Neal Adams, one of the most influential comic book artists of all time due to his transformative work on Batman, the Avengers and the X-Men, died Thursday due to complications from sepsis. He was 80.
Adams was one of the few artists who, early in his career, worked at both Marvel and DC Comics, helping chart the visual path for some of the most popular characters in comics. His most lasting influences would be on DC’s Batman, making him a darker character that moved away from the camp of the ‘60s, and on Marvel’s X-Men, which, though it was canceled in 1970 because of weak sales, was thought of as an artistic triumph that led to an ultimate revival, when it would become one of the company’s signature titles.
During his career, Adams co-created the characters Ra’s al Ghul, Man-Bat and John Stewart for DC Comics and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent/hero Mockingbird and villain Sauron for Marvel. In terms of popular storylines, Adams drew Marvel’s ‘70s-era Kree-Skrull War saga and 1978’s “Superman Vs. Muhammed Ali” comic book, one of the last complete stories that Adams drew at DC before opening his own company, Continuity Associates, that focused on creating storyboards for films.
