NEAL ADAMS CHRONICLES | 13th Dimension, Comics, Creators, Culture

Sep19

Why NEAL ADAMS’ GREEN ARROW Remains the Gold Standard

Posted by Dan Greenfield on Sep 19, 2024

Why NEAL ADAMS’ GREEN ARROW Remains the Gold Standard

ANNIVERSARY ALERT! The Emerald Archer was born more than 80 years ago, on Sept 19, 1941 — but he came to life in the ’70s… By PETER STONE I see Neal Adams’ Green Arrow all the time. Every day. DC Comics sent us five statues of him when they came out some years ago. Everyone wanted one. I wanted one. It WAS Green Arrow. It wasn’t the “boxing arrow” Oliver Queen. It was the dude who could fire an arrow between Green Lantern’s fingers to give Hal his ring back. I thought that was one of the coolest moments in the entire run of GL/GA by Neal and Denny O’Neil. Neal used to go to a place in New York City where you could practice archery. He loved it. That and ax throwing. Neal always wanted to be a tough guy… someone who could do those primitive, primal activities. He taught me how to throw an ax and I was a kid from Boston who went to a sailing camp. I loved it too. It was great. Neal grew up reading the Jack Kirby Green Arrow but when he was offered the opportunity to revise the character in the late 1960s, he jumped on it. He knew that Oliver Queen was an excellent archer, but also that he had to add “real” archer stuff. Forearm protectors, quivers, three-finger gloves. Neal drew a new character design for Green Arrow — who debuted in his original incarnation, along with Aquaman, 83 years ago, in More Fun Comics #73, on Sept. 19, 1941 — that was unique and modern. He was suddenly amazing and sexy (at least to Black Canary). The early-’70s Green Lantern/Green Arrow series (technically just Green Lantern) changed comics to a certain degree. A conservative, old-school hero (GL) vs. the modern hippie-style liberal (GA). They traveled across America, dealing with the problems that were plaguing our society. They escorted an alien who seemed like he was from the Supreme Court. Green Lantern’s powers were reduced at some point because he was not doing all the right things, but Green Arrow was always there to save his friend. It was a ground-breaking series that echoes even today. The most heartbreaking story was Speedy’s addiction to heroin. Oliver Queen’s ward had tremendous trouble dealing with the fact that his surrogate father was out...

Aug03

Two Major NEAL ADAMS DC OMNIBUS Editions Set for New Releases in 2025

Posted by Dan Greenfield on Aug 3, 2024

Two Major NEAL ADAMS DC OMNIBUS Editions Set for New Releases in 2025

Batman and Deadman coming back at you… The Green Lantern/Green Arrow Hard-Traveling Heroes Omnibus — featuring Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams’ classic early-’70s run, plus O’Neil’s work with Mike Grell — is due in November after a months-long delay. Cool. But if you’re an Adams fan — and who isn’t — there’s even more to look forward to: DC in 2025 plans to re-release two classics: the Batman by Neal Adams Omnibus and the Deadman Omnibus. Dig the descriptions from online listings: BATMAN BY NEAL ADAMS OMNIBUS (New Edition) Stories by Denny O’Neil, Bob Haney, Adams and more Neal Adams is considered one of the greatest Batman artists of all-time, and one of comics’ most influential illustrators. Neal Adams’ run on Batman is collected in one massive volume, with stories from the pages of BATMAN, THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD, DETECTIVE COMICS, WORLD’S FINEST, BATMAN: ODYSSEY, BATMAN: BLACK AND WHITE, and innumerable covers! Collects material from Batman #200, 203 and 210; The Brave and The Bold #75-76 and 79-85; Detective Comics #370, 372, 385, 389, 391, and 392; and World’s Finest Comics #174-176, 178-180, 182-183, 185, 186; Batman #217, 220-222, 224-227, 229-231, The Brave and The Bold #86, 88-90, 93, 95, Detective Comics #394-403, 405-311, World’s Finest Comics #199, 200, 202; Batman #232, 234-241, 243-246, 251, 255; Batman Annual #14; Batman Black & White #4; Brave and the Bold #99, Detective Comics #412-422, 439, 600; Heroes Against Hunger; Limited Collectors Edition C-25, C-51, C-59; Robin #1; Saga of Ra’s Al Ghul #4; World’s Finest #211, 244-246, 258; Batman: Odyssey Vol. 1 issues #1-6 and Vol. 2 issues #1-7. Hardcover/1,072 Pages On Sale Feb. 25, 2025/$125 US — DEADMAN OMNIBUS (New Edition) Stories by Arnold Drake, Adams, Gerry Conway and more. With art by Adams and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and more. The adventures of one of DC’s most distinctive heroes, Deadman, are collected in a decades-spanning hardcover edition.Originally introduced in 1967, Deadman was a circus performer known as “Boston” Brand who was murdered while on the high-wire. In the afterlife, a mysterious being known as Rama Kushna gifted his spirit with the ability to possess the bodies of the living so he could discover the identity of his killer and bring him to justice. Featuring spectacular art by Neal Adams, José Luis García-López and others, these tales take Deadman across...

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