Superman / Batman #17

The fourth chapter of the five-part "Absolute Power" arc arrives in this 2005 installment of DC's Superman/Batman, with a cover by Carlos Pacheco and Jesús Merino that sets a genuinely haunting tone. A looming, shadowy villain figure dominates the left side of the image, while Superman sits restrained above — looking startled and powerless — as Batman crouches below, desperately shielding two civilians who cling to him amid an atmosphere of real menace. Jeph Loeb's penultimate chapter promises high stakes for the World's Finest, and Pacheco's expressive composition makes it clear neither hero is having an easy time of it.