Batman and the Outsiders #13

Tied into DC's "Batman R.I.P." event, this January 2009 issue puts a dark, scarred figure in the Batman costume at the center of a tense standoff — crackling blue energy explodes from one side while a burst of orange flame erupts from the other, with a green-gloved fist visible at the bottom, suggesting the Outsiders themselves are part of the conflict. Writer Frank Tieri and artist Fernando Dagnino, inked by Raúl Fernández, deliver what promises to be a charged, team-tested chapter under the shadow of Gotham's upheaval. Jim Calafiore's cover art frames the confrontation with real menace, making this one hard to set back on the shelf.