Batman: The Dark Knight #18

Ethan Van Sciver's cover for this 2013 New 52 entry pulls no punches — a bloodied, wild-eyed Mad Hatter looms triumphantly over a battered Batman, clutching what appears to be a blade while the Dark Knight reels beneath him against a dizzying, hypnotic yellow-and-purple background. Writer Gregg Hurwitz and artist Van Sciver promise the story of the Mad Hatter's origin in this very issue, and the cover's visceral energy makes a strong case that it's told on brutal terms. Fans of psychological, street-level Batman storytelling will find this one hard to pass up.