The Batman Strikes #39

The Batman Strikes! #39 puts Batman in a tight spot right on the cover, where a suited Black Mask confronts him with a chilling declaration — "Step aside, Batman… the Black Mask will keep Gotham City safe now!" — while several other figures lie scattered around them in a chaotic, vividly colored scene. Cover artists Sanford Greene and Nathan Massengill pack the image with kinetic energy, capturing the unsettling confidence of a villain who seems to think he's already won. Tied in with the WB animated series and featuring a story called "Hostile Takeover," this 2008 issue promises a clash where control of Gotham itself appears to be up for grabs.