Superman / Batman #18

The fifth and final chapter of "Absolute Power" arrives in this 2005 DC title, and the cover by Carlos Pacheco and Jesús Merino makes a strong case for the tension inside. Superman hurls energy blasts at a massive, glowing icy figure looming above the fray, while Batman grapples hand-to-hand with a helmeted opponent below — and a blonde woman in a blue cloak adds her own powers to the mix. Written by Jeph Loeb, this concluding installment promises the kind of sprawling superhero clash the series has been building toward.