Batman: The Long Halloween #10

Part ten of thirteen in Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's celebrated yearlong mystery, "Independence Day" arrives wrapped in one of the series' most striking covers — two silhouetted figures, Batman and a smaller, cat-like pursuer, rendered almost entirely in shadow against brilliant bursts of golden fireworks on a deep crimson background. Tim Sale's minimalist linework turns the holiday imagery into something genuinely unsettling, the explosive yellows of the fireworks contrasting sharply with those glowing, predatory eyes. With the series racing toward its conclusion, this 1997 issue captures the tension and atmosphere that made The Long Halloween such a compelling read.