Boot camp was such a culture shock that this comic was like a life-line to my old carefree life. Somehow this comic and a few others stayed safe in my footlocker and made its way with me to my permanent assignment.
I love the title logo that had been redesigned to complement Adams' transformation of the Batman.
Neal Adams — Batman #241 — May 1972
Update: As pointed out by Mr. Door Tree,
this cover was inked by Berni Wrightson.
Thomas,
ReplyDeleteGreat cover...did you know Wrightson inked it?
I'm sure I had this comic - in fact, I may still have it, but will have to check. I've certainly got a reprint of the lead story in some book or other. Great cover. I think I'd like to see him referred to as 'The Bat-Man' rather than just 'Batman' or 'The Batman'. The hyphen just seems to give it an extra touch of mystery somehow.
ReplyDeleteMr Door Tree, I was not aware of that. I will add that credit to the post.
ReplyDeleteThe colorist also added to the effectiveness of the cover, don't you think? Between the muted background and the comic book red on top and bottom, with orange in the logo to break the harshness of the red— that's a choice I would have been hesitant to submit, yet somehow it works.
Kid, I agree.
ReplyDeleteThomas,
ReplyDeleteAsk and ye shall receive: thanks very much for this post. As I mentioned previously, it's a long-time favourite. Growing up in the west of Scotland in those days, the supply of American comics was a bit hit-or-miss, but fortunately for me, Batman and Detective were two that seemed to get through regularly (also GL/GA), which meant that I was exposed to Neal Adams at his finest.
I love the subtlety of this cover: the inking and the colouring, certainly, but also the pose - the way the cape drapes over Batman's body, instead of billowing outwards.
About BW's inking: at first glance the cover could be by Adams alone or by Adams/Giordano, but when you look close (helped by the quality of this scan), the spidery lines on Batman's cape and cowl are unmistakably by Wrightson.
Gey Blabby, glad to fulfill your request. And I appreciate your comments on the quality of the cover.
ReplyDeleteMy comic experience with Scotland was this: I was in Edinburgh in the '90s when the 'Superman is dead' craze was at its height, and comic shops and newsstands were overrun with people who were buying everything in sight that might be related to the event, effectively crowding the shops so that I completely missed any of that material. Thank goodness. That was generally when my interest in modern comics seriously faded. How I miss the days when Neal Adams and all the crusty bunkers were at their best.
Thanks! I can still remember sitting indian style in my parents living room, The Partridge Family on the Tube, trying to copy this cover in my dollar store sketch pad.
ReplyDeleteI remember well buying this comic as a teenager and loving, what I thought, was a Mike Kaluta cover. That Wrightson guy shared a studio with MWK at the time and I guess added that fine line that I came to expect from Mike. Gorgeous stuff!
ReplyDelete