Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #91

The fiery, dread-soaked cover of this 1997 Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight issue immediately signals that "Freakout" — Part One of Three — is not a comfortable ride. Will Simpson's painted-style cover art depicts a wild-haired, bloodied figure clawing desperately through what appears to be a hellish orange void, with the shadowed silhouette of Batman's cowl looming ominously in the background. Garth Ennis and Simpson make for a compelling creative team, and this opening chapter promises the kind of visceral, psychologically charged storytelling this series did so well in its mid-1990s run.