Batman: Shadow of the Bat #23

Part of DC's 1994 "Knightquest: The Search" crossover event, this concluding chapter — "Bruce Wayne Part Three: Curse of the Bat" by Alan Grant, Bret Blevins, and Steve George — brings the arc to a head. Brian Stelfreeze's cover art captures the tension perfectly: a powerfully built, well-dressed man dominates the scene, forcefully handling two figures while a third lies slumped in the background, all rendered in the moody, shadow-drenched palette that defined Gotham's streets in this era. If you've been following the Knightquest saga, this conclusion is exactly where you want to be.