Kirby's Kids Super Special: Neal Adams 2025 Celebration - Batman & Superman

Doc and Angus celebrate Neal Adams all year long in 2025 and in this third installment they reflect further on Neal's career and focus on his time with two of DC's prized characters. They discuss his work on Batman: Batman #251 'The Joker's Five-Way Revenge!' and Power Records PR-27 'Trumping The Joker'. They then turn their attention to 'Superman vs. Muhammad Ali' in celebration of Superman's return to the big screen in James Gunn's 'Superman'!







Batman: Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 3

⁠https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Illustrated-Neal-Adams-1940-2011-ebook/dp/B00E84H4JY/⁠










Superman vs. Muhammad Ali

https://www.amazon.com/Superman-vs-Muhammad-Ali-Deluxe-ebook/dp/B00KWNBD4W/⁠











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: April


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 Asylum would 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.



Superman vs. Muhammad Ali (1978)



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



          4th Quarter: October



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



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.



Eerie Volume 3 Issue #125

Featuring the art of Neal Adams, this Warren issue collects earlier works from their various horror magazines. Specifically Vampirella #1, Eerie #9 and #10, Creepy #14, #15, #16, #75. Packed with seven Adams stories, this is the first compilation of the artist's work by the publisher.


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


November



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











Leave a message at kirbyskidspodcast@gmail.com










Join the Community Discussions ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mewe.com/join/kirbyskids⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠











Please join us for our 2025 Graphic Novel Reads

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kirbyskids.com/2024/11/kirbys-kids-giving-thanks-2025-graphic.html⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠







Comments

Popular Posts

Kirby's Kids Reading List Calendar