Damian: Son of Batman #2

The second chapter of Andy Kubert's four-part New 52 miniseries finds Damian in a striking Robin costume — yellow cape, mask, and all — standing his ground with a batarang raised, while a towering, menacing Batman figure looms behind him in crimson-tinged shadow. Kubert's cover composition makes the generational tension between father and son feel electric, the smaller figure facing forward with fierce resolve against the enormous, spiked-gauntleted presence at his back. "Book Two: Hierarchy" promises exactly the kind of power struggle that title implies, and this 2014 issue delivers one of the series' most visually charged covers.