Penguin: Pain & Prejudice #1

Szymon Kudranski's cover for this 2011 five-issue miniseries pulls you in close — unsettlingly close — to the Penguin's face: his monocle, hooked nose, and cigarette holder rendered in cold, painterly shadows that make Oswald Cobblepot feel genuinely menacing rather than campy. Writer Gregg Hurwitz and artist Kudranski clearly set out to give Gotham's most underestimated villain a story worthy of his wounded pride, and that single, calculating eye staring out from the darkness promises something more psychological than a typical cape-and-cowl adventure. If you've ever wanted a portrait of the Penguin that treats him as a fully realized character, "Cold World" looks like the right place to start.