Batman / The Maxx: Arkham Dreams #1

Two titans of comics finally collide in this 2018 IDW/DC co-publication — on Sam Kieth's striking cover, the grimacing face of Batman comes nose-to-nose with the bizarre, purple-masked visage of The Maxx against a stark white background, the tension between them almost crackling off the page. Kieth, who both writes and draws the series alongside co-writer John Layman, is perfectly matched to a story promising the surreal dreamscapes Arkham conjures, with colorist Ronda Pattison giving The Maxx's alien features an unsettling, otherworldly glow. If you've ever wondered what Gotham's darkest corners might look like filtered through Kieth's famously warped imagination, this opener makes a compelling case.