Remembering Artist Neal Adams

Remembering artist Neal Adams on his birthday (June 15, 1941 - April 28, 2022) with a pair of his covers from Adventure Comics (#365 and #366, February and March, 1968) featuring Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, where the team go to the homeworld of Shadow Lass (meeting her for the first time) and face the return of the Fatal Five!

Beware The Witching Hour

Beware the Witching Hour....and here, there are reasons to with these two covers by Neal Adams for The Witching Hour (#9 and #10 from June-July and August-September, 1970) where Mordred of the Three Witches watched over mayhem about to take over innocent victims....but where were blonde Cynthia and hooded Mildred?

Horror In And Out Of The House Of Mystery

Here are a couple of cases of horror around the house....the House of Mystery, that is, with Neal Adams' covers for House Of Mystery #178 and #179 (January-February and March-April, 1969).

Remembering Artist Neal Adams On Father's Day

Remembering artist Neal Adams on his birthday (June 15, 1941 - April 28, 2022) and also acknowledging today is Father's Day....so, here are a couple of Superboy covers featuring Superboy with his Kryptonian parents (Jor-El and Lara) and his Earth parents (Jonathan and Martha Kent), showing that Superboy does indeed need his father (and mother too!).  

Superboy #158 (July, 1969) and Superboy #161 (December, 1969)

Remembering Artist Neal Adams

Remembering artist Neal Adams on his birthday (June 15, 1941 - April 28, 2022) with a couple of his most famous covers from his Green Lantern run with Denny O'Neil, Green Lantern #85 and #86, (August-September and October-November, 1971), with Green Arrow being confronted with his ward's drug problem..  

This was a big moment, not only for Speedy, but for comics in general, changing the dynamic of the kid partner forever...  

...these stories have been reprinted many times, with Neal providing even more raw emotion on the covers, but provided a wonderful window into the times they were made. 

The Mighty Superman

 

Superman, the defender of truth, justice and the American way, shows that part of that is also to defend the entire Earth, represented well by this image by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano, from the February entry of the 1976 Super DC Calendar.

Welcome To The Future

Here we are in 2023!  

At one point, considered the future...

...and to welcome you to this future is Superboy and the Legion Of Super-Heroes, in this bit from the Super DC Calendar of 1976 by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano in their finest 1970s attire (or is that 2970s attire?)! 

Remembering Artist Neal Adams

Remembering artist Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 - April 28, 2022)...

...with a look at some of his covers you might not have seen...from the Challengers of the Unknown, adventure heroes living on borrowed time, with pilot Ace Morgan, fighter Rocky Davis and acrobat Red Ryan taking a slight turn towards the supernatural, as science based member Prof  Haley was replaced with mystic Corinna Stark, and the team even met Deadman!

Challengers Of The Unknown #67 and #68 (April-May and June-July, 1969)

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Challengers Of The Unknown #70 and #72 (October-November 1969 and February-March, 1970)

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Challengers Of The Unknown #74 and #81 (June-July, 1970 and June-July, 1977)

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Sadly, Neal's art didn't end up in the interiors of the title, except for Deadman pages in #74 (and, read more about Neal's work on Deadman here), with Neal only inking #81 featuring Multi-Man over Michael Netzer's pencils.  The two missing covers were by Joe Kubert and Nick Cardy, in case you are curious.

A little more of Neal's work can be seen, such as with Superman/Batman in World's Finest here, a touch of his Green Lantern here, his Tomahawk covers here and a little recent article on his passing here.

Remembering Artist Neal Adams

Remembering artist Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 - April 28, 2022), with some of his Superman, Batman, Avengers, X-Men and other work.

An incredible artist, an influence to many, with decades of stunning work, who shall be missed.

Avengers

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X-Men

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Batman

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Superman

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House Of Mystery

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Green Lantern

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Deadman In Strange Adventures

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Spectre

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Phantom Stranger

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For these and so many, many more, we will remember Neal Adams.

Wild West UFO Invasion

It seems an odd cover for a western, with a UFO landing, this Neal Adams cover to DC Special #6 (January-March, 1970), and it was indeed....as odd as the reprints with this issue, and, much more importantly, the new, framing story by Len Wein, Gil Kane and Vince Colletta.

The framing story, "Behold The Wild Frontier", deals with a grandpa trying to get some logging done, yet his two wild grandsons are more interested in getting in the way.  So, to calm them down, he sits them down and starts to tell him stories of men going out to tame the Western frontier.

These stories include tales of Daniel Boone (from The Legends of Daniel Boone #1 from October-November 1955), Davy Crockett and Kit Carson (both from Frontier Fighters #4 from March-April 1955), 

Buffalo Bill (from Frontier Fighters #6 from July-August 1956 - cover not pictured), 

Tomahawk (from World's Finest Comics #69 of March-April 1954) and Pow-Wow Smith (from Detective Comics #178 from December, 1951), with the last two not being featured on the covers, and a little Tomahawk history is here, as Pow-Wow Smith's is here!

As the group was heading out with their lumber, they were set upon by arrows, and found a young brave attacking their group, yet that boy's father arrived to tell him how his people were taken to the sky, and knew that the men they left behind would follow, but the logger grandfather wanted to extend his hand in peace (as readers see the slow pullback to find they were logging on an asteroid in space, extending the Wild West into the Final Frontier, with a UFO in the background!).

  

Too Hot For Tomahawk

Feeling the heat as July 4th approaches?

Well, it isn't as bad as it was for Tomahawk, hero of the Revolutionary War.


Though times were tough for him as his series was winding down, he did have some incredible covers by Neal Adams (but Neal only did the covers).


Starting with Tomahawk #116 (May-June, 1968) and running to Tomahawk #130 (September-October, 1970), except for #120 and #122), Neal Adams put Tomahawk through many a menace.

Tomahawk #116 and #117

 

Tomahawk #118 and #121

Tomahawk #123 and #124

Tomahawk #125 and #126

Tomahawk #127 and #128

Tomahawk #129 and #130

Not quite the simple adventures he use to have, or even having Miss Liberty (who has been covered before, with a few other historical characters, once in the JLA/JSA and once with Firebrand) along.

Still, this wasn't quite enough to save the title, and it changed to Hawk, Son of Tomahawk for the last 10 issues of its run (with art by Joe Kubert, so these might get covered as well!).

Happy 4th Of July With the Justice League

Salute the flag and celebrate the Fourth of July with the Justice League of America, as shown in this patriotic scene by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano, from the 1976 Super DC Calendar.

Aquaman Swims Into June

Aquaman takes a dip with his finny friends in this Neal Adams and Dick Giordano done drawing.

This is the feature image for the month of June in the 1976 Super DC Calendar, but, Aquaman wouldn't just be floating around after this, facing Weather Wizard in a later calendar!

Flash Facts: USA March

Neal Adams and Dick Giordano gave us the March art for the 1976 Super DC Calendar.

It was Barry Allen's Flash, taking a leisurely run around the neighborhood....that of the United States of America!

Flash, of course, would appear in later calendars as well....

Batman Vs Ra's Al Ghul Treasury

Batman had faced a few impressive villains over the years, but, Ra's Al Ghul was one who was more impressive than most.

The tales that introduced Ra's Al Ghul to the Batman universe were larger than life, and the earliest of them were collected in the Limited Collectors' Edition #C-51 (August, 1977), with this stunning Neal Adams cover.

Now, the issues which introduced Ra's to Batman, and the world!

Daughter Of The Demon

First up, the premiere of Ra's Al Ghul, from Batman #232 (June, 1971) by Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams and Dick Giordano, under an incredible cover by Adams and Giordano!

Robin starts the issue at Hudson University, and is kidnapped by mysterious figures.  A note is sent to Batman at the Wayne Foundation, informing Bruce they have Robin.  Needing more resources, Batman heads back to the Batcave at Wayne Manor....and finds Ra's Al Ghul and his servant, Ubu, in the Batcave.  Ra's had deduced that Batman was Bruce Wayne, because he needs help...his daughter, Talia (who had been introduced in Detective Comics #411) had also been kidnapped by the Brotherhood of the Demon.   Batman, Ra's and Ubu then have to travel the world searching for Robin and Talia (all the while, Batman being put in danger, and thinking about Ra's and Ubu). 

Finally, Batman finds Robin....and realizes that Ra's is the head of the Brotherhood of the Demon, and that this was a test by Ra's Al Ghul, to see if Batman is worthy of his daughter, who loves "the detective", Batman!

Ra's and Talia come back in Batman #235 and #240, by Denny O'Neil, Irv Novick and Dick Giordano, with covers by Adams and Giordano, but they weren't included in this collection.  What is important about these tales is that Batman realizes he needs to deal with Ra's and his organization, and that he doesn't like them being able to strike against his alter ego of Bruce Wayne.

Bruce Wayne -- Rest In Peace

This collection picks up with Batman #242 (June, 1972), and a cover by Mike Kaluta, story by Denny O'Neil, Irv Novick and Dick Giordano.

Batman and Commissioner Gordon start the story, by discussing the recent presumed death of Bruce Wayne in a plane crash.  Batman then informs Gordon he will be out of Gotham for a time (though doesn't tell him that he will be tracking down Ra's).  First, Batman has an encounter with criminal Matches Malone (which doesn't turn out well for Matches, who is killed during it by a sniper's bullet).  Batman, using this to his advantage, takes over the identity of Matches Malone, and does a little recruiting of his own...scientist Dr. Harris Blaine and assassin Lo Ling, both who have been forced to work for Ra's, but resent Ra's for the criminal activities he forces them to perform.

The Lazarus Pit

The story continues under a Neal Adams cover for Batman #243 (August, 1972), by Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.

The story starts with a battle between Batman and Lo Ling...with Matches Malone watching.  Ling explains he owes Batman (and Matches was really Robin, using an inflatable body suit to get the size of Batman/Matches).  Batman, as Matches, takes Ling and Dr. Blaine in pursuit of Ra's, meeting ski champion Molly Post, who has a vendetta against Ra's for killing her fiance.  The group runs afoul of Talia and Ubu, but do find Ra's in one of his headquarters....but, Ra's is dead! 

The group leave, but Ra's is put into the Lazarus Pit...and returns to life!

The Demon Lives Again

This story, and the collection conclude with Batman #244 (September, 1972) by Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams and Dick Giordano, originally under this historic cover by Neal Adams.

The group attempt to leave the Swiss Alps, but are pursued by a maddened Ra's, who nearly kills Ling.  Ra's and Talia leave via hovercraft, with Batman and Molly following on skis, until Batman damages the craft, but Molly gets injured in the crash, with Batman having to stay with her as a less mad Ra's and Talia leave.  Ra's knows he has used the Lazarus Pit too many times, and wants Batman to be his successor and marry Talia.  Batman tracks the pair to the desert, where Batman and Ra's have a final duel, much to the chagrin of Talia who loves them both.  Beating both Ra's and the dangers of the desert....Batman is able to capture Ra's, taking him to justice.

These stories establish Ra's Al Ghul as a major league villain in Batman's world (very much like a James Bond villain, with references to Bond in many of these stories).  Every battle between Batman and Ra's Al Ghul would then be a major event!

All seven of these stories (and a few more) are included in the 1991 collection, Batman: Tales Of The Demon, with a cover by Brian Stelfreeze, foreword by Sam Hamm and afterword by Denny O'Neil, but it is still better to enjoy every tale presented in the Treasury sized edition!

Superman Celebrates Christmas

See Superman celebrate Christmas with some kids, as he reads them stories of the Justice League of America, in this shot from the 1976 Super DC Calendar by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.

May you and yours have a Merry Christmas!

Shazam! It's August

True, the Shazam! movie, with Billy Batson as the young hero who becomes a mighty mortal (Captain Marvel in the comics), isn't coming out until April, 2019...

....but, this Neal Adams/Dick Giordano drawing headlined the month of August in the 1976 Super DC Calendar, and Holy Moley, it was too good to wait!

His sister, Mary, was featured in a 1976 calendar with a few friends, and read more about the Marvel Family here.

Happy Birthday Neal Adams

Happy birthday to the legendary comic book artist, Neal Adams.

Doing something unexpected here, instead of featuring this work on Deadman, Superman or Batman, but instead just a simple cover, that of Unexpected #124 (April-May, 1971) to showcase an example of his horror cover art, with an appropriate theme for the day!