Batman: Dark Detective #2

The tagline "by love… BETRAYED" sets the emotional stakes right on the cover of this 2005 six-issue miniseries, where Batman looms in shadow as a remarkable crowd of Gotham's worst — the Joker, the Penguin, and a host of other recognizable villains — surrounds a white-haired woman who appears to be the focal point of all that menace. Marshall Rogers and Terry Austin bring a lively, almost theatrical energy to the composition, filling every corner with character and tension. Steve Englehart's return to these Gotham streets alongside his longtime collaborators makes this second chapter feel like a genuine event for fans of their earlier work together.