Detective Comics #34

Part of DC's New 52 initiative and celebrating Batman's 75th anniversary, this 2014 issue brings the "Icarus" arc to its conclusion with a cover that's equal parts grim and gorgeous. Francis Manapul's artwork places a crouching Batman amid rubble and debris, a monstrous clawed creature looming behind him against a fiery orange sky — while a shattered "You're Now Leaving Gotham City" sign lies broken at his feet, suggesting the Dark Knight has pushed well past city limits in pursuit of this case. Manapul and Buccellato have crafted one of the more visually striking chapters of their Detective Comics run, and this closing installment looks like a fittingly dramatic place to land.