Batman and Robin #34

Part two of the "Robin Rises" arc puts Batman and Lex Luthor front and center — literally — with Luthor's armored, glowing-gauntleted hands thrust toward the viewer while a caped Batman looms ominously in the shadows behind him. Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray's cover bristles with tension, the contrast between Luthor's cold, calculating stare and Batman's silent, imposing silhouette making it clear these two powerhouses are not on the same page. Peter J. Tomasi's New 52 run continues to raise the stakes, and this October 2014 chapter looks like a genuinely compelling collision of wills.