Batman: Gotham After Midnight #11

The penultimate chapter of Steve Niles and Kelley Jones's twelve-issue horror-noir series arrives with a cover that throws Batman headlong into an overwhelming horde — a cloaked figure commands "Kill him, my minions — kill him!" while a gargoyle creature, a scarecrow-like monster, a green hulking brute, and what appears to be the Scarecrow himself all converge on the Dark Knight against a blazing orange and red backdrop. Kelley Jones's characteristically dramatic linework makes every claw and cape feel genuinely menacing, perfectly suiting a series that has leaned hard into Gotham's gothic underbelly. With one issue left to go in 2009, this "Monster Mash" chapter promises a collision of creatures that would make any horror fan's pulse quicken.