Azrael: Agent of the Bat #97

Azrael lunges straight at the reader in full armored regalia — massive gauntleted fists raised, cape and ribbons whipping behind him against a blizzard-swept cityscape — and the cover tagline "Snow Angel!" sets a fittingly wintry tone for the story within. The cool, near-monochromatic palette chosen by cover artists Mike Zeck and Jerry Ordway gives the image a crisp, almost otherworldly chill that suits Batman's most intense agent perfectly. With O'Neil and Cariello driving the interior of this February 2003 issue, "Angels in Disguise" promises the kind of brooding, high-stakes adventure that has kept this series compelling deep into its run.