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Batman Illustrated #1
Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams, Vol. 1
Presents a collection of Neal Adams' contributions to the "Batman" comic book series from 1967 to 1969.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2003
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417 people want to read
About the author
Neal Adams
1,051 books83 followersNeal Adams was an American comic book and commercial artist known for helping to create some of the definitive modern imagery of the DC Comics characters Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow; as the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates; and as a creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and recognition for Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
Adams was inducted into the Eisner Award's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Harvey Awards' Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1999.
Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Adams was inducted into the Eisner Award's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Harvey Awards' Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1999.
Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
January 27, 2019
Batman by Neal Adams Book One contains World's Finest Comics #175-176 and The Brave and The Bold #79-85. On the heels of Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, I was jonesing for more Neal Adams and picked this up.
Neal Adams changed comics forever, ushering in a new age of illustration-based artwork rather than cartoon-based. He was also instrumental in ending the campy, fun Batman inspired by the TV show to the Dark Knight Detective. The stories in this book are his earliest experiences with Batman.
The two World's Finest issues were kind of a bizarre, juxtaposing the funny Batman of the 1960s with more realistic art. Two Batman-Superman team-ups, two cheesefests. I do like that Robin and Jimmy Olsen were so chummy that they had their own headquarters independent of Batman and Superman.
The issues of The Brave and the Bold are another animal entirely. Gone are most of the quips as Batman becomes an avenger of the night, battling street crime in Gotham City with the likes of Deadman, The Creeper, The Flash, Aquaman, The Teen Titans, Sgt. Rock, and Green Arrow. At one point, the main Batman books caught heat because fans said the real Batman was in The Brave and the Bold. I'm inclined to agree.
The stories in the Brave and the Bold seem like fairly typical Batman fare of the late 1970s with other heroes bolted on but they were ground-breaking tales from almost a decade earlier. Green Arrow's iconic costume was also introduced in these pages. Even at 40+ years old, Neal Adams' pencils still look contemporary. The man is that damn good, especially with Dick Giordano on inks. His realistic artwork is still influential decades later.
Batman by Neal Adams Book One showcases the artwork that would change Batman and comics in general for decades to come. Four out of five stars.
Neal Adams changed comics forever, ushering in a new age of illustration-based artwork rather than cartoon-based. He was also instrumental in ending the campy, fun Batman inspired by the TV show to the Dark Knight Detective. The stories in this book are his earliest experiences with Batman.
The two World's Finest issues were kind of a bizarre, juxtaposing the funny Batman of the 1960s with more realistic art. Two Batman-Superman team-ups, two cheesefests. I do like that Robin and Jimmy Olsen were so chummy that they had their own headquarters independent of Batman and Superman.
The issues of The Brave and the Bold are another animal entirely. Gone are most of the quips as Batman becomes an avenger of the night, battling street crime in Gotham City with the likes of Deadman, The Creeper, The Flash, Aquaman, The Teen Titans, Sgt. Rock, and Green Arrow. At one point, the main Batman books caught heat because fans said the real Batman was in The Brave and the Bold. I'm inclined to agree.
The stories in the Brave and the Bold seem like fairly typical Batman fare of the late 1970s with other heroes bolted on but they were ground-breaking tales from almost a decade earlier. Green Arrow's iconic costume was also introduced in these pages. Even at 40+ years old, Neal Adams' pencils still look contemporary. The man is that damn good, especially with Dick Giordano on inks. His realistic artwork is still influential decades later.
Batman by Neal Adams Book One showcases the artwork that would change Batman and comics in general for decades to come. Four out of five stars.
October 29, 2019
I shall be the first one to admit that I am not terribly fond of the older comics. While I appreciate that the art form is constantly evolving, the stories from this time period are generally too cheesy for my taste. Thus I was surprised at this volume of Neal Adam's seminal Batman run.
Batman, in 1970, was still viewed as the campy 60's style Batman. Neal Adams and Dennis O'Niell were instrumental in steering the Batman story into a more dark and brooding character. Neal Adams is also credited with bringing in new characters such as : Man-Bat and Ras Al-Ghul, while also revitalizing the characters of Two-Face and the Joker.
So I decided to pick up this first volume of his work. It collects Batman stories and covers from December, 1967 to October, 1969. Some of his earliest works were "remastered" for a more modern look and I really enjoyed them. Sadly, that is not the case for the rest of the stories which are still in the original style.
I understand that this style was dark and new back in 1969, but it is sadly dated now. The stories hold up a little better. We are introduced to some characters as different as the Creeper to the Flash. As a whole the stories are ok. The reason this volume receieved a three star rating is becuase I like the remastered issues and I enjoyed Adam's introduction as well as the collection of covers.
The rest of the the stories, especially the unaltered ones, that while this may be a seminal time for Batman, it is a time that doesn't really appeal to me. If you are a Batman fan and have a fetish for the older works, then you will love this Volume. I enjoyed it, but will not be in any rush to go get the other two volumes.
Also bear in mind that this hardcover is a very nice book. If you are looking for a collector style book as opposed to a comic, you might enjoy this volume.
Batman, in 1970, was still viewed as the campy 60's style Batman. Neal Adams and Dennis O'Niell were instrumental in steering the Batman story into a more dark and brooding character. Neal Adams is also credited with bringing in new characters such as : Man-Bat and Ras Al-Ghul, while also revitalizing the characters of Two-Face and the Joker.
So I decided to pick up this first volume of his work. It collects Batman stories and covers from December, 1967 to October, 1969. Some of his earliest works were "remastered" for a more modern look and I really enjoyed them. Sadly, that is not the case for the rest of the stories which are still in the original style.
I understand that this style was dark and new back in 1969, but it is sadly dated now. The stories hold up a little better. We are introduced to some characters as different as the Creeper to the Flash. As a whole the stories are ok. The reason this volume receieved a three star rating is becuase I like the remastered issues and I enjoyed Adam's introduction as well as the collection of covers.
The rest of the the stories, especially the unaltered ones, that while this may be a seminal time for Batman, it is a time that doesn't really appeal to me. If you are a Batman fan and have a fetish for the older works, then you will love this Volume. I enjoyed it, but will not be in any rush to go get the other two volumes.
Also bear in mind that this hardcover is a very nice book. If you are looking for a collector style book as opposed to a comic, you might enjoy this volume.
April 6, 2018
Neal Adams first drew Batman for the monthly Superman-Batman team-ups in World's Finest, then the Brave and the Bold team-ups with various super-heroes.
This is silver-age DC at its fruitiest.
Each story is self-contained, but at 25 pp. each, they seem inordinately long to THIS bronze-age baby.
This is silver-age DC at its fruitiest.
Each story is self-contained, but at 25 pp. each, they seem inordinately long to THIS bronze-age baby.
February 13, 2024
Wow. So many early DC titles that Neal Adams drew that I never knew about.. Some were corny as heck, but that was the mid sixties for you. One of my all time favorite artists. RIP Neal.
September 5, 2018
Although it sucks to see these comics re-colored according to modern technology, overall this is a nice collection of late 60s Batman stories penciled by Neal Adams. Some are from World's Finest Comics, and thus also star Superman, and the others are from Detective Comics and The Brave and the Bold, guest starring the Creeper, Flash, Aquaman, and the Teen Titans.
Adams is a first-rate illustrator to begin with and his modern style helped propel DC into the modern Bronze Age by showcasing unique and bold page layouts and dynamic action scenes. Plus his people are so pretty.
Also includes covers of comics where Adams didn't illustrate the interiors.
Adams is a first-rate illustrator to begin with and his modern style helped propel DC into the modern Bronze Age by showcasing unique and bold page layouts and dynamic action scenes. Plus his people are so pretty.
Also includes covers of comics where Adams didn't illustrate the interiors.
March 26, 2017
Historias conclusivas con un gran dibujo, desfile de personajes míticos de DC (superman, aquaman, green arrow, deadman, los nuevos titanes)... esos son los puntos fuertes de este cómic. Lo malo la colección de tramas de tono pulp, intrascendentes, confusas, inconexas, absurdas y con diálogos pésimos... mejora mucho por el gran dibujo de Neal Adams, pero como cómic ha envejecido muy mal.
April 30, 2025
This really should be a 4.5, because I LOVED this. The absolute perfect amount of cheese and seriousness. You have all the benefits of older stories: fun crossovers, a lighter tone, plenty of dialogue, and lots of Batman/Superman. However, this is also about the time Batman started shifting into what he is today, so there's a lot of grounded elements, more serious stories, and none of the abysmal Comic-Code-oppressed 50's stuff.
This is also when comics art experienced a change. It's BEAUTIFUL. Like a classic mix of Denys Cowan and Klaus Janson's best.
However, and this is the reason I deduct half a star... They changed half of the art from the original stories.
Yes, it's still Neal Adams, but it's more than just a re-color, it's a completely different style. If you're wondering if that's disclosed, it's not. There is absolutely ZERO disclaimer of the altered art, and as far as most readers are aware, that's the way the original stories looked. Not only is the editing of historically relevant art disgusting to me (if changing the words to a novel is wrong, changing the pictures of a comic is just as immoral), but the complete deception makes it even worse.
The funny part is that the brand-new art isn't even as good. I had an even better time reading once I got to absorb the actual art style.
Still, though, this is SUCH a good era of Batman. I can't wait to read more.
This is also when comics art experienced a change. It's BEAUTIFUL. Like a classic mix of Denys Cowan and Klaus Janson's best.
However, and this is the reason I deduct half a star... They changed half of the art from the original stories.
Yes, it's still Neal Adams, but it's more than just a re-color, it's a completely different style. If you're wondering if that's disclosed, it's not. There is absolutely ZERO disclaimer of the altered art, and as far as most readers are aware, that's the way the original stories looked. Not only is the editing of historically relevant art disgusting to me (if changing the words to a novel is wrong, changing the pictures of a comic is just as immoral), but the complete deception makes it even worse.
The funny part is that the brand-new art isn't even as good. I had an even better time reading once I got to absorb the actual art style.
Still, though, this is SUCH a good era of Batman. I can't wait to read more.
March 9, 2014
Firstly, there are 3 volumes made, but thus far volume one has only been printed in TPB format. Because Neal Adams is one of the finest artists of all time this book is really worthy of a 5 star rating, however there are some reproduction flaws that are subjective as whether or not you the reader will appreciate the work more or less. Namely the art has been recolored digitally, which is fine, but as I've done my research online about this book when it was in HC format, the first volume blew its budget and only slightly more than half of the book got recolored. It's rather noticeable because gone are highlights and brilliance comic coloring affords. In addition to those changes, word balloons sizes, panel sizes, etc., have been enlarged or altered for better or worse. Purists beware.
Since much of the material in this book was before my time there are hokey, goofy storytelling elements and dialogue (I call it comic book monologue) so this will offer a different reading experience from readers accustomed to more modern comic book sensibilities. It's as if the writers never put too much thought into their plots. One silly example that annoyed me was a battle of wits contest between Superman & Batman. Batman asks Superman to use his super-hearing to determine whether or not a bell, whistle, or canon was loudest. Turns out, Batman planted an A-bomb (because he, you know, likes blowing up things with his background in demolition) on one of the three items and then Superman never solved the puzzle by himself, he had to reply on a gadget.
But that aside, Neal Adams draws like nobody's business and his dynamic art and experimental and snazzy layout panel design is still a wonder to this day.
Since much of the material in this book was before my time there are hokey, goofy storytelling elements and dialogue (I call it comic book monologue) so this will offer a different reading experience from readers accustomed to more modern comic book sensibilities. It's as if the writers never put too much thought into their plots. One silly example that annoyed me was a battle of wits contest between Superman & Batman. Batman asks Superman to use his super-hearing to determine whether or not a bell, whistle, or canon was loudest. Turns out, Batman planted an A-bomb (because he, you know, likes blowing up things with his background in demolition) on one of the three items and then Superman never solved the puzzle by himself, he had to reply on a gadget.
But that aside, Neal Adams draws like nobody's business and his dynamic art and experimental and snazzy layout panel design is still a wonder to this day.
August 17, 2008
Neal Adams's run on Batman was a turning point for DC, bringing the artwork from the garish and simplistic drawings of the past to the realistic and dynamic pages of the present. Unfortunately, the writing hadn't yet caught up at this point, which makes these stories a pain to read. They're still stuck in the mold of gimmicky superhero teamups and there's no classic Batman villains in here at all. What you see a lot of is Superman, Deadman, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Robin,The Creeper, and Jimmy Olsen, as well as a parade of forgettable small-time thugs. Characters die as quickly as they are introduced and contrived storylines keep you groaning. Especially compared to the great work being done at Marvel at this point in time, this is third-rate pulp filler.
Adams, of course, went on to co-create my least favorite Batman villain ever, Ra's Al-Ghul, and is now focusing his energy on trying to take down Big Science and its tireless insistence that matter doesn't spring forth from some mystical substance and that the Earth isn't expanding exponentially. When will people understand that scientists aren't just stabbing in the dark - they have meticulous processes and evidence to back up what they're saying? Moreover, what would be the benefit to scientists to insist on one likely geological model?
Batman's still cool, though. The art in this book is great!
Adams, of course, went on to co-create my least favorite Batman villain ever, Ra's Al-Ghul, and is now focusing his energy on trying to take down Big Science and its tireless insistence that matter doesn't spring forth from some mystical substance and that the Earth isn't expanding exponentially. When will people understand that scientists aren't just stabbing in the dark - they have meticulous processes and evidence to back up what they're saying? Moreover, what would be the benefit to scientists to insist on one likely geological model?
Batman's still cool, though. The art in this book is great!
November 12, 2018
To be clear, I did not read every issue in here. But I really enjoyed the run with Creeper and the run with Dead Man.
These comics come from 1968 and 69. I really enjoy looking at comics from this era, but I’m starting to realize I enjoy the aesthetic-including ads and the faded color-more than the actual stories themselves. The stories contained herein seem to be freshly-inked, and of course the ads are gone. This leaves readers with just the stories to stand on their own merit. And I’ll be honest, when all the nostalgic markers are stripped from these stories, not all of them worked for me.
But many did, and I had a good time sorting through these stories and getting a better sense of what appeals to me about older comics. And I’ve figured it out. It all comes down to concepts, usually manifest as new characters. It is fun to see quirky characters develop through storylines. As such, I didn’t care much for the stories with Superman. But give me a couple of weird folks like Creeper and Dead Man, and I’m down.
Overall this was a good read, but I won’t be returning to 60s Batman for a while. I do look forward to checking out some of the silly shit from earlier decades though.
These comics come from 1968 and 69. I really enjoy looking at comics from this era, but I’m starting to realize I enjoy the aesthetic-including ads and the faded color-more than the actual stories themselves. The stories contained herein seem to be freshly-inked, and of course the ads are gone. This leaves readers with just the stories to stand on their own merit. And I’ll be honest, when all the nostalgic markers are stripped from these stories, not all of them worked for me.
But many did, and I had a good time sorting through these stories and getting a better sense of what appeals to me about older comics. And I’ve figured it out. It all comes down to concepts, usually manifest as new characters. It is fun to see quirky characters develop through storylines. As such, I didn’t care much for the stories with Superman. But give me a couple of weird folks like Creeper and Dead Man, and I’m down.
Overall this was a good read, but I won’t be returning to 60s Batman for a while. I do look forward to checking out some of the silly shit from earlier decades though.
June 20, 2012
Best Batman run ever. Well, tied with Jim Aparo's run on The Brave and the Bold.
September 4, 2018
Batman by Neal Adams is really something to read. The stories are defiantly so very nice to look at past a few issues. But they are definitely from the age they were written in, excuse certain parts of issues where they use the visual imagery.
But in that period comics still overexplained themselves over and over again and it’s exhausting sometimes really.
Yet, I love comic books. I love them so much and there are always good comics being produced you just have to find them. And there is lots of fun to be had here.
It’s all pretty much Brave and The Bold and Worlds Finest. But here’s an issue or two of Detective comics.
I just love when Batman and Superman team up together. It warms my heart. And the issue Batman has with Deadman in here is probably my favorite of the bunch. It feels like it’s from the 70s in both a good and a bad way. I love the look of the comics of those times, but the writing was lacking in that it overexplained and tried to fit too much into one comic as they didn’t give the story enough breathing room.
All that aside if you love Batman like I do and have the acquired taste for fun wacky teamup comics then this is worthy a purchase.
I should also mention that the pages have this amazing half glossy half paper feel that’s amazing.
3 stars but I love it like a 5 Star.
But in that period comics still overexplained themselves over and over again and it’s exhausting sometimes really.
Yet, I love comic books. I love them so much and there are always good comics being produced you just have to find them. And there is lots of fun to be had here.
It’s all pretty much Brave and The Bold and Worlds Finest. But here’s an issue or two of Detective comics.
I just love when Batman and Superman team up together. It warms my heart. And the issue Batman has with Deadman in here is probably my favorite of the bunch. It feels like it’s from the 70s in both a good and a bad way. I love the look of the comics of those times, but the writing was lacking in that it overexplained and tried to fit too much into one comic as they didn’t give the story enough breathing room.
All that aside if you love Batman like I do and have the acquired taste for fun wacky teamup comics then this is worthy a purchase.
I should also mention that the pages have this amazing half glossy half paper feel that’s amazing.
3 stars but I love it like a 5 Star.
April 20, 2022
Fab artwork from Neal Adams (even though the "recolorization" can slightly detract some of his original line work). Also, there is a reason this collection highlights the artist over the authors, these stories are so corny that most of them might be better in the less "realistic" ( if you can say such a thing about such colourful characters and outlandish situations) style the preceded Adams. In summary, pretty awful stories, but pretty to look at
November 25, 2018
Like the title implies, the main reason for this book is the artwork of Neal Adams. And the artwork is pretty good. Neal Adams does a great job of displaying the kinetic energy of his characters, the emotional distress, and just a dynamic eye for detail and physicality in the characters size and strength. It's good art.
But as good as it is, pretty great, this volume it is mitigated and devalued by coincidentally some pretty bad Batman stories that drag on and get repetitive.
The couple of issues of "World's Finest", the Batman-Superman team ups, are better. They have a certain imagination and humor to their storytelling. But they're cheesier and more generic than some other later classics in this series. OK, not great.
What really is not great is the "Brave And The Bold", a 'Batman and the team-up of the month' magazine, which is written in an old fashioned style by Bob Haney. The stories seem to go on forever and avoid any dynamic storytelling.
They take the detective stuff too seriously, getting bogged down in looking for clues and not trying to find a uniqueness in the storytelling. For a superhero magazine, it gets surprisingly mundane with chunks of details about corrupt businesses, or some random hitman that gives Batman way too much to deal with somehow.
And what makes the lazy "Brave" stories seem much worse is that they repeat their own form issue after issue. Whether its Deadman, Flash, Green Arrow, or whomever else teaming up, it's some filler detective work against a generic villain with an ending that just happens, and then you forget the whole thing. Cookie cutter.
I guess a volume 2 or onward of Neal Adams/Batman art would be more interesting, but here it seems more a relic of an uninteresting past.
1/5
But as good as it is, pretty great, this volume it is mitigated and devalued by coincidentally some pretty bad Batman stories that drag on and get repetitive.
The couple of issues of "World's Finest", the Batman-Superman team ups, are better. They have a certain imagination and humor to their storytelling. But they're cheesier and more generic than some other later classics in this series. OK, not great.
What really is not great is the "Brave And The Bold", a 'Batman and the team-up of the month' magazine, which is written in an old fashioned style by Bob Haney. The stories seem to go on forever and avoid any dynamic storytelling.
They take the detective stuff too seriously, getting bogged down in looking for clues and not trying to find a uniqueness in the storytelling. For a superhero magazine, it gets surprisingly mundane with chunks of details about corrupt businesses, or some random hitman that gives Batman way too much to deal with somehow.
And what makes the lazy "Brave" stories seem much worse is that they repeat their own form issue after issue. Whether its Deadman, Flash, Green Arrow, or whomever else teaming up, it's some filler detective work against a generic villain with an ending that just happens, and then you forget the whole thing. Cookie cutter.
I guess a volume 2 or onward of Neal Adams/Batman art would be more interesting, but here it seems more a relic of an uninteresting past.
1/5
June 22, 2020
This book’s contents are described in the title. It’s ‘Batman Illustrated’ by Neal Adams starting with World’s Finest Comics # 175 (April 1968), among the first Batman adventures drawn by Adams. The story opens with a couple of hoods forming the Batman Revenge Squad to get back at the hero who caught them. They are interrupted by three bald aliens who are part of the Superman Revenge Squad, ‘criminals from a hundred planets and sworn foes of Superman’. They saw the Batman crowd on their monitors. It has always been a mystery to me how bad guys can see everything on their monitors. Are they watching the whole world all the time, like big brother? Doesn’t a monitor need a camera to feed it? Never mind. They choose to strike when Batman and Superman have their annual battle of wits for fun, setting each other challenges and winning battle trophies off each other as the prize. In his introduction, Neal Adams praises Denny O’Neil but says the great work done by Bob Haney is often overlooked. Like other Haney stories I’ve read, this one makes no sense whatsoever. How did the crook sabotage all the trophies in three seconds while being thrown by Jimmy Olsen? Hey ho! But you buy an Adams book for the art, which was great.
Those all-seeing monitors also feature in World’s Finest # 176 (June 1968) when an alien from the Sirius system shows he knows that Clark Kent is Superman. He is the Vice-President of his world seeking refuge after the President was assassinated. Or is he? Anyway, they have been monitoring Earth and so know Superman’s secret. Later, another alien appears in the Batcave who knows Bruce’s secret. He is a law enforcement officer from Sirius seeking a master criminal hiding on Earth. Or is he?
Set in a conflict situation, do old friends Batman and Superman talk? Of course not. They start fighting each other on behalf of aliens they’ve never met. Supergirl is helping Batman just to complicate things. Written by Cary Bates, this was as improbable as a Haney tale but the twist was surprising.
Brave And The Bold # 79 (Aug-Sept 1968) has Deadman trying to get Batman to track down his killer, the man with the hook. This soon ties in with Batman’s own case which is to find the ‘King Of Crime’ in Gotham. Meanwhile, he and Commissioner Gordon are being harassed by ‘Kubla’ Kaine, a wealthy businessman who owns several newspapers. Flawed storytelling here when on page 3, panel 5 there’s a close up of Bats and Gordon but the long-tailed word balloon belongs to Kaine. Another thing I noticed is that Adam’s art tends to fill the panel and the poor letterer has to put word balloons in front of characters or squeeze them into odd places. There’s a classic Haney cheat at the end when Deadman nudges someone. He can’t do that. He’s a ghost.
In Brave And The Bold # 80, Batman teams up with Steve Ditko creation the Creeper, to fight Hellgrammite, an insect-style villain. One page has a cunning layout of panels inside Batman’s cape but the word balloon you should read first is on the bottom of the panel and the reply is on the top, so you read it backwards. In his interview in the highly recommended ‘The Batcave Companion’, Denny O’Neil, talking about Steve Ditko, said that he had mastered the basics and left enough room for word balloons. He also mentioned that veterans like Kirby and Ditko always gave you establishing shots, the right pacing, the right visual elements. He calls this ‘Comic Book Illustrating 101’ and says it’s possible those skills are about half lost. He may be right. O’Neil never criticised Adams at all on any of these counts. That’s just me.
Brave And The Bold # 81 features the Flash and Superman fighting a hood named Bork, who has become indestructible. ‘But Bork Can Hurt You’ is famous for Adams innovative splash page. Brave And The Bold # 82 has Aquaman fighting Batman in a complicated plot where a charismatic super-villain has turned a supermodel bad. I thought page 6 was flawed by the overlapping panels causing confusion. Brave And The Bold # 83 ‘Punish Not My Evil Sun’ has Bats teamed up with Robin’s buddies, the Teen Titans. This introduces a new ward for Bruce Wayne who is not a very nice chap. An idea with some emotional clout is used up in one issue and rings false because it happens so suddenly. Brave And The Bold # 84 has Batman remembering the time he teamed up with Sergeant Rock and Easy Company. No time travel is involved. He was Batman in 1944 so he could do this but, for the reader, it does raise the issue of his age in 1968 and the writer doesn’t mention it.
In Brave And The Bold # 85, Batman teams up with Green Arrow to fight another king of crime called Miklos Minotaur. The other company made these sorts of stories last six months or more with the hero fighting several henchmen and getting into lots of trouble before locating the crime kingpin, getting maximum drama. Probably because they were usually confined to one issue stories, DC writers didn‘t do this. Even big ideas had to be dealt with in one issue which was quite limiting.
As well as the stories, which are okay, the book has several covers by Adams for various issues in which he didn’t do the inside art. That useful source ‘The Batcave Companion’ infers that all the covers were designed by Carmine Infantino, who was cover maestro at the time in DC comics. Infantino also says that Adams wanted to design his own covers but he wouldn’t allow it. That may have changed later and, in those days, the splash panel on page one was like a second cover so Adams got to strut his stuff there, very effectively.
I’ve done some nitpicking but Neal Adams art is marvellous and gets the treatment it deserves in the high production values of this full-colour edition. It influenced all the newcomers and revolutionised comics in the 1970s. I have seen ‘The Brave And The Bold’ stories in black and white DC ‘Showcase’ editions but the ones from ‘World’s Finest’ were new to me.
My brother picked this up this hardback edition for £5 in the bargain bin of a well-known comic shop. It didn’t have the wrap cover. Who cares? For less frugal fans, this book is available in various editions online for reasonable prices or for £2,000 if you’re crazy.
Eamonn Murphy
Those all-seeing monitors also feature in World’s Finest # 176 (June 1968) when an alien from the Sirius system shows he knows that Clark Kent is Superman. He is the Vice-President of his world seeking refuge after the President was assassinated. Or is he? Anyway, they have been monitoring Earth and so know Superman’s secret. Later, another alien appears in the Batcave who knows Bruce’s secret. He is a law enforcement officer from Sirius seeking a master criminal hiding on Earth. Or is he?
Set in a conflict situation, do old friends Batman and Superman talk? Of course not. They start fighting each other on behalf of aliens they’ve never met. Supergirl is helping Batman just to complicate things. Written by Cary Bates, this was as improbable as a Haney tale but the twist was surprising.
Brave And The Bold # 79 (Aug-Sept 1968) has Deadman trying to get Batman to track down his killer, the man with the hook. This soon ties in with Batman’s own case which is to find the ‘King Of Crime’ in Gotham. Meanwhile, he and Commissioner Gordon are being harassed by ‘Kubla’ Kaine, a wealthy businessman who owns several newspapers. Flawed storytelling here when on page 3, panel 5 there’s a close up of Bats and Gordon but the long-tailed word balloon belongs to Kaine. Another thing I noticed is that Adam’s art tends to fill the panel and the poor letterer has to put word balloons in front of characters or squeeze them into odd places. There’s a classic Haney cheat at the end when Deadman nudges someone. He can’t do that. He’s a ghost.
In Brave And The Bold # 80, Batman teams up with Steve Ditko creation the Creeper, to fight Hellgrammite, an insect-style villain. One page has a cunning layout of panels inside Batman’s cape but the word balloon you should read first is on the bottom of the panel and the reply is on the top, so you read it backwards. In his interview in the highly recommended ‘The Batcave Companion’, Denny O’Neil, talking about Steve Ditko, said that he had mastered the basics and left enough room for word balloons. He also mentioned that veterans like Kirby and Ditko always gave you establishing shots, the right pacing, the right visual elements. He calls this ‘Comic Book Illustrating 101’ and says it’s possible those skills are about half lost. He may be right. O’Neil never criticised Adams at all on any of these counts. That’s just me.
Brave And The Bold # 81 features the Flash and Superman fighting a hood named Bork, who has become indestructible. ‘But Bork Can Hurt You’ is famous for Adams innovative splash page. Brave And The Bold # 82 has Aquaman fighting Batman in a complicated plot where a charismatic super-villain has turned a supermodel bad. I thought page 6 was flawed by the overlapping panels causing confusion. Brave And The Bold # 83 ‘Punish Not My Evil Sun’ has Bats teamed up with Robin’s buddies, the Teen Titans. This introduces a new ward for Bruce Wayne who is not a very nice chap. An idea with some emotional clout is used up in one issue and rings false because it happens so suddenly. Brave And The Bold # 84 has Batman remembering the time he teamed up with Sergeant Rock and Easy Company. No time travel is involved. He was Batman in 1944 so he could do this but, for the reader, it does raise the issue of his age in 1968 and the writer doesn’t mention it.
In Brave And The Bold # 85, Batman teams up with Green Arrow to fight another king of crime called Miklos Minotaur. The other company made these sorts of stories last six months or more with the hero fighting several henchmen and getting into lots of trouble before locating the crime kingpin, getting maximum drama. Probably because they were usually confined to one issue stories, DC writers didn‘t do this. Even big ideas had to be dealt with in one issue which was quite limiting.
As well as the stories, which are okay, the book has several covers by Adams for various issues in which he didn’t do the inside art. That useful source ‘The Batcave Companion’ infers that all the covers were designed by Carmine Infantino, who was cover maestro at the time in DC comics. Infantino also says that Adams wanted to design his own covers but he wouldn’t allow it. That may have changed later and, in those days, the splash panel on page one was like a second cover so Adams got to strut his stuff there, very effectively.
I’ve done some nitpicking but Neal Adams art is marvellous and gets the treatment it deserves in the high production values of this full-colour edition. It influenced all the newcomers and revolutionised comics in the 1970s. I have seen ‘The Brave And The Bold’ stories in black and white DC ‘Showcase’ editions but the ones from ‘World’s Finest’ were new to me.
My brother picked this up this hardback edition for £5 in the bargain bin of a well-known comic shop. It didn’t have the wrap cover. Who cares? For less frugal fans, this book is available in various editions online for reasonable prices or for £2,000 if you’re crazy.
Eamonn Murphy
April 6, 2015
Neal Adams is a comics genius. This first volume of his Batman works is not indispensable, though. Why only three stars?
1. These stories are not up to the art. Adams' Batman is associated with the grim, gritty return to capital-C Crime that the character made in the early '70s: The Joker started actually killing people again, etc. These stories are still transitioning out of Silver Age goofiness and, for me, The Brave & The Bold team-ups were always among the worst of the era. Prepare for lots of "Robin's on a mission with the Titans" to explain his absence and clear the decks for a bizarre partnering with another character. Lots of seemingly important characters introduced and killed off within an issue (Bruce Wayne's new ward?!) after discovering Batman's identity, disposable villains, bizarre events (Senator Bruce Wayne). Look, I LOVE Silver Age goofiness, but it never sits right with Batman for me.
2. The garish recoloring and touch-ups of the work put me off. Hey, if you're cool with this meddling, then bully for you, but it makes me make a "who farted?" face when I see it.
http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/fo...
1. These stories are not up to the art. Adams' Batman is associated with the grim, gritty return to capital-C Crime that the character made in the early '70s: The Joker started actually killing people again, etc. These stories are still transitioning out of Silver Age goofiness and, for me, The Brave & The Bold team-ups were always among the worst of the era. Prepare for lots of "Robin's on a mission with the Titans" to explain his absence and clear the decks for a bizarre partnering with another character. Lots of seemingly important characters introduced and killed off within an issue (Bruce Wayne's new ward?!) after discovering Batman's identity, disposable villains, bizarre events (Senator Bruce Wayne). Look, I LOVE Silver Age goofiness, but it never sits right with Batman for me.
2. The garish recoloring and touch-ups of the work put me off. Hey, if you're cool with this meddling, then bully for you, but it makes me make a "who farted?" face when I see it.
http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/fo...
August 18, 2019
I picked this up on Comixology. Neal Adams is the quintessential illustrator for Batman. The stories in these issues are zany. Batman and Superman have a puzzle-solving contest andBatman fights in WWII with Sgt. Rock. I like how stories were self-contained to one issue back in the day. I thoroughly enjoyed reading these stories but modern readers should be ready for contrived situations. The art is phenomenal and Adam's pictures feel like a gritty, street level superhero caper. Recommended for old school Batman fans.
Currently reading
January 26, 2015Apparently there are THREE of these....i mistakenly thought there was only one when i bought it and was not pleased to see missing, the great work with o'neill. :-(
March 29, 2018
Classic comics by a one of the masters. Always fun stuff.
January 17, 2024
I've read some of Neal Adams' later Batman stuff and loved it, but could never bring myself to buy the three hardcovers of his run. DC allowed him to not only re-color everything with modern computer coloring, but actually redraw and/or re-ink it all as well. These are, at best, commissions of his classic run. Once in a while a real page will get through, or he'll leave a story's color palette alone, but by and large this is an abomination. It's even worse than George Lucas screwing around with Star Wars, because at least Lucas didn't obliterate the original films. Plus, the original theatrical versions are available in the DVD sets, so you get both. Here, you get Adams rewriting...nay, redrawing history. These are the versions that current and future generations will first experience, and this makes me sad.
I view comic books as art. I believe that it is the responsibility of publishers to preserve this art for the ages, as closely as possible, to the original publications. I'm not talking line bleed and dots, I'm talking faithful remasterings of the linework and original color palette. These bastardized renditions are the ones that the iPad generation will first encounter. Poor kids.
The stories in and of themselves are mediocre. Adams was just starting to come into his own by the end of this book, so his artwork lacks the polish that he would soon achieve. The writing was pretty cheesy, being firmly planted in early Silver Age DC goofiness. DC seemed so square when compared to Marvel at this time. Marvel was the voice of the revolution, while DC was the voice of the over 30 crowd trying to be with it. This would soon change, as Adams was the vanguard of the counterculture that would overrun the company and usher in a creative renaissance in the '70s. I picked this up because I got it at a deep discount.
Cons. Where to begin? Woe to DC for allowing Adams to ruin these issues. His artwork is still decent, but his style has changed over the years. His revisions stick out like a sore thumb, and when he leaves some panels intact it provides a jarring reading experience. I fail to understand why DC would allow him to do this. Marvel allowed him to tinker with the past once, in the 1996 printing of the X-Men Visionaries: Neal Adams trade paperback. They allowed Adams to alter certain elements of the splash pages as well recolor the issues with then-modern computer coloring. I bought that trade almost a decade ago, and the recoloring looked outdated at that point. This is the main reason why recoloring sucks, because attempting to make something look modern will only result in it looking dated again down the road. The main difference now being that it will be a super crappy, unfaithful outdated recoloring rather than original color palette outdated coloring. Marvel, unlike DC, learned their lesson. DC not including the covers to issues just because Adams didn't do the artwork is lame.
I view comic books as art. I believe that it is the responsibility of publishers to preserve this art for the ages, as closely as possible, to the original publications. I'm not talking line bleed and dots, I'm talking faithful remasterings of the linework and original color palette. These bastardized renditions are the ones that the iPad generation will first encounter. Poor kids.
The stories in and of themselves are mediocre. Adams was just starting to come into his own by the end of this book, so his artwork lacks the polish that he would soon achieve. The writing was pretty cheesy, being firmly planted in early Silver Age DC goofiness. DC seemed so square when compared to Marvel at this time. Marvel was the voice of the revolution, while DC was the voice of the over 30 crowd trying to be with it. This would soon change, as Adams was the vanguard of the counterculture that would overrun the company and usher in a creative renaissance in the '70s. I picked this up because I got it at a deep discount.
Cons. Where to begin? Woe to DC for allowing Adams to ruin these issues. His artwork is still decent, but his style has changed over the years. His revisions stick out like a sore thumb, and when he leaves some panels intact it provides a jarring reading experience. I fail to understand why DC would allow him to do this. Marvel allowed him to tinker with the past once, in the 1996 printing of the X-Men Visionaries: Neal Adams trade paperback. They allowed Adams to alter certain elements of the splash pages as well recolor the issues with then-modern computer coloring. I bought that trade almost a decade ago, and the recoloring looked outdated at that point. This is the main reason why recoloring sucks, because attempting to make something look modern will only result in it looking dated again down the road. The main difference now being that it will be a super crappy, unfaithful outdated recoloring rather than original color palette outdated coloring. Marvel, unlike DC, learned their lesson. DC not including the covers to issues just because Adams didn't do the artwork is lame.
April 13, 2021
Neal Adams was the first superstar artist in the comic book industry, and his most famous and popular work was on various Batman titles. The “Batman by Neal Adams” trade paperback series collects his Batman work in chronological order, which means that this first volume is his earliest Batman work, circa 1968-69.
Story-wise, this is a collection of unrelated, self-contained stories where Batman teams up with a variety of other DC superheroes. Some are good, some are silly, and some are pretty dull; they’re pretty standard for the era —- definitely not the genre-changing stuff he would be doing in the near future.
Of course, the point of this collection is Neal Adams’ artwork. Adams’ pencils are still pretty remarkable, and it’s interesting to see him improve his sequential storytelling so quickly and experiment on the page. He came from an illustration background (as opposed to a cartooning background), so his realistic style really stands out from the work of his contemporaries.
It looks like some of the inking has been retouched a bit, but it’s hard to tell just how much has been changed without having the original work to compare it to. The title page still credits the original inkers, so I’m guessing that the changes are not as pervasive as they are in “Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams” (where Neal re-inked and re-colored large chunks of the same stories contained in this volume), but it’s hard to tell without side-by-side comparisons.
The coloring was more obviously updated from the original comics, though. These don’t look like 50-year-old comics, for better or worse. On the bright side, you don’t have mis-colored panels, or color bleeding outside the proper lines. On the other hand, seeing this old artwork with digital colors feels incongruous. This isn’t a problem with just this TPB —- it’s a common practice for reprinting comics from the 1970s and 80s —- but it’s not great to see here, and it diminishes some of the old-timey charm of the artwork.
Overall, I think this collection is more interesting than it is good. Adams was doing great work from the start, but the stories themselves are nothing special, and I think the re-coloring is distracting.
Story-wise, this is a collection of unrelated, self-contained stories where Batman teams up with a variety of other DC superheroes. Some are good, some are silly, and some are pretty dull; they’re pretty standard for the era —- definitely not the genre-changing stuff he would be doing in the near future.
Of course, the point of this collection is Neal Adams’ artwork. Adams’ pencils are still pretty remarkable, and it’s interesting to see him improve his sequential storytelling so quickly and experiment on the page. He came from an illustration background (as opposed to a cartooning background), so his realistic style really stands out from the work of his contemporaries.
It looks like some of the inking has been retouched a bit, but it’s hard to tell just how much has been changed without having the original work to compare it to. The title page still credits the original inkers, so I’m guessing that the changes are not as pervasive as they are in “Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams” (where Neal re-inked and re-colored large chunks of the same stories contained in this volume), but it’s hard to tell without side-by-side comparisons.
The coloring was more obviously updated from the original comics, though. These don’t look like 50-year-old comics, for better or worse. On the bright side, you don’t have mis-colored panels, or color bleeding outside the proper lines. On the other hand, seeing this old artwork with digital colors feels incongruous. This isn’t a problem with just this TPB —- it’s a common practice for reprinting comics from the 1970s and 80s —- but it’s not great to see here, and it diminishes some of the old-timey charm of the artwork.
Overall, I think this collection is more interesting than it is good. Adams was doing great work from the start, but the stories themselves are nothing special, and I think the re-coloring is distracting.
March 3, 2018
There are three volumes in this series and this one has the weakest Batman STORIES due to the writing of Bob Haney. He was a prolific Batman writer (especially Brave and Bold and Teen Titans) in the 60's but his stories are very poorly written by today's standards, even from a fun perspective. Gardner Fox's stories still hold up due to their inventiveness but not Haney's. However, this is about the art and even in that sense this is the weakest of the volumes being the earlier Adams work. However, even "weaker" Adams is till amazing by any standard. It is remarkable to me how advanced he was as an artist compared to his peers at the time in the comic book industry. He is Da Vinci to their Charles Schultz. I am not saying they are horrible but I am saying Adams was so far advanced in comparison in terms of layout, story telling ability and anatomy.
This collection is a treat for the eyes and Adams skill as a story tell elevates even these weak stories and you can tell he got better the more experience he got. The first stories are truly silly - the one that gets the award for silliest is a whole story of an actor trying to fool Superman and Batman he is two aliens because the actor is dying of radiation poisoning and he wants one last performance before he dies. However, Superman and Batman figure out his deception and decide to play along with it anyway so the actor can die happy. Very convoluted, no logic to the story and not very nice of Batman to punch Superman with kryptonite gloves just to "play along".
But as the volume concludes some of the stories are more readable - thanks in large part to Adams improving the stories with his art and storytelling.
Overall - a must have for Adams' fans.
This collection is a treat for the eyes and Adams skill as a story tell elevates even these weak stories and you can tell he got better the more experience he got. The first stories are truly silly - the one that gets the award for silliest is a whole story of an actor trying to fool Superman and Batman he is two aliens because the actor is dying of radiation poisoning and he wants one last performance before he dies. However, Superman and Batman figure out his deception and decide to play along with it anyway so the actor can die happy. Very convoluted, no logic to the story and not very nice of Batman to punch Superman with kryptonite gloves just to "play along".
But as the volume concludes some of the stories are more readable - thanks in large part to Adams improving the stories with his art and storytelling.
Overall - a must have for Adams' fans.
November 25, 2017
I've been searching for comics to read. I have been all over the place in my search. Recently, I have been considering Batman. Many of the online recommended reading lists suggest beginning with Year One. Part of me has wanted to get into something from the 1970s. No list I have read for any title has gone there.
Today I stumbled across something that highlighted Neal Adams. It explained how he rescued Batman from the campiness of the 1950s and the Adam West show. It stated Adams drew Batman in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Sounded right up my alley.
The art appeals to me greatly. I like this Batman. This art makes me recall my youth, despite not really reading comics then. I must have seen enough that it is familiar.
The problem with this is that the stories are weak, imo. Never a Superman fan, I don't like the included stories where he and Batman battle. Likewise, not a Green Arrow fan, and there was a crossover there too. A throwback to WWII was no biggy either. Another where a new ward who took advantage and managed a $50,000 ransom.
Yup, the stories did not appeal to me, but the art did. Time for Year One, I guess. :) It was nice to pick this up on Comixology on Black Friday for $4.99. Amazon had it for $7.99. I never understand the differences in prices.
Today I stumbled across something that highlighted Neal Adams. It explained how he rescued Batman from the campiness of the 1950s and the Adam West show. It stated Adams drew Batman in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Sounded right up my alley.
The art appeals to me greatly. I like this Batman. This art makes me recall my youth, despite not really reading comics then. I must have seen enough that it is familiar.
The problem with this is that the stories are weak, imo. Never a Superman fan, I don't like the included stories where he and Batman battle. Likewise, not a Green Arrow fan, and there was a crossover there too. A throwback to WWII was no biggy either. Another where a new ward who took advantage and managed a $50,000 ransom.
Yup, the stories did not appeal to me, but the art did. Time for Year One, I guess. :) It was nice to pick this up on Comixology on Black Friday for $4.99. Amazon had it for $7.99. I never understand the differences in prices.
February 24, 2023
Had to write a proper review as the last one I did was very half-arsed. So let's go.
I really enjoyed Neal Adam's Batman as it is vintage Batman at it's finest and the style of drawing is iconic. Each story in this book feels very unique and well crafted, which I enjoyed to the max, as the stories felt simple and easy but very well executed.
There is just this feeling when reading these stories that are just wholesome for some reason? Every story comes altogether and just sticks to the overall theme set from the start. There is no side-tracking or in your face blatant point the writer/artist is trt to convey. Just simple stories, told easily and enjoyable by everyone or anyone.
Amazing.
Just amazing.
Onto the next one
The Marc Knight
I really enjoyed Neal Adam's Batman as it is vintage Batman at it's finest and the style of drawing is iconic. Each story in this book feels very unique and well crafted, which I enjoyed to the max, as the stories felt simple and easy but very well executed.
There is just this feeling when reading these stories that are just wholesome for some reason? Every story comes altogether and just sticks to the overall theme set from the start. There is no side-tracking or in your face blatant point the writer/artist is trt to convey. Just simple stories, told easily and enjoyable by everyone or anyone.
Amazing.
Just amazing.
Onto the next one
The Marc Knight
December 7, 2020
A majority of these issues can be found in the hardcover Brave and the Bold edition (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...). It's like DC used the same book with a different cover/title? Bummer because now I own the Brave and the Bold Omnibus plus this trade back issue. Seems financially wasteful. I'm glad I didn't spend $300 on the omnibus edition of this graphic novel at the very least. I love Neal Adams. His art is stunning. If you want a collection of his work, go for it. If you're simply interested in comics in chronological order you won't find it in Batman Neal Adams Omnibus collection.
May 2, 2022
This volume contains the earliest work of legendary artist Neal Adams on the Dark Knight, including some iconic covers and largely his interior work on the Brave and the Bold (one of my all time favorite comic series). Sure, there is a lot of dated material here and some of it has not aged well (especially the writing), but the dynamic sequential art of Adams can be found throughout and looks better than ever thanks to some updates to the coloring. His impact on the character of Batman cannot be overstated and it begins here. This book also includes the introduction of the newly redesigned Green Arrow, another character enriched by Adams.
December 17, 2023
Neal Adams helped define Batman for a time, but like he mentions in the introduction to this book, it was as a two-man effort with Denny O Neil. You can see his style starting to form, with some very interesting panelling, but unfortunately he’s hampered from the writing of certain stories. It’s a very interesting look into a particular point in history, but the writing can make for a slow read sometimes (although some stories, like Bob Haney’s Brave and the Bold 79, stand out as stellar, but they can be found in other collections). If you like the unabashedly crazy style of 60s cape comics, you’ll like this, but for me it wasn’t the strongest.
August 28, 2023
Ruined the classic artwork with replacement digital coloring
Why?
This collection of classic comics art is 50 years old. Only comic loyalists are purchasing this stuff - we want to see the art, as it was back then.
D.C. doesn't mention it is recolored. Doesn't credit the original colorists. Doesn't credit the digital hack job either. This only exists for one purpose - to fool comic fans into buying something twice.
Neal Adams rules. Two stars is generous for this collection
Why?
This collection of classic comics art is 50 years old. Only comic loyalists are purchasing this stuff - we want to see the art, as it was back then.
D.C. doesn't mention it is recolored. Doesn't credit the original colorists. Doesn't credit the digital hack job either. This only exists for one purpose - to fool comic fans into buying something twice.
Neal Adams rules. Two stars is generous for this collection
August 28, 2024
This is basically a compilation of tales from 60s and 70s batman comics , most of which are pages of World's finest and the Batman brave and bold titles , that means a ton of team ups .
Honestly , most of these tales havent aged well, those that have also include tons of campiness, which is not attributed to modern day Batman comics . So bear that in mind if you plan on reading this book .
Overall it was a nice look back to the era of comics in the 1960s and all the cheesiness of it's time
Honestly , most of these tales havent aged well, those that have also include tons of campiness, which is not attributed to modern day Batman comics . So bear that in mind if you plan on reading this book .
Overall it was a nice look back to the era of comics in the 1960s and all the cheesiness of it's time
March 30, 2019
29/100 (2019 Reading Challenge)
I love the classic stories. Like I love classic sci-fi, it just has something, a charm.
Batman fighting Nazis, how can you go wrong with that. Actually compared to modern stuff (dependant on the author) I find there is a lot more reading here. Don’t get my wrong appreciating a nice bit of comic art work is part of the joy of reading a comic but the story is a big part too.
I love the classic stories. Like I love classic sci-fi, it just has something, a charm.
Batman fighting Nazis, how can you go wrong with that. Actually compared to modern stuff (dependant on the author) I find there is a lot more reading here. Don’t get my wrong appreciating a nice bit of comic art work is part of the joy of reading a comic but the story is a big part too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews