Batman #14

Part of the sprawling "Death of the Family" crossover event, this January 2013 issue of Batman presents a deeply unsettling cover by Greg Capullo: the Joker — identifiable by his wild green hair — sits hunched before a bank of old monitors, his back to us, wearing a "Joe's Garage" jumpsuit and typing at a keyboard while the screens display images of Batman and his allies. The puppet-string wires connecting the televisions above him give the whole scene a chilling sense of orchestrated menace, as though Gotham's greatest villain is pulling every thread. Scott Snyder and Capullo were delivering some of their most gripping New 52 Batman work in this era, and this cover sets the mood perfectly.