Batman: Shadow of the Bat #26

Part one of a two-part "Creatures of Clay" story, this April 1994 issue slots into the "Knightquest: The Crusade" saga with a cover by Brian Stelfreeze that commands immediate attention. A snarling, clay-textured femme fatale looms large, her razor-sharp claws slashing toward a blue-and-gold armored Batman who struggles in her grip — the tension between predator and prey rendered in rich, tactile detail. With Alan Grant writing and Bret Blevins on interior art, this is a compelling chapter in one of Batman's most dramatic 1994 storylines.