Neal Adams 1941-2022

[Mace Dolex]

RIP for Neal Adams, I always walked by his booth at conventions but was too shy to say hi but he seemed always eager talking to his fans. He was one of few artists that I would buy anything he drew even absurdity like Mr. T and the T-Force and of course SKATE MAN!!!

[Sandy Hausler]

Rest in Peace Mr. Adams

https://comicbook.com/comics/news/le...ms-dead-at-80/

Neal Adams, who helped reshape characters like Batman, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow, has died. He was 80 years old. Adams fought for creators rights in comics, conducted regular Q&A sessions with fans on social media, and created or co-created numerous beloved characters, including John Stewart, Ra's al Ghul, and Man-Bat. According to Adams's family, he passed away due to complications from sepsis. Adams, with writer Dennis O'Neil, helped to reshape the public perception of Batman in the 1970s, establishing the dark, vengeful spirit of the night that defines the character to this day.

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I wouldn't blame Denny and Neal for the current status of Batman. I would say that they created one of the best versions of Batman ever seen. Of course, that's just my opinion. (And I'm also a fan of the 1950s Batman, which is probably as far from the O'Neill/Adams version as you can get.)

[JThree]

Had the privilege of meeting Mr. Adams several years ago in Denver. He was gracious enough to come to the the mid-west, when I don't think a great many writers/celebrities made it a priority yet. For the most part, he was a generous and kind man, especially when I was frustrated that I brought the wrong book for him to sign. I had to wait til next year to bring him the right one. I was surprised that he was the artist behind a Tarzan cover or two. He really was talented. He probably didn't know what to think of me, since I was new to the comic book autographing scenes when I gave him a poster to sign. And then he kindly filled me in on the cover's history (when I didn't have enough knowledge to ask him questions about said piece of art).
I asked if I could shake his hand for all the work he had done to help Siegel and Shuster, who had been living in poverty at the time. And he kindly let me. I made the mistake of telling him I preferred his earlier work in the sixties and seventies as opposed to today. (Hey, I loved his covers back than).


Jthree

God bless him.

[Jon-El]

Why in recent years didn’t DC ever pair him with a good writer and inker that capitalize on his still considerable skills? He was still doing some outstanding work.

[kcekada]

So many great memories of his work!

I was first introduced to his art in the Green Lantern/Green Arrow strip in the back of the Flash (GL/GA was apparently cancelled just before I began reading comics). This was the story where Ollie unintentionally kills a mugger, and is devastated. It the first of a 3-parter, and it would take more than 10 years until I was able to read the rest of that story by purchasing back issues.

I read a few of his Batman issues around this time as well -- but it was probably his covers that struck a chord with me -- particularly Superman 252 (flying heroes wraparound cover) and Batman 251 (ultimate Joker story, IMHO). In the mid 70s, he contributed a lot of great images to the 1977 DC Superstars calendar (using a layout similar to Superman 252 cover for the Legion of Super-Heroes image). Love that calendar!

In the late 70s, I purchased one of his X-Men issues -- finally completing that run some time in the mid 80s. It's difficult to believe that the Thomas/Adams run on X-Men was cancelled -- as it was the highlight of the original run. The Thomas/Adam Sentinels trilogy is the best Sentinels story.

I also followed his work at Pacific Comics and Continuity Comics. I think Ms. Mystic would probably have become a bigger book if Neal had been able to get it out on a regular schedule (despite problems with the scripts).

Aside from his groundbreaking artwork, I've read of how charitable he was to other creators -- helping guys like Dave Cockrum get financial aid from Marvel when he needed it badly. Truly, one of the greats in the industry!

[kcekada]

Why in recent years didn’t DC ever pair him with a good writer and inker that capitalize on his still considerable skills? He was still doing some outstanding work.

I think that Neal is probably to blame there. I read where he claimed to not like writing, but it seems all of his work in the past few decades relied on his own writing (which was questionable at best). But I would have loved to see Denny and Neal revisit Batman or Roy and Neal revisit the late 60s version of X-Men.

[JThree]

Wish his 70's covers to the 100 Page Super Spectacular's would have been reprinted more and made into posters. When I saw him at the Denver Convention, he didn't have any posters of his earlier work. Just my preference.
--jthree

[Timothy Hunter]

I think that Neal is probably to blame there. I read where he claimed to not like writing, but it seems all of his work in the past few decades relied on his own writing (which was questionable at best). But I would have loved to see Denny and Neal revisit Batman or Roy and Neal revisit the late 60s version of X-Men.

I think things worked out for the best. Neal's written works like Batman Odyssey, Deadman, Batman vs. Ra's Al Ghul had a childlike zaniness that you just don't anymore.

That being said it would have been amazing to see Neal Adams collaborate with a writer as cutting edge as Neal was an artist. The closest thing I can think of was the Mark Waid Fantastic Four miniseries he drew a while back.

[The Frog Bros]

I think things worked out for the best. Neal's written works like Batman Odyssey, Deadman, Batman vs. Ra's Al Ghul had a childlike zaniness that you just don't anymore.

That being said it would have been amazing to see Neal Adams collaborate with a writer as cutting edge as Neal was an artist. The closest thing I can think of was the Mark Waid Fantastic Four miniseries he drew a while back.

I'd put Coming of the Supermen in there as well. Which I did enjoy solely because I prepared myself for a completely zany and bonkers throwback type comic book story with awesome art.

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[Jim Kelly]

Wish his 70's covers to the 100 Page Super Spectacular's would have been reprinted more and made into posters. When I saw him at the Denver Convention, he didn't have any posters of his earlier work. Just my preference.
--jthree

When LIMITED COLLECTORS' EDITION C-51 (August 1977) [Batman vs. Ra's al Ghul] and ALL NEW COLLECTORS' EDITION C-56 (1978) [Superman vs. Muhammad Ali] each came out, I bought double copies of both. Then, from one of my copies of each, I removed the staples, took off the covers and put them up on my bedroom wall. Probably not a financially sound thing to do, but I just wanted to have those covers as posters.

[Sandy Hausler]

I think that Neal is probably to blame there. I read where he claimed to not like writing, but it seems all of his work in the past few decades relied on his own writing (which was questionable at best). But I would have loved to see Denny and Neal revisit Batman or Roy and Neal revisit the late 60s version of X-Men.

I'v always thought that if Neal had been assigned to the X-Men a few months earlier, the book might never have been cancelled. Kind of makes you wonder. Would the second generation of X-men ever been created. Sure Banshee was always a possible recruit; he first appeared in the early 1960s. And, new mutants might join from time to time (actually not to often -- Mimic was a member for a while and Havok and Lorna Dane hung around for a while), but we might not have had the turnover that occurred in 1975. and it the X-Men was a popular book, would it ever have fallen into the hands of Chris Claremont? (Hard to say if Dave Cochrum would have become the artist at some point. He was popular before he became the X-Men artist, so if Neal left the book, he would have been a realistic choice to take over.)

Maybe it's for the best that Neal didn't join the X-Men team until it was too late to save the book.