Batman #492

Batman #492 opens the sprawling "Knightfall" saga with a cover by Kelley Jones that crackles with raw energy — Batman lunges forward in a jagged, almost feral crouch, his cape erupting in sharp, claw-like shards, while the Mad Hatter reels overhead in his oversized purple coat and pointed hat, and the Riddler sprawls below in his green-and-yellow outfit, laughing wildly amid an overturned tea party. It's a vivid, chaotic snapshot of Gotham's villains colliding with the Dark Knight, rendered with Jones's distinctively angular, high-drama style. With Doug Moench writing and Norm Breyfogle on interior art, this 1993 issue sets the stage for one of Batman's most ambitious storylines in memorable fashion.