Batman: Gotham Knights #16

Brian Bolland's cover for this June 2001 issue sets up a striking confrontation: a heavily tattooed, shirtless figure astride a motorcycle dominates the foreground, red bandana trailing and face marked with elaborate tribal designs, while Batman looms silently from the bridge structure above. The tension between predator and prey — and the question of who's who — feels perfectly pitched for "Matatoa Part 1 of 2," the opening chapter of writer Devin Grayson's two-part story with artist Roger Robinson and inker John Floyd. Also included is a Batman Black & White backup by Alan Grant and Enrique Breccia, making this a genuinely packed installment.