Batman and Robin #18

A lone Batman kneels in a driving rainstorm, his cape shredding into a storm of bats around him — a raw, wordless image of grief rendered with striking atmosphere by cover artists Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray. The bold "Requiem" banner says everything about the emotional weight this 2013 New 52 issue carries, as writer Peter J. Tomasi and his creative team clearly set aside action in favor of something more intimate and sorrowful. It's a rare, quietly powerful chapter in the Batman and Robin series.