Batman: Gotham Knights #35

That cover by Brian Bolland says it all — a heavily tattooed, wide-eyed man stares in sheer terror as an enormous scorpion crawls directly toward his face, its claws reaching menacingly close. The image is visceral and unsettling in the best way, perfectly suited to a story titled "Tabula Rasa Part Two: Pain and Ink." Scott Beatty, Roger Robinson, and John Floyd bring Gotham's darker corners to life in this January 2003 issue that promises tension, body horror, and the kind of street-level unease Batman's world does so well.