Batman / Deathblow: After the Fire #[nn]

This 2003 DC prestige-format collection brings together Batman and Deathblow in a story crafted by writer Brian Azzarello with art from Lee Bermejo. The cover, penciled and inked by Bermejo himself, delivers an arresting close-up of Batman — cape spread wide, bat-symbol chest armor prominent, utility belt detailed in steel — rendered in stark black and white save for two vivid red rectangles glowing through the cowl's eye slits, giving the Dark Knight a genuinely unsettling, almost inhuman presence. It's a bold, minimalist design that sets a cold, noir tone perfectly suited to the gritty crossover waiting inside.