Batman Annual #20

Part of DC's 1996 "Legends of the Dead Earth" annuals crossover, this oversized Batman issue presents a wonderfully strange vision of Gotham's Dark Knight — here riding atop a flying saucer against a fiery crimson sky, while a ghoulish screaming face, a glowing plant-creature, the Joker, and what appears to be a Penguin-like figure crowd the foreground in chaotic, almost feverish style. Vince Giarrano's cover art crackles with dark energy, blending the familiar and the surreal into something genuinely eye-catching. Writer Doug Moench and Giarrano team up inside for "Fables of the Bat-Man," promising a tale that clearly delights in reimagining the Batman mythos in bold, unexpected ways.