Batman #56

Tony S. Daniel's cover for Batman #56 puts the Dark Knight front and center in a striking monochromatic rendering — cape spread wide, jaw set, surging forward from a rooftop perch against a billowing amber skyline that makes Gotham feel like it's already on fire. The contrast between Batman's steely grey costume and that warm, smoke-choked city backdrop gives the image a real sense of urgency and barely contained fury. Part 2 of "Beasts of Burden," with Tom King writing and Daniel on full art duties alongside inker Danny Miki and colorist Tomeu Morey, this 2018 issue looks like exactly the kind of chapter where the stakes keep rising.