Batman: Odyssey

Neal Adams recently returned to penciling (and writing) for Batman in a new limited series, which also means the return of Bruce Wayne's abundant body hair! Yay! Almost all issues start with a shirtless Batman breaking the fourth wall and talking to the reader. These scans are from first pages of Batman: Odyssey #1 & #2.

Batman: Odyssey #1

Batman: Odyssey #2

Comments

Hushicho said…
His art really hasn't been the same since the early 80s. I prefer Don Newton doing Batman, but well...unfortunately he left us too soon.

I think the biggest problem I have with Neal Adams now is that frankly, his art does not look good with the kind of colourists they use. It always ends up looking garish and awkward now, though this colourist does do a better job than usual.

But Bruce doesn't look anything like the hunk he used to in the 70s, unfortunately. And while he used to have reasonable amounts of body hair...now he's got a carpet!
While I do agree that his art looks different nowadays, I still sort of like it. He's 69 years old now, so changes to his art style seem. inevitable. To each his own I suppose. But I think he went a little overboard with the body hair. :P
Hushicho said…
I agree, I mean, artists do change! And they have to shift, of course. I just think Neal's work is better with the colourists of his heyday than the colourists they use now. It doesn't flatter his work, and Bruce doesn't have the masculine beauty he used to under Neal's pen.
You're right, Hushicho. It seems that whoever was the colorist on this title tried to make the colors look "old school" so that it matched the art. It looks like the colors were done in the early 90's, I still kinda like it, but I totally get your point. I feel the same way with John Byne's art, it just isn't as good as it was back in the day.