Batman By Neal Adams Absolute Edition Volume 1

When I was a kid, I watched the Batman TV show on ABC infrequently. I much preferred the sci-fi shows of the era like Outer Limits or Irwin Allen's Lost in Space and Land of the Giants, among others. Batman was just too silly for me, and I was a SF/Horror kid, anyway, so there was little appeal at the time. But as I grew into an older comic book reader/collector, and my circle of friends who were also in the hobby began to make their recommendations, they all tended to point me in the direction of Batman. But this wasn't the goofy Caped Crusader from TV, or the crimefighter who fought more aliens and colorful foes in the comics than actual criminals. This modern Batman was grim... gritty... a skilled fighter with the mind of a great detective. And amongst the artists bringing his monthly adventures to life was one particular guy whose work I had seen elsewhere: Neal Adams. This was THE Batman artist. Whether he was drawing the Dark Knight or his alter ego Bruce Wayne, Adams' art brought a realism and gravitas that the previous incarnation of the Batman never had. Neal gave us nearly 70 issues of Batman over the years, each one a gem of storytelling and illustration. These Absolute Editions (this being the first of two) should be in every Batman fan's collection. And honestly, if you're not a Neal Adams fan, then your Batman fan cred is in serious question! ~Marty