Nightwing Annual #1

Part of DC's 1997 "Pulp Heroes" crossover event, this oversized annual captures Nightwing in classic noir-romance style — the cover by Joe Chiodo depicts Dick Grayson's alter ego in his sleek black costume locked in a tense, intimate embrace with a red-dressed blonde woman who conceals a dagger behind her back, a sprawling spider's web looming in the shadowy background. The "Young Romance" tagline and pulp-paperback aesthetic give the whole thing a wonderfully moody, hardboiled atmosphere that sets the story title "Forever Hold Your Peace" up perfectly. Written by Devin Grayson with interior art by Greg Land and Bob McLeod, this is a stylish showcase for one of DC's most compelling solo heroes.