Batman: Shadow of the Bat #10

Batman swoops like a dark specter over a labyrinthine cityscape bathed in deep crimson, his cape spread wide against the brooding Gotham rooftops below — it's a striking aerial image from cover artist Brian Stelfreeze that perfectly sets the tone for "The Thane of Gotham." The moody red palette and vertiginous perspective give Gotham itself an almost Gothic, oppressive weight, as if the city is as much a threat as anything lurking within it. With Alan Grant writing and Mike Collins on interior art, this March 1993 entry in the Shadow of the Bat series promises a story that takes the Dark Knight's relationship with his city seriously.