Batman Beyond #8

This 2011 DC issue puts the spotlight squarely on Inque, one of Batman Beyond's most unsettling villains, and Dustin Nguyen's cover makes a strong case for why. A sleek, horned figure composed of living black ink crouches triumphantly atop the face of a serene woman rendered in cool blues, tendrils of dark matter coiling dramatically around them both. The cover's promise — "It's darker than you ever dreamed" — feels entirely earned given the striking imagery, and writer Adam Beechen teams with artist Chris Batista to deliver what the tagline bills as the full story of Inque.