Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Annual #4

Part of DC's Elseworlds line, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Annual #4 drops readers into "Citizen Wayne," a 1994 reimagining with a distinctly noir-tinged edge. Joe Staton and Steve Mitchell's cover delivers an arresting low-angle shot of a masked, bat-costumed figure leaping forward with claws spread wide, while armed figures crowd the foreground with pistols and automatic weapons trained on him — headlights blazing behind them like twin suns. Written by Brian Augustyn and Mark Waid with interior art by Joe Staton, this oversized annual promises an alternate-world Batman story with real menace crackling off every panel.