Batman: The Dark Knight #1

Batman looms as a pure black silhouette against a storm-lit sky on Frank Miller's striking cover for Book One of The Dark Knight Returns — a bolt of lightning splitting the deep blue-purple night behind him with raw, crackling energy. It's a bold, atmospheric image that sets an unmistakably serious tone for this 1986 miniseries, brought to life by Miller alongside inker Klaus Janson and colorist Lynn Varley. If you've ever wanted to experience what turned the comics world on its head in 1986, this is where it begins.