Behind him, a crowd of Gotham's most dangerous patients surges forward against the silhouette of the grand manor, with the Riddler's hat and a scarred, unsettling face prominent among the gathered rogues. Gerry Duggan, Shawn Crystal, and Dave McCaig launch this 2014 New 52 series with a cover that frames the dark, almost darkly comic premise perfectly — Wayne Manor as Arkham Asylum is a genuinely compelling concept, and this first issue promises a story that's equal parts gothic atmosphere and costumed chaos.