Batman / Deathblow: After the Fire #1

This 2002 DC crossover teams the Dark Knight with Wildstorm's hard-edged operative Deathblow, and Lee Bermejo's striking cover sets the tone perfectly — Batman looms in dynamic black-and-white above a battle-worn Deathblow, red bandana tied across his scarred face, dual pistols raised and ready against a bold graphic backdrop. Brian Azzarello's gritty storytelling sensibility pairs naturally with this kind of morally complex pairing, and with Bermejo's art complemented by Grant Goleash's sharp color accents, the creative team is firing on all cylinders from the first page. At $5.95, "After the Fire: One of Three" promises the kind of noir-inflected superhero tension that made 2002 an exciting time for DC's mature-readers line.