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Neal Adams pencils and inks; 11" x 17"

When Neal Adams burst onto the comic scene in the late 1960s, it was a revelation. His photorealistic style, dynamic compositions, and raw emotion stood in stark contrast to the fading, drab landscape of post-Comics Code funny books. Adams' work proved an overnight sensation with the art form's increasingly older readership. College students and mature fans weaned on pulp illustrations particularly gravitated to his style, and the effects were felt across the industry for decades to come. What's forgotten in all the hoopla over Adams' shake-up of old tropes is his love and respect for the classical illustrative tradition of the Golden Age of comics, evidenced here in this dramatic and beloved cover image. While boasting the artist's richly detailed lines and aggressive visual style, this image also directly pays homage to the classic "stunt" covers of the great Weisinger-era Superman books, where seemingly each issue boasted the "death" of the Man of Steel . Adams' cannily updates this shock-and-awe template by visually skewing the scene, causing the dark, brooding image to confront the viewer full force, dropping the limp figure into their lap. A master class in composition from one of comics' most revered and collected illustrators. This is a rare find, surviving through the years thanks to the foresight of a DC employee who saved it from the dustbin. Adams' work continues to increase in stature and value, and is among the most in-demand original comic art in the market. Anyone starting a top-class collection need look no further than this extraordinary piece, one of the industry's undisputed masters drawing perhaps its ultimate superhero.



Art is in excellent condition.



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