Batman: Shadow of the Bat #18

Part of the sprawling 1993 "Knightfall" crossover event, this concluding chapter of "The God of Fear" delivers a cover that crackles with dread: Batman looms in the foreground, fists clenched, while behind him a city skyline glows under an ominous purple-orange sky and figures are scattered through the air in various states of panic — unmistakably the work of the Scarecrow's fear toxin run amok. Brian Stelfreeze's cover art captures the eerie, surreal quality of Scarecrow's terror with real atmosphere, pairing Batman's determined stance against the chaos with a fallen, straw-like figure in the lower corner that hints at the villain's reach. Alan Grant, Bret Blevins, and Steve George bring the arc home in what promises to be a satisfying, tension-filled finish.