Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #137

The cover by Paul Gulacy and Jimmy Palmiotti sets an immediately unsettling tone: Batman's stern profile looms large against a storm-torn sky crackling with lightning, while below him a bald, bespectacled figure emerges from churning ocean waves, his back to us — both figures framing a gothic mansion perched on a rocky, wind-lashed cliff. "Terror Part One of Five" kicks off a five-part arc from writer Doug Moench and artist Paul Gulacy, and this January 2001 opener wastes no time promising something genuinely atmospheric and dark. If you enjoy Batman stories steeped in gothic dread and a palpable sense of mystery, this is a strong place to start.