Batman #31

The "Zero Year — Final Act" banner sets the stakes perfectly for this 2014 installment of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's reimagining of Batman's early days. Greg Capullo and Danny Miki's cover presents a quietly arresting image: a heavily gear-laden Batman crouched alone on a massive bat-shaped perch, bow in hand, silhouetted against a warm amber sunrise over a distant Gotham skyline overtaken by wild vines and overgrowth. There's something genuinely compelling about seeing the Dark Knight stripped down to survivalist essentials, framed by a city that looks like it has slipped beyond his reach — a cover that earns its place in the New 52 run.