Batman: Gotham Knights #40

A striking Brian Bolland cover sets a tense scene: a sleek, cape-wearing woman in dark tactical gear stands over a fallen Batman, bladed weapons in hand, while a squad of armored soldiers closes in from behind. With Scott Beatty's "Knight Moves Part Three: Checkmate" heading into its third act in 2003, the odds look decidedly stacked against the Dark Knight. Roger Robinson handles the interior art, but it's Bolland's crisp linework on the cover that immediately signals this is a story where alliances and loyalties are very much in question.