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A review by dantastic
Batman by Neal Adams Book Two by Neal Adams
4.0
Batman by Neal Adams Book Two contains stories from Batman 219, The Brave and the Bold 86 and 94 and Detective Comics 395, 397, 400, 402, 404, 407, 408, and 410.
Neal Adams is often credited with revitalizing Batman and changing comics forever with his illustration-based style. This volume is a prime example.
In Batman by Neal Adams Book Two, the Caped Crusader goes up against Man-Bat, Dr. Tzin-Tzin, and the League of Assassins, as well as more mundane menaces. He teams with Deadman and enters the House of Mystery, encounters ghosts and immortal lovers. None of the stories are anything spectacular apart from Neal Adams' art, although it's interesting to see Batman as the Dark Knight Detective rather than the guy who plans for every contingency. As a whole, the stories are more mature than the ones in Batman By Neal Adams Book One, although it's still amusing to see Neal Adams' realistic looking Batman engaged in occasional Silver Age silliness.
Neal Adams' art is as fresh as ever. It has a timeless quality, like it was in a comic published yesterday instead of being fifty years old. Dick Giordano's inks on most of the tales only serve to drive home that point. Adams and Giordano's Batman spends a lot of his time in moody, shadowy places. His Man-Bat is also great, a grotesque but still sympathetic figure. It's sad that Man-Bat has pretty much faded into obscurity these days since his tales in this collection were easily my favorites.
Neal Adams' reputation as a pioneer and innovator in comics is well-justified. While his Batman isn't quite my favorite, it's easily in the top three. Four out of five stars.
Neal Adams is often credited with revitalizing Batman and changing comics forever with his illustration-based style. This volume is a prime example.
In Batman by Neal Adams Book Two, the Caped Crusader goes up against Man-Bat, Dr. Tzin-Tzin, and the League of Assassins, as well as more mundane menaces. He teams with Deadman and enters the House of Mystery, encounters ghosts and immortal lovers. None of the stories are anything spectacular apart from Neal Adams' art, although it's interesting to see Batman as the Dark Knight Detective rather than the guy who plans for every contingency. As a whole, the stories are more mature than the ones in Batman By Neal Adams Book One, although it's still amusing to see Neal Adams' realistic looking Batman engaged in occasional Silver Age silliness.
Neal Adams' art is as fresh as ever. It has a timeless quality, like it was in a comic published yesterday instead of being fifty years old. Dick Giordano's inks on most of the tales only serve to drive home that point. Adams and Giordano's Batman spends a lot of his time in moody, shadowy places. His Man-Bat is also great, a grotesque but still sympathetic figure. It's sad that Man-Bat has pretty much faded into obscurity these days since his tales in this collection were easily my favorites.
Neal Adams' reputation as a pioneer and innovator in comics is well-justified. While his Batman isn't quite my favorite, it's easily in the top three. Four out of five stars.