Batman #318

Batman squares off against a flame-wreathed villain on a rooftop as Gotham burns around them, with desperate civilians scrambling to safety in the background and fire trucks visible on the street far below — it's a genuinely striking image from cover artist José Luis García-López that sets a vivid, urgent tone. The cover announces the introduction of the Firebug, billed as "the man who is burning Gotham City down," and the masked figure in red and yellow facing Batman looks every bit the threat that tagline promises. Len Wein scripts and Irv Novick handles interior art for this December 1979 issue, making it a solid snapshot of DC's Dark Knight in the Bronze Age.