Detective Comics #780

This May 2003 issue of Detective Comics features a striking Tim Sale cover drenched in warm amber and gold, with Catwoman standing confidently in the foreground — whip in hand, goggles raised, sleek black suit on full display — while Batman's caped silhouette looms behind her against a Gotham City skyline. The composition gives the Feline Fatale a rare commanding presence over the Dark Knight, hinting at the complicated dynamics writer Ed Brubaker weaves throughout "Dead Reckoning Part Four." Rounding out the package is a backup story, "Spore," by Nancy and Michel Gagné, making this a nicely packed read from 2003.