Bane: Conquest #8

Graham Nolan's cover for issue #8 of this twelve-part series leans into classic comic-book showmanship, with a massive, snarling Bane lunging front and center while vignettes around him tease a looming Kobra army, the elusive Valentina, a duo of armed allies fighting for their lives — and, as the cover itself cheekily announces, a certain Caped Crusader quietly lurking in the corner. Chuck Dixon and Nolan are clearly swinging for high-stakes spectacle in "The Serpent, Part Three," pitting their larger-than-life protagonist against reptilian opposition on multiple fronts. If you enjoy globe-trotting villain-led adventure with a full roster of threats and an old-school carnival-barker energy, this one's hard to pass up.