Batman #5

Part of DC's 2012 New 52 relaunch, this fifth chapter of Scott Snyder's acclaimed run on Batman carries the ominous title "Face the Court." Greg Capullo's cover — inked by Capullo himself — delivers a stark, unsettling image: a bloodied, barely conscious Batman crawls across the floor while a black-suited, yellow-eyed figure looms above him with arms outstretched and blades at the ready, every detail radiating menace. It's a genuinely striking composition that makes clear the Dark Knight is in serious trouble, and with Snyder writing and Jonathan Glapion rounding out the art team inside, this is New 52 Batman at its most gripping.