Batman: Shadow of the Bat #55

Batman looms large on this October 1996 cover — grimacing, teeth bared, wrists clamped in handcuffs — while the bold taunt "Book Him!" hangs in the air like a challenge. John Van Fleet's painted cover work gives the scene a raw, gritty texture, with prison-bar shadows casting a moody golden backdrop behind the Dark Knight. Writer Alan Grant and artist Rick Burchett team up for "Standard Operating Procedure," promising a story where Batman may be the one on the wrong side of the law.