Batman #11

Batman stands wreathed in roiling flames against a field of darkness, his cape spread wide in a posture that radiates hard-won defiance — it's a striking image from cover artist Greg Capullo that perfectly suits the promise blazoned across the cover: "The Epic Finale of the Court of Owls!" Scott Snyder and Capullo's New 52 Batman run brought Gotham's secret conspiracy to terrifying life, and this September 2012 issue, "My Brother's Keeper," brings that arc to its culmination. If you've been following the Court of Owls saga, this is the issue you've been building toward.