Batman: Odyssey (2010-2011) #1

Batman: Odyssey #1

by Neal Adams (Writer/Artist), Frank Miller (Writer)

In this electrifying new story, The Dark Knight faces a series of seemingly unrelated challenges as villains and allies old and new push him to his limits like never before. After Batman discovers a dark and mysterious matrix being superimposed over his life, what sort of life-changing voyage must he embark on to escape from this powerful and insidious force? Be here to find out as Adams writes and illustrates his next masterpiece Batman tale!

Genres: Comic Book

First published July 1, 2010

About the author

Neal 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.

Reviews

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: For the past 2 years I've been working to add comics in to my reading rotation. It's been tougher than I thought it would be. I've done a pretty lousy job of adding the material. It's otherwise part of my work and should be reading the genre.

Note 2: Was watching Neal Adams live on Facebook talk about Batman and mentioned 'Batman: Odyssey'. Reminding me I meant to read that new book..... Again, I'm having trouble reading comics. The book is 10 years old! How did that time pass?
When i first saw it and flipped through it, I didn't like at all what I saw. Art was overdone Adams, but the story looked surreal.
However, Adams is my greatest influence in drawing and I should get through the thing.

Anyway, I looking in Goodreads for how the book is listed. I saw it was listed issue by issue. Didn't know that! Obviously an Amazon thing. This could help me not trash the entire book and maybe find good things in the individual issues.

Issue #1: The book starts with a very confusing set of pages with weird asides. The asides seem to want to explain or editorialize issues in the story. As the tale continues,the story seems to become more logical until the character Man-Bat appears out of no where and inter acts with Robin. All the while Batman is explaining a theory. Bats and Robin leave in a very well rendered vehicle. Suddenly still another character turns up. I'm wondering if Adams is creating a sci-fi version of a Harold Robbins book. More characters get introduced as the issue ends.

Before that end, Batman demonstrates a suped up Batmobile. What really is going on is that Adams is showing what he believes the Batmobile should be to DC Comics.

The Adams touch in the art is there. The thing is Adams is waaay over rendering his illustrations. Moreover, his giant cast of characters within 25 pages have too many similarities in look. There is one instance of 5 guys who Adams is sure to differentiate and is some of the best rendering in the book.

Bottom line: I don't recommend the book as a book. 5 out of ten points.
I do recommend it for the illustration work. 7 out of ten points.

[Neil Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had big hopes for this but in the end I didn't find it that inspiring.

The comic is well illustrated but just didn't buy into the beginning of his adventure into crime fighting.