Neal Adams, Comics Legend Who Revitalized Batman and More, Dead at 80

04/30/2022 10:59 pm EDT

Legendary comic book artist Neal Adams has died at age 80. Adams worked on countless characters for both major companies, including the X-Men and Green Lantern. But his main accomplishment was his work on Batman with Dennis O'Neil and bringing the character back into the darkness.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Adams died in New York on Thursday due to complications from sepsis, according to his wife, Marilyn Adams. He is survived by his wife and their sons Josh, Jason and Joel, and their daughters Kris and Zeea, along with grandchildren Kelly. Kortney, Jade, Sebastian, Jane and Jaelyn.

"My father was a force," Josh Adams recounted in a statement. "His career was defined by unparalleled artistic talent and an unwavering character that drove him to constantly fight for his peers and those in need. He would become known in the comics industry as one of the most influential creators of all time and a champion of social and creators' rights. When he saw a problem, he wouldn't hesitate. What would become tales told and retold of the fights he fought were born out of my father simply seeing something wrong as he walked through the halls of Marvel or DC and deciding to do something about it right then and there."

Adams' time on Batman gets plenty of spotlight outside of the injury thanks to his influence on the character in TV and film. Along with O'Neil, the character was distanced from the Adam West campy portrayal of the 1960s and returned to The Dark Knight, which would be an influence for decades. The duo also introduced characters like Ras al Ghul, and Man-Bat, and would go on to cement The Joker as a murderous, dark psychopath that would only grow darker with time.

"It was no secret that we were doing Batman right," Adams said in 2010 during a Comic-Con panel, according to THR. "It was as if the memory of DC Comics went along with the statements that both Denny and I were making, that we want it to be more realistic, more gritty. And that's how we remember – whether it was true or not – that Batman should be. And when we did it, everybody went, 'Ah, that's it. We don't need comedy anymore.'"

Adams and O'Neil also crafted a memorable run on Green Lantern/Green Arrow that addressed social issues of the time and even introduced the black Green Lantern John Stewart, the version of the character that had been rumored for a film role after Justice League and was a fixture on the animated series.

The artist would also champion rights for creators and ownership of the characters they've helped create for publishers. He wanted to found the Academy of Comic Book Arts alongside Stan Lee, but differences led to the two parting ways. He was also a vocal critic of Jim Shooter's work-for-hire response with freelancers losing the ability to claim copyright over characters, which Adams spoke against in hopes of sparking unionization efforts.

As The Hollywood Reporter notes, Adams had two more successful comic professional fights. He pushed changes for publishers to return original art to artists, allowing them to potentially sell them for secondary income. He also was one of the vocal champions for Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, helping to establish them as creators for the character and earning them a pension for their efforts in establishing the backbone of DC Comics. His influence can't be ignored and he will be missed.

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