Batman: Dark Detective #1

The Joker stares straight at you — finger pointed, rose pinned to his lapel, wild grin stretched wide — against a patriotic backdrop of stars and stripes, demanding your vote with a threat that makes the choice disturbingly clear. It's a bravura cover from the reunited team of Marshall Rogers and Terry Austin, whose work here perfectly sets the tone for Steve Englehart's return to Gotham in 2005. With Batman himself looming silently in shadow above the title, this first issue of the six-part Dark Detective miniseries promises the kind of stylish, character-driven storytelling fans of this creative trio have long appreciated.