Kirby's Kids Super Special: Neal Adams 2025 Celebration - Ra's al Ghul Part ONE

Doc and Angus celebrate Neal Adams all year long in 2025 and in this first installment they reflect on Neal's career and focus on one of his comic book character creations, Ra's al Ghul. In Part ONE they review Batman Vol 1 Issues 232, 243, and 244 which first introduced the character to comics. In Part TWO they will review Batman vs. Ra's al Ghul, a six issue limited series which was Neal's last author / illustrator effort before his passing in 2022.







Batman (1940-2011) #232

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-1940-2011-232-Dennis-ONeil-ebook/dp/B01BL2NSNQ/⁠







Batman (1940-2011) #243

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-1940-2011-243-Dennis-ONeil-ebook/dp/B01BL2NSLS/








Batman (1940-2011) #244

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-1940-2011-244-Dennis-ONeil-ebook/dp/B01BL2NSMM








Batman Vs. Ra's Al Ghul (2019-)

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Vs-Ras-Ghul-2019-ebook/dp/B09NL82QYZ/⁠








NEAL ADAMS 2025 CELEBRATION SELECTIONS:


          1st Quarter: February

Batman vol.1; #232, 243-244

     1st appearance of Ra’s Al Ghul 

Batman vs. Ra’s Al Ghul (vol.1; #1-6)  2019-2021

    Written/drawn by Neal Adams & it’s his last published story before his death in 2022


          2nd Quarter: May

X-Men (vol.1; #56-63) 1969

     #57-59: Sentinels

     #60-61: Sauron 

     #62-63: Savage Lands


The Avengers (vol.1; #93-96) 1971


          3rd Quarter: July

Batman vol.1; #251 “The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge”

This issue is historically significant for the following reasons:

It marks the Joker's return to his violent roots. After having been portrayed as a mass murderer during the early years of the Golden Age, the Joker was reduced to being an annoying prankster during the late years of the Golden Age and in his scarce appearances during the Silver Age. With this story, many elements of the Joker's original portrayal were updated and still remain to the present day, a constant feature in the development of the character.

This story also makes relevant the fact that criminals like the Joker are held in an unnamed mental hospital for the criminally insane. While some Golden Age stories also mentioned mental hospitals for the Joker and other villains, the idea had been largely forgotten during the entire Silver Age and the concept is first revisited in this issue. Arkham Asylumwould make its first official appearance as Arkham Hospital in Batman #258, only seven issues after this one.

This issue also marks the permanent return of Batman's Rogues Gallery after several years of absence.


Batman: Stacked Cards "Trumping the Joker" 

This is a mini book and record set published by Power Records and how Angus was introduced to Neal Adams as a kid.


Strange Adventures (vol.1; #206-#211

     Adam’s may not have created Deadman but he started drawing him in his 2nd comic & helped define Deadman

     The 1st story & all of the Adams stories were reprinted in 1985 as a 7-issue series

Superman vs. Muhammad Ali (1978)


          4th Quarter: November

Fantastic Four: Antithesis (vol.1; #1-4) 2020   Mark Waid & Adams

Dark Horse Presents (vol.2; #1-3, 5-8)  2011-2013

     This is Adams’ story, “Blood”

     Neal Adams has created the first animated 3-D cover in comics, using lenticular lenses. Blood spins and fires as his blood symbiont shoots from his body toward the reader.

Spectre (vol.1; #2-5) 1967-1968 

These issues don’t make a continual arc

In issue #2 there is a text page titled "Spectre interviews Neal Adams", which is used as a funny introduction of Adams into the art chores of the title.

=========================


Batman vol.1; #234 “Half An Evil”

This is the first appearance of the Bronze Age Two-Face, who would remain the same for the most part during the modern continuity.

Batman vol.1; #237 “Night of the Reaper!”

     Harlan Ellison is co-writer









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