Superman / Batman #55

Part three of the "Super/Bat" arc arrives with a cover that demands attention — a Batman figure writhes in agony as red laser beams pierce his cowl, debris exploding outward from a shattered Superman emblem beneath him. Surrounding this central chaos are four onlooking faces — a masked young hero, a dark-haired woman, and two other concerned figures — all watching the carnage with unmistakable dread. Rags Morales's cover art crackles with energy, and with Green and Johnson steering the story in 2009, this is one of those issues where the creative team is clearly firing on all cylinders.