I, Vampire #5

Part of DC's New 52 initiative, I, Vampire #5 (March 2012) carries the tantalizing tagline "Shadow of the Bat!" — and Jenny Frison's cover makes the promise feel urgent. A figure wreathed entirely in swirling crimson flame dominates a gothic cityscape, his glowing eyes calm despite the inferno consuming him, while the Bat-Signal burns in the smoky sky above and a row of golden skulls lines the bottom of the frame. Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov with interior art by Andrea Sorrentino, this is the kind of atmospheric horror-meets-superhero crossover that made the New 52 such fertile ground for darker storytelling.