Batman: Gordon of Gotham #1

Part one of a four-issue miniseries, this 1998 DC release puts Commissioner James Gordon squarely in the spotlight — a rare chance to see Gotham's top cop carry a story on his own shoulders. The cover by Janson and Giordano is a study in moody green and red: a steely-eyed Gordon in glasses and trench coat dominates the foreground, while a blood-streaked Chicago Police Department sign looms behind him and an unseen figure raises a gun overhead. With Dennis O'Neil writing and Giordano and Janson sharing interior duties as well, "Dumb as a Rock" promises a street-level Gotham story with plenty of grit to spare.