Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Ra's al Ghul #1

Part of DC's 2010 "Road Home" crossover event, this one-shot puts Ra's al Ghul front and center — and Shane Davis's cover makes the most of that billing, presenting the Demon's Head in a commanding close-up, his ash-grey skin and ornate robes framed by jagged, barren branches as he thrusts an open hand toward the viewer with barely contained fury. It's a striking, almost confrontational image that signals writer Fabian Nicieza and artist Scott McDaniel have something substantial in store for one of Batman's most formidable adversaries. If you've been following Bruce Wayne's return across the "Road Home" one-shots, this chapter — focused on the immortal schemer who has always stood apart from the rest of Gotham's rogues — is one you won't want to skip.