Editing Neal Adams (section)

==Career==
===Early work===
After graduation in 1959, he unsuccessfully attempted to find freelance work at [[DC Comics]],<ref name=NealAdamsEnt/> and turned then to [[Archie Comics]], where he wanted to work on the publisher's fledgling [[superhero]] line, edited by [[Joe Simon]]. At the suggestion of staffers, Adams drew "three or four pages of [the superhero] the [[Fly (Red Circle Comics)|Fly]]", but did not receive encouragement from Simon.<ref name=cb>{{cite web|author=Neal Adams interview|url= http://www.comicsbulletin.com/features/111086279993605.htm |title=Neal Adams: Renaissance Man Part I|publisher= ComicsBulletin.com|date=n.d. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217111703/http://www.comicsbulletin.com/features/111086279993605.htm |url-status=dead| archive-date=December 17, 2008}}</ref> Sympathetic staffers nonetheless asked Adams to draw samples for the Archie teen-humor comics themselves. While he did so, Adams said in a 2000s interview, he unknowingly broke into comics:

{{blockquote|I started to do samples for Archie and I left my Fly samples there. A couple weeks later when I came in to show my Archie samples, I noticed that the pages were still there, but the bottom panel was cut off of one of my pages. I said, "What happened?" They said, "One of the artists did this transition where Tommy Troy turns into the Fly and it's not very good. You did this real nice piece so we'll use that, if it's OK." I said, "That's great. That's terrific."<ref name=cb />}}

That panel ran in ''Adventures of the Fly'' #4 (Jan. 1960).<ref name=cb /> Afterward, Adams began writing, [[penciler|penciling]], [[inker|inking]], and [[letterer|lettering]]<ref name=natp3 /> humorous full-page and half-page gag fillers for ''Archie's Joke Book Magazine''.<ref name=cb /> In a 1976 interview, he recalled earning "[a]bout $16.00 per half-page and $32.00 for a full page. That may not seem like a great deal of money, but at the time it meant a great deal to myself as well as my mothers ... as we were not in a wealthy state. It was manna from heaven, so to speak." A recommendation led him to artist [[Howard Nostrand]], who was beginning the ''[[Bat Masterson]]'' syndicated newspaper [[comic strip]], and he worked as Nostrand's assistant for three months, primarily drawing backgrounds at what Adams recalled as $9 a week and "a great experience".<ref name=natp3 />

Having "not left Archie Comics under the best of circumstances",<ref name=natp3 /> Adams turned to [[commercial art]] for the advertising industry. After a rocky start freelancing, he began landing regular work at the [[Johnstone and Cushing]] agency, which specialized in comic-book styled advertising.<ref>{{cite web|last=Heintjes|first=Tom|url=http://cagle.msnbc.com/hogan/features/johnstonecushing.asp|title=Funny Business: The Rise and Fall of Johnstone and Cushing|publisher=Hogan's Alley (online magazine), via MSNBC.com|date=n.d.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828161630/http://cagle.msnbc.com/hogan/features/johnstonecushing.asp|archive-date=August 28, 2009|url-status=dead}} Additional, November 16, 2009.</ref> Helped by artist [[Elmer Wexler]], who critiqued the young Adams' samples, Adams brought his portfolio to the agency, which initially "didn't believe I had done those particular samples since they looked so much like Elmer Wexler's work. But they gave me a chance and ... I stayed there for about a year".<ref name=natp5>{{Cite book|title=The Neal Adams Treasury|last=Adams|first=Neal|publisher=Pure Imagination|year=1976|volume=1|location=Detroit, MI|page=5|asin=B0006WZB2E}}</ref>

===''Ben Casey''===
[[File:BenCasey 1stcomicstrip web.jpg|thumb|500px|Premiere of the ''[[Ben Casey]]'' strip, November 26, 1962. Art by Adams.]]

In 1962, Adams began his comics career in earnest at the [[Newspaper Enterprise Association]] [[comic strip syndication|syndicate]]. From a recommendation, writer Jerry Caplin, a.k.a. Jerry Capp, brother of ''[[Li'l Abner]]'' creator [[Al Capp]], invited Adams to draw samples for Capp's proposed ''[[Ben Casey]]'' [[comic strip]], based on the popular television medical-drama series.<ref name=cb /> On the strength of his samples and of his "Chip Martin, College Reporter" [[AT&T Corporation|AT&T]] advertising comic-strip pages in ''[[Boys' Life]]'' magazine, and of his similar [[Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company|Goodyear Tire]] ads,<ref>These would later include the one-page "Flash Farrell Gets the Picture at Goodyear Aerospace". See [[Harvey Comics]]' [http://www.comics.org/issue/228623/ ''Richie Rich''] #39 (Nov. 1965) at the [[Grand Comics Database]]</ref> Adams landed the assignment.<ref name=cb /> The first daily strip, which carried Adams' signature, appeared November 26, 1962; a color Sunday strip was added September 20, 1964.<ref name=horn>{{cite book|editor-last=Horn|editor-first=Maurice|editor-link=Maurice Horn|title= 100 Years of American Newspaper Comics|publisher=[[Random House|Gramercy Books]]|location= New York City and Avenel, New Jersey|year= 1996|isbn=978-0-517-12447-5|pages= 53–54, ''Ben Casey'' (entry)}}</ref> Adams continued to do Johnston & Cushing assignments during ''Ben Casey''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s {{Fraction|3|1|2}}-year run.<ref name=mendez1>{{cite web | last = Mendez | first = Prof. Armando E. | url = http://profmendez.tripod.com/html/daily_adams.html | title = The Rules of Attraction: The Look of Love: The Rise and Fall of the Photo-Realistic Newspaper Strip, 1946–1970: 'The Boy Wonder: Neal Adams and ''Ben Casey''<nowiki>'</nowiki> | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070224222709/http://profmendez.tripod.com/html/daily_adams.html | archive-date = February 24, 2007 | access-date = January 1, 2009 | url-status=dead | df = mdy-all }} Additional, November 16, 2009.</ref>

Comics historian [[Maurice Horn]] said the strip "did not shrink from tackling controversial problems, such as heroin addiction, illegitimate pregnancy, and attempted suicide. These were usually treated in soap opera fashion ... but there was also a touch of toughness to the proceedings, well rendered by Adams in a forceful, direct style that exuded realism and tension and accorded well with the overall tone of the strip".<ref name=horn />

In addition to Capp, Jerry Brondfield also wrote for the strip, with Adams stepping in occasionally.<ref name=mendezghost>Mendez, {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061112224800/http://profmendez.tripod.com/html/adamsghost.htm |date=November 12, 2006 |title="The Rules of Attraction ... 'The Boy Wonder: Neal Adams and ''Ben Casey'' — Ghost Stories'" }}. Archived from the [http://profmendez.tripod.com/html/adamsghost.htm original] November 13, 2006. Additional, November 16, 2009.</ref>

The [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] series, which ran five seasons, ended March 21, 1966, with the final comic strip appearing Sunday, July 31, 1966.<ref name=horn /> Despite the end of the series, Adams has said the strip, which he claimed at different points to have appeared in 365 newspapers,<ref name="natp5"/> 265 newspapers,<ref name=tcjp52>{{cite journal|title= Neal Adams interview|journal= [[The Comics Journal]]|issue= 43|page= 52|publisher= [[Fantagraphics]] Books|date= December 1978}}</ref> and 165 newspapers,<ref name=cb2>{{cite web|url=http://www.comicsbulletin.com/features/111091948245775.htm |title=Neal Adams: Renaissance Man Part II|publisher= ComicsBulletin.com|date=n.d.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100526054454/http://www.comicsbulletin.com/features/111091948245775.htm|archive-date=May 26, 2010}}</ref> ended "for no other reason that it was an unhappy situation":

{{Blockquote|We ended the strip under mutual agreement. I wasn't happy working on the strip nor was I happy giving up a third of the money to [the TV series' producer,] [[Bing Crosby]] Productions. The strip I should have been making twelve hundred [dollars] a week from was making me three hundred to three-fifty a week. On top of that, I was not able to express myself artistically when I wanted to. But we left under very fine conditions. I was even offered a deal in which I would be paid so much a month if I would agree not to do any syndicated strip for anyone else, in order that I might save myself for anything they have for me to do.<ref name=natp5 />}}

Adams' goal at this point was to be a commercial illustrator.<ref name=cb /> While drawing ''Ben Casey'', he had continued to do storyboards and other work for ad agencies,<ref name=cb /> and said in 1976 that after leaving the strip he had shopped around a portfolio for agencies and for men's magazines, "but my material was a little too realistic and not exactly right for most. I left my portfolio in an advertising agency promising they were going to hold on to it. In the meantime I needed to make some money ... and I thought, 'Why don't I do some comics?'"<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Neal Adams Treasury|last=Adams|first=Neal|publisher=Pure Imagination|year=1976|volume=1|location=Detroit, MI|pages=5–7|asin=B0006WZB2E}}</ref> In a 2000s interview, he remembered the events slightly differently, saying "I took [my portfolio] to various advertising people. I left it at one place overnight and when I came back to get it the next morning it was gone. So six months worth of work down the drain. ... "<ref name=cb />

He worked as a [[ghostwriter|ghost artist]] for a few weeks in 1966 on the comic strip ''[[Peter Scratch]]'' (1965–1967), a [[hardboiled]] detective serial created by writer [[Elliot Caplin]], brother of Al Capp and Jerry Capp, and artist [[Lou Fine]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thrillingdetective.com/scratch.html |title=''Peter Scratch'' |publisher=ThrillingDetective.com |access-date=June 17, 2010|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101225051251/http://thrillingdetective.com/scratch.html |archive-date = December 25, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> Comics historians also credit Adams with ghosting two weeks of dailies for [[Stan Drake]]'s ''[[The Heart of Juliet Jones]]'', but are uncertain on dates; some sources give 1966, another 1968, and Adams himself 1963.<ref name=mendezghost /> As well, Adams drew 18 sample dailies (three weeks' continuity) of a proposed dramatic serial, ''Tangent'', about construction engineer Barnaby Peake, his college-student brother Jeff, and their teenaged sibling Chad, in 1965, but it was not syndicated.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Neal Adams Treasury|last=Adams|first=Neal|publisher=Pure Imagination|year=1976|volume=1|location=Detroit, MI|pages=22–27 and inside back cover|asin=B0006WZB2E}}</ref> Adams later said that Elliot Caplin offered Adams the job of drawing a comic strip based on author [[Robin Moore]]'s ''[[The Green Berets (book)|The Green Berets]]'', but that Adams, who opposed the [[Vietnam War]], where the series was set, suggested longtime [[DC Comics]] [[war comics]] artist [[Joe Kubert]], who landed that assignment.<ref name=cb2 />

===Silver Age splash===
[[File:Strangeadventures207.jpg|thumb|''[[Strange Adventures]]'' #207 (Dec. 1967): One of Adams' earliest [[DC Comics]] covers, and his first for his signature character [[Deadman (DC Comics)|Deadman]], already shows a mature style and a design innovation for the time. It won the 1967 [[Alley Award]] for Best Cover.]]
Turning to comic books, Adams found work at [[Warren Publishing]]'s black-and-white [[horror fiction|horror]]-comics magazines, under editor [[Archie Goodwin (comics)|Archie Goodwin]].<ref name=ra>Arndt, Richard J. [http://www.vogworld.com/Richard%20Arndt/The%20Warren%20Magazines.htm "The Warren Magazines"] (2005 version with five interviews). Accessed October 11, 2009. Link updated November 16, 2009. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110717230137/http://www.vogworld.com/Richard%20Arndt/The%20Warren%20Magazines.htm WebCite archive].</ref> Adams debuted there as [[penciler]] and [[inker]] of writer Goodwin's eight-page story "Curse of the Vampire" in ''[[Creepy (magazine)|Creepy]]'' #14 (April 1967). He and Goodwin quickly collaborated on two more stories, "Fair Exchange" in ''[[Eerie (magazine)|Eerie]]'' #9 (May 1967) and "The Terror Beyond Time" in ''Creepy'' #15 (June 1967), and Adams reapproached [[DC Comics]].<ref>{{cite book |editor-last1=Roach |editor-first1=David A. |editor-last2=Cooke |editor-first2=Jon B. |date=2001 |title=The Warren Companion |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Ofd-XudNAcC&pg=PA218 |location=Raleigh, North Carolina |publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]] |page=218 |isbn=1-893905-08-X}}</ref>

With DC [[war comics]] stalwart [[Joe Kubert]] now concentrating on the comic strip ''The Green Berets'', Adams, despite his opposition to then-current U.S. military involvement in Vietnam,<ref name=cb2 /> saw an opening:

{{blockquote|I really didn't like most of the comics [at DC] but I did like war comics, ... so I thought, 'You know, now that Joe is not working there, they've got [[Russ Heath]] and they are plugging other people in where Joe used to be. Maybe I could kind of shift into a Joe Kubert kind of thing and do some war comics, and kind of bash them out [quickly]'. ... So I went over to see [DC war-comics editor] [[Robert Kanigher|Bob Kanigher]] and I showed him my stuff, and I did have that feeling that they were missing Joe – a guy who could draw and do that rough, action stuff. So he gave me some work".<ref name=cb2 />}}

Adams made his DC debut as penciler-inker of the {{frac|8|1|2}}-page story "It's My Turn to Die", written by [[Howard Liss]], in the anthology series ''[[Our Army at War]]'' #182 (July 1967). He did a smattering of additional horror and war stories, respectively, for the two publishers, and then, after being turned down by DC's [[Batman]] editor [[Julius Schwartz]], approached fellow DC editor [[Murray Boltinoff]] in the hopes of drawing for Boltinoff's Batman team-up title ''[[The Brave and the Bold]]''.<ref name=cb2 /> Boltinoff instead assigned him to ''[[The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis|The Adventures of Jerry Lewis]]'' #101 (July–August 1967) and its full-length story "Jerry the Asto-Nut", written by [[Arnold Drake]].<ref>{{cite book|editor-last1=McAvennie|editor-first1=Michael|editor-last2=Dolan|editor-first2=Hannah|chapter= 1960s|title = DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |year=2010|location= London, United Kingdom|isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9 |page= 124 |quote = Adams commandeered his first DC work as a penciler/inker with 'It's My Turn to Die' a nine-page back-up tale written by Howard Liss for ''Our Army at War'' #182 in July [1967] ... The following month, ''The Adventures of Jerry Lewis'' #101 perfectly illustrated how Adams was equally adept at delivering the art of laughter.  In his first full-length story for DC, he provided writer Arnold Drake's space odyssey 'Jerry the Astro-Nut' with a photo-realistic flare not seen in comics.}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url= http://cbgxtra.com/columnists/craig-shutt-ask-mr-silver-age/neal-adams-and-jerry-lewis |title= Neal Adams and Jerry Lewis|first= Craig|last= Shutt|author-link= Craig Shutt|date= July 3, 2005|magazine= [[Comics Buyer's Guide]] |archive-url= https://archive.today/20130208011551/http://cbgxtra.com/columnists/craig-shutt-ask-mr-silver-age/neal-adams-and-jerry-lewis |archive-date= February 8, 2013|url-status=live|access-date= January 11, 2012|quote= Adams took over Jerry's art (and covers) with #101.}}</ref> It became the first of a slew of stories and covers Adams would draw for that series and ''[[The Adventures of Bob Hope]]'', two licensed titles starring fictional versions of the TV, film and nightclub comedians.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Eury |editor-first=Michael |date=2006 |title=The Krypton Companion |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fcm4JrX-F54C&pg=PA99 |location=Raleigh, North Carolina |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |page=99 |isbn=1-893905-61-6}}</ref>

During this period near the end of the industry revival historians call the [[Silver Age of comic books]], Adams was soon assigned his first [[superhero]] covers, illustrating that of the [[Superman]] flagship ''[[Action Comics]]'' #356 (Nov. 1967) and the same month's ''[[Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane]]'' #79 (Nov. 1967), featuring Superman and a mysterious new costumed character, Titanman. Also that month, Adams drew his first superhero story, teaming with writer [[Gardner Fox]] on the lighthearted backup feature "The [[Elongated Man]]" in ''[[Detective Comics]]'' #369 (November 1967), the flagship Batman title. Shortly afterward, he drew Batman himself, along with the supernatural superhero the [[Spectre (comics)|Spectre]], on the cover of ''The Brave and the Bold'' #75 (Jan. 1968) – the first published instance of Adams' work on what would become two of his signature comics characters.  The first instance of Adams drawing Batman in an interior story was "The Superman-Batman Revenge Squads" in ''[[World's Finest Comics]]'' #175 (May 1968).<ref>McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 129: "1968 was the year when Neal Adams and Batman's fates became forever intertwined ... Adams tackled his first interior with Batman on Leo Dorfman's script for 'The Superman-Batman Revenge Squads' story in ''World's Finest Comics'' #175."</ref>

Another signature character, in what would prove Adams' breakout series, was the supernatural hero [[Deadman (DC Comics)|Deadman]], who had debuted in DC's ''[[Strange Adventures]]'' #205 (Nov. 1967). Adams succeeded co-creator artist [[Carmine Infantino]] with the following issue's 17-page story "An Eye for an Eye",<ref>McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 125: "In a story by scribe Arnold Drake and artist Carmine Infantino, circus aerialist Boston Brand learned there was much more to life after his death ... In addition, Neal Adams, the artist who succeeded Infantino with the second issue, would soon become an industry legend."</ref> written by Arnold Drake, with [[George Roussos]] inking Adams' pencils. Adams went on to draw both the covers and stories for issues 207–216 (Dec. 1967 – Feb. 1969), and taking over the scripting with #212 (June 1968). The series became a fan sensation,<ref>{{cite book|last= Goulart|first= Ron|author-link= Ron Goulart|chapter= Adams, Neal (1941– )|title= Comic Book Encyclopedia|publisher= [[HarperCollins|Harper Entertainment]]|date= 2004|location= New York City|page= [https://archive.org/details/comicbookencyclo00goul/page/5 5]|isbn= 978-0-06-053816-3|chapter-url-access= registration|chapter-url= https://archive.org/details/comicbookencyclo00goul/page/5}}</ref> winning many awards and being almost immediately inducted into the [[Alley Award]] Hall of Fame, with Adams himself receiving a special award "for the new perspective and dynamic vibrance he has brought to the field of comic art".<ref name="Alley1969" />

Adams concurrently drew covers and stories for ''The Spectre'' #2–5 (Feb.-Aug. 1968), also writing the latter two issues, and became DC's primary cover artist well into the 1970s. Adams recalled that Infantino "was appointed art director, and decided I was going to be his spark plug. I also thought it was a good idea, and was promised a number of things which were never fulfilled. But I thought it would be an adventure anyway, so I knuckled down to things like 'Deadman', ''The Spectre'' and whatever odd things would come my way. I was also doing large amounts of covers".<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Neal Adams Treasury|last=Adams|first=Neal|publisher=Pure Imagination|year=1976|volume=1|location=Detroit, MI|page=8|asin=B0006WZB2E}}</ref>

Adams was called upon to rewrite and redraw a ''[[Teen Titans]]'' story which had been written by then-newcomers [[Len Wein]] and [[Marv Wolfman]].  The story, titled "Titans Fit the Battle of Jericho!", would have introduced DC's first African American superhero but was rejected by publisher Carmine Infantino.<ref>{{cite book| last = Cronin| first = Brian| title = Was Superman a Spy?: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed | publisher = [[Plume (publisher)|Plume]]| year = 2009| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=SFgiXbVykSIC&q=Teen+Titans+Len+Wein+Marv+Wolfman+Joshua&pg=PT67| isbn = 9780452295322}}</ref> The revised story appeared in ''Teen Titans'' #20 (March–April 1969).<ref>{{cite journal|last = Evanier|first = Mark (moderator)|author-link = Mark Evanier|title = Spotlight on Nick Cardy: The 1998 San Diego ComiCon Panel Transcript|journal = [[Comic Book Artist]]|issue = 5|publisher = TwoMorrows Publishing|date = Summer 1999|location = Raleigh, North Carolina|url = http://www.twomorrows.com/comicbookartist/articles/05cardy.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110514004444/http://www.twomorrows.com/comicbookartist/articles/05cardy.html|archive-date = May 14, 2011|url-status=live|df = mdy-all}}</ref>

Adams' art style, honed in advertising and in the [[photorealistic]] school of dramatic-serial comics strips,<ref name=mendezphoto>Mendez, {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502003520/http://profmendez.tripod.com/html/photo2.htm |date=May 2, 2009 |title="The Rules of Attraction ... Introduction" }}. Archived from the [http://profmendez.tripod.com/html/photo2.htm original] July 9, 2007. Additional, July 16, 2009.</ref> marked a signal change from most comics art to that time. Comics writer and columnist [[Steven Grant]] wrote in 2009 that,

{{Blockquote|[[Jim Steranko]] at [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] and Neal Adams were the most prominent new artists of the late '60s to enter a field that had been relatively hostile to new artists ... and breaths of modernism, referencing advertising art and [[pop art]] as much as comics. Despite vastly different styles, both favored designs that drew on depth of focus and angularity that put the reader in the center of the action while slightly disorienting them to increase the tension, and placed special emphasis on lighting and body language as emotion cues. Not that these things were unknown in comics by any stretch, but publishers traditionally deemphasized them. As well, both were hugely influential on how a new generation of artists thought about what comics should look like, though Adams was arguably more influential; his approach was more visceral and, more importantly, he ran a studio in Manhattan <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Continuity Associates]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> where many young artists started their professional careers.<ref name=stevengrant>{{cite web|author-link=Steven Grant|last=Grant|first=Steven|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=23316|title=Permanent Damage|website=[[Comic Book Resources]]|date=October 14, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091018061918/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=23316|archive-date=October 18, 2009|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>}}

===First Marvel Comics work===
[[File:X-Men63.jpg|thumb|''X-Men'' #63 (Dec. 1969). Cover art by Adams and [[Tom Palmer (comics)|Tom Palmer]].]]
While continuing to freelance for DC, Adams in 1969 also began freelancing for [[Marvel Comics]], where he penciled several issues of the [[Mutant (Marvel Comics)|mutant]]-[[superhero]] team title ''[[Uncanny X-Men|X-Men]]'' and one story for a [[horror comics|horror]] anthology title.  The Marvel "[[Bullpen Bulletins]]" column of ''[[Fantastic Four (comic book)|Fantastic Four]]'' #87 (June 1969) described Adams as having "one foot planted in our Marvel doorway. We're guessing your ecstatic comments, when you see the way he illustrated our latest ''X-Men'' bombshell, will transform him into a Marvel madman from head to toe." Such freelancing across the two leading companies was rare at the time; most DC creators who did so worked pseudonymously.<ref>{{cite web|author-link=Mark Evanier|last=Evanier|first=Mark|url= http://www.newsfromme.com/iaq/iaq05/|title=An Incessantly Asked Question #5|publisher= P.O.V. Online (column)|date= April 14, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091126083524/http://www.povonline.com/iaq/IAQ05.htm|archive-date =November 26, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> Adams recalled in 1976:

{{blockquote|The first time I got away from DC was when I went to Marvel to do the X-Men. It didn't stop me from working at DC; they were a little annoyed at me, but that was a calculated plan. ... If people saw that I would do such a thing, then other people might do it. Beyond that, it seemed like working for Marvel might be an interesting thing to do. It was, as matter of fact. I enjoyed working on the X-Men. [The company was] more friendly, a lot more real and I found myself delighting in the company of [[Herb Trimpe]], [[John Romita Sr.|John Romita]] and [[Marie Severin]]. I found them to be people who were not as oppressed as the people at [[DC Comics|National]] [i.e., DC Comics] were.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Neal Adams Treasury|last=Adams|first=Neal|publisher=Pure Imagination|year=1976|volume=1|location=Detroit, MI|page=12|asin=B0006WZB2E}}</ref>}}

He teamed with writer [[Roy Thomas]] on ''X-Men'', then on the verge of cancellation,<ref name=ss>{{cite web|author-link=Steve Stiles|last=Stiles|first=Steve|url=http://stevestiles.com/adams.htm |title=The Groundbreaking Neal Adams|date=n.d. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081008040452/http://www.stevestiles.com/adams.htm | archive-date=October 8, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> starting with issue #56 (May 1969).<ref>{{cite journal|last = Schumer|first = Arlen|title = Neal Adams: The Marvel Years|journal = Comic Book Artist|issue = 3|publisher = TwoMorrows Publishing|date =Winter 1999|location= Raleigh, North Carolina|url = http://twomorrows.com/comicbookartist/articles/03adams.html|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110514004553/http://www.twomorrows.com/comicbookartist/articles/03adams.html|archive-date= May 14, 2011|url-status=live|access-date = May 12, 2013}}</ref> Adams penciled, [[colorist|colored]], and, according to Thomas, did most of the plotting, including the entire plot for issue #65.<ref>{{cite news | last = O'Neill | first= Patrick Daniel | date = August 1993 | title = '60s Mutant Mania: The Original Team | work = [[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]]: X-Men Turn Thirty | pages = 74–77}}</ref> In that issue, his final work on the series, Adams and writer [[Dennis O'Neil]], in one of that creative team's earliest collaborations,<ref name="GCDDennyNeal">{{cite web|url= http://www.comics.org/search/advanced/process/?target=sequence&method=icontains&logic=False&keywords=&order1=date&order2=series&order3=&start_date=&end_date=&title=&feature=&job_number=&pages=&pages_uncertain=&script=O%27Neil&pencils=Neal+Adams&inks=&colors=&letters=&story_editing=&genre=&characters=&synopsis=&reprint_notes=&story_reprinted=&notes=&pub_name=&country=us&pub_notes=&brand_group=&brand_emblem=&brand_notes=&indicia_publisher=&is_surrogate=&ind_pub_notes=&series=&series_year_began=&series_notes=&tracking_notes=&issue_count=&is_comics=&format=&color=&dimensions=&paper_stock=&binding=&publishing_format=&issues=&volume=&issue_title=&variant_name=&is_variant=&issue_date=&indicia_frequency=&price=&issue_pages=&issue_pages_uncertain=&issue_editing=&isbn=&barcode=&rating=&issue_notes=&issue_reprinted=&is_indexed=|title= Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams collaborations|date= n.d.|publisher= Grand Comics Database}}</ref> revived the [[Professor X]] character.<ref>{{cite book|last1 = Sanderson|first1 = Peter|author-link = Peter Sanderson|editor-last1= Gilbert |editor-first1= Laura |chapter= 1970s|title = Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History|publisher = [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year = 2008|location= London, United Kingdom|page = 145|isbn =978-0756641238|quote= Writer Dennis O'Neil revealed that it was not Xavier who had perished but a shape-shifter called the Changeling. ... This epic tale provided an appropriately grand finale for the work of legendary artist Neal Adams."}}</ref> While working on the series, Adams was paired for the first time with [[inker]] [[Tom Palmer (comics)|Tom Palmer]], with whom he would collaborate on several acclaimed Marvel comics; the duo's work here netted them [[Alley Award#1969|1969 Alley Award]]s for Best Pencil Artist and Best Inking Artist, respectively. Thomas won that year for Best Writer. Though the team failed to save the title, which ended its initial run with #66 (March 1970), the collaboration here and on the "[[Kree-Skrull War]]" arc of ''[[The Avengers (comic book)|The Avengers]]'' #93–97 (Nov. 1971 – May 1972) produced what comics historians regard as some of Marvel's creative highlights of the era.<ref>For example: Hill, Shawn, [http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/113999555670149.htm "''Essential Avengers'' v4" (review)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123125057/http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/113999555670149.htm |date=November 23, 2008 }}, ''Comics Bulletin'', February 15, 2006, re: the "Kree-Skrull War" arc: "This story set the standard for years to come, even if it has since been surpassed"; and Sanderson, Peter. ''Marvel Universe''. New York City: Harry N. Abrams, 1998, {{ISBN|978-0-8109-8171-3}}, {{ISBN|978-0-8109-8171-3}}, p. 127: "Running nine issues, much of it spectacularly illustrated by Neal Adams, the Kree-Skrull War had no precedent in comics. ... With this story ''The Avengers'' unquestionably established its reputation as one of Marvel's leading books"; and Stiles, Steve, [http://stevestiles.com/adams.htm "The Groundbreaking Neal Adams"], re: ''X-Men'': "Even knowing that the book was slated for the axe, Adams poured out some of the finest, most innovative work of his career".</ref><ref>{{cite book|last = Thomas|first = Roy|author-link = Roy Thomas|author2=Buscema, Sal|author3= Adams, Neal|author4-link = John Buscema|author4= Buscema, John|title = Avengers: The Kree-Skrull War|publisher = Marvel Comics|year = 2000|pages = 208|isbn = 978-0785107453|author2-link = Sal Buscema}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last = Daniels|first = Les|author-link = Les Daniels|title = Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics|publisher = [[Abrams Books|Harry N. Abrams]]|year = 1991|location= New York City|page = 150|isbn = 9780810938212|quote= This wild tale ... attempted to tie together more than thirty years of the company's stories ... More than any previous work, 'The Kree-Skrull War' solidified the idea that every comic book Marvel had ever published was part of an endless, ongoing saga.}}</ref><ref>Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 150: "Unprecedented in Marvel history, this epic spanned nine issues of ''The Avengers''. The saga began in ''The Avengers'' #89."</ref> Adams also wrote and penciled the horror story "One Hungers" in ''[[Tower of Shadows]]'' #2 (Dec. 1969), and co-wrote with Thomas, but did not draw, another in ''[[Chamber of Darkness]]'' #2 (Dec. 1969).<!--Note: ''Thor'' #180, his only collaboration with Stan Lee, was cover-dated September 1970; needs to go in later in chronology, with ''Avengers''. The Green Lantern/Green Arrow run comes in-between--> Thomas and Adams collaborated again along with scripter [[Gerry Conway]] and penciler [[Howard Chaykin]] to introduce the series "[[The War of the Worlds]]" and its central character, [[Killraven]], in ''[[Amazing Adventures]]'' vol. 2 #18 (May 1973).<ref>Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 159: "Roy Thomas conceived the initial idea of an alternate-future Earth sequel to H. G. Wells' classic science fiction novel ''The War of the Worlds'' ... Neal Adams plotted the first story with a script by Gerry Conway and art by Adams and Howard Chaykin."</ref>

===''Batman''===
Continuing to work for [[DC Comics]] during this sojourn, while also contributing the occasional story to [[Warren Publishing]]'s black-and-white [[horror-comics]] magazines (including the [[Don Glut]]-scripted "Goddess from the Sea" in ''[[Vampirella]]'' #1, Sept. 1969), Adams had his first collaboration on [[Batman]] with writer [[Dennis O'Neil]].<ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 143: "Artist Neal Adams and writer Denny O'Neil rescued Batman from the cozy, campy cul-de-sac he had been consigned to in the 1960s and returned the Dark Knight to his roots as a haunted crime fighter. The cover of their first collaboration, "The Secret of the Waiting Graves", was typical of Adams' edgy, spooky style."</ref> The duo, under the direction of editor Julius Schwartz,<ref>{{cite book|last1 = Greenberger|first1 = Robert|author-link = Robert Greenberger|last2 = Manning| first2 = Matthew K.|title = The Batman Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles from the Batcave|publisher = [[Running Press]]|year = 2009|location= Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|isbn = 978-0-7624-3663-7|page= 26 |quote = Editor Julius Schwartz had decided to darken the character's world to further distance him from the camp environment created by the 1966 ABC show.  Bringing in the talented O'Neil as well as the innovative Frank Robbins and showcasing the art of rising star Neal Adams ... Schwartz pointed Batman in a new and darker direction, a path the character still continues on to this day.}}</ref> would revitalize the character with a series of noteworthy stories reestablishing Batman's dark, brooding nature and taking the books away from the [[camp (style)|campy]] look and feel of the 1966–68 [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] [[Batman (TV series)|TV series]].<ref name=goulart297>{{cite book|last= Goulart|first= Ron|title= Ron Goulart's Great History of Comic Books|publisher= [[Tribune Media|Contemporary Books]]|date= 1986|location= Chicago, Illinois|page= 297|isbn= 978-0-8092-5045-5}}</ref> Their first two stories were "The Secret of the Waiting Graves" in ''[[Detective Comics]]'' #395 (Jan. 1970) and "Paint a Picture of Peril" in issue #397 (March 1970), with a short Batman backup story, written by [[Mike Friedrich]], coming in-between, in ''Batman'' #219 (Feb. 1970). Adams introduced new characters to the Batman mythos beginning with [[Man-Bat]] co-created with writer [[Frank Robbins]] in ''Detective Comics'' #400 (June 1970).<ref>Greenberger and Manning, p. 177 "Adams helped darken Gotham City in the 1970s [and] the scene was set for a new host of major villains.  One of the first was Man-Bat, who debuted in the pages of 1970's ''Detective Comics #400.''</ref> O'Neil and Adams' creation [[Ra's al Ghul]] was introduced in the story "Daughter of the Demon" in ''Batman'' #232 (June 1971)<ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 145: "Writer Denny O'Neil once stated that he and artist Neal Adams 'set out to consciously and deliberately to create a villain ... so exotic and mysterious that neither we nor Batman were sure what to expect.'  Who they came up with was arguably Batman's most cunning adversary: the global eco-terrorist named Ra's al Ghul."</ref> and the character would later become one of Batman's most common adversaries. The same creative team would revive [[Two-Face]] in ''Batman'' #234 (Aug. 1971)<ref>{{cite book|last1= Manning|first1= Matthew K.|editor-last1=Dougall|editor-first1=Alastair|chapter= 1970s|title= Batman: A Visual History|publisher= [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year= 2014|location= London, United Kingdom|page= 111|isbn= 978-1465424563|quote= Two-Face was reintroduced for the Bronze Age in this collaboration by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams.}}</ref> and revitalize the [[Joker (comics)|Joker]] in "The Joker's Five-Way Revenge!" in ''Batman'' #251 (Sept. 1973), a landmark story bringing the character back to his roots as a homicidal maniac who murders people on a whim and delights in his mayhem.<ref>Greenberger and Manning, p. 161 and 163 "In 1973, O'Neil alongside frequent collaborator Neal Adams forged the landmark 'The Joker's Five-Way Revenge' in ''Batman'' #251, in which the Clown Prince of Crime returned to his murderous ways, killing his victims with his trademark Joker venom and taking much delight from their sufferings."</ref><ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 156: "After decades as an irritating prankster, Batman's greatest enemy re-established himself as a homicidal harlequin in this issue ... this classic tale by writer Denny O'Neil and artist Neal Adams introduced a dynamic that remains to this day: the Joker's dependence on Batman as his only worthy opponent."</ref>

===''Green Lantern/Green Arrow'' and "relevant comics"===
[[File:Green lantern 76.JPG|thumb|''Green Lantern/Green Arrow'' #76 (April 1970). Cover art by Adams.]]
Batman's enduring makeover was contemporaneous<ref name="GCDDennyNeal" /> with Adams and O'Neil's celebrated and, for the time, controversial revamping of the longstanding DC characters [[Green Lantern]] and [[Green Arrow]].<ref name="McAvennie1970sp139">McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p.  139: "Real-world politics have always gone hand-in-hand with comics and their creators' own personal perspectives.  Yet this was never more creatively expressed than when writer Denny O'Neil and artist Neal Adams paired the liberal Green Arrow with the conservative Green Lantern."</ref><!--after a brief Adams return to [[Deadman (DC Comics)|Deadman]] (writing and drawing the backup story in ''[[Aquaman]]'' #51-52, June & Aug. 1970, and drawing 7½ Deadman pages tucked into a 23-page [[Challengers of the Unknown]] story in ''Challengers of the Unknown'' #74 (July 1970)-->

Rechristening ''Green Lantern'' vol. 2 as ''Green Lantern/Green Arrow'' with issue #76 (April 1970), O'Neil and Adams teamed these two very different superheroes in a long story arc in which the characters undertook a social-commentary journey across America.<ref name="McAvennie1970sp139" /> A few months earlier, Adams updated Green Arrow's visual appearance by designing a new costume and giving him a distinctive goatee beard for the character in ''The Brave and the Bold #85'' (Aug.-Sept 1969).<ref>McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 134: "Artist Neal Adams targeted the Emerald Archer for a radical redesign that ultimately evolved past the surface level ... the most significant aspect of this issue was Adams' depiction of Oliver Queen's alter ego.  He had rendered a modern-day Robin Hood, complete with goatee and mustache, plus threads that were more befitting an ace archer."</ref> A major exemplar of what the industry and the public at the time called "relevant comics",<ref>{{cite book|last=Delaney|first= Samuel R. |title=Silent Interviews: On Language, Race, Sex, Science Fiction, and Some Comics|publisher=[[Wesleyan University Press]]|year=1994|location= Middletown, Connecticut|isbn= 978-0-8195-6280-7|page= 89}}</ref> the landmark run began with the 23-page story "No Evil Shall Escape My Sight" and continued to "... And through Him Save a World" in the series' finale, #89 (May 1972). It was during this period that one of the best known O'Neil/Adams stories appeared, in [[Snowbirds Don't Fly|''Green Lantern'' #85–86]], when it was revealed that Green Arrow's ward [[Roy Harper (character)|Speedy]] was addicted to heroin.<ref name="dc-ency">{{Cite book|last= Greenberger|first= Robert|author-link= Robert Greenberger|contribution = Green Arrow|editor-last= Dougall|editor-first= Alastair|title= The DC Comics Encyclopedia|pages= 142–143|publisher= [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year= 2008|location= London, United Kingdom|isbn= 978-0-7566-4119-1}}</ref><ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 146: "It was taboo to depict drugs in comics, even in ways that openly condemned their use.  However, writer Denny O'Neil and artist Neal Adams collaborated on an unforgettable two-part arc that brought the issue directly into Green Arrow's home, and demonstrated the power comics had to affect change and perception."</ref> Wrote historian [[Ron Goulart]],

{{Blockquote|These angry issues deal with racism, [[Human overpopulation|overpopulation]], pollution, and [[drug addiction]]. The drug abuse problem was dramatized in an unusual and unprecedented way by showing Green Arrow's heretofore clean-cut boy companion Speedy turning into a heroin addict. All this endeared DC to the dedicated college readers of the period and won awards for both artist and writer. Sales, however, weren't especially influenced by the praise, and by 1973 the crusading had ceased. I remember dropping in on [editor] Julius Schwartz about this time and asking him how relevance was doing. 'Relevance is dead', he informed me, not too cheerfully.<ref name=goulart297 />}}

After ''Green Lantern'' was cancelled, the adventures of both super-heroes continued in the pages of ''[[The Flash (comic book)|The Flash]]'' #217–219 and #226 (1972–74).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbr.com/dc-unveils-new-collected-editions-from-the-original-universe/ |title=DC Unveils New Collected Editions from the Original Universe |date=April 5, 2004 |website=Comic Book Resources |access-date=January 14, 2012}}</ref>

===Other work for DC===
After ''Green Lantern/Green Arrow'', Adams' contributions to DC, apart from his work on ''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'', were sporadic, limiting to draw a Clark Kent back-up story in ''[[Superman (comic book)|Superman]]'' #254 (1972) and sharing credits with [[Jim Aparo]] pencilling the [[Teen Titans]] in ''[[The Brave and the Bold]]'' #102 (1972). Adams also drew a few stories for ''[[Weird Western Tales]]'' and ''[[House of Mystery]]'' and covers for ''[[Action Comics]]'' and ''[[Justice League of America]]'' as well.  Adams worked on the first [[intercompany crossover|intercompany superhero crossover]] ''[[Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man]]''. Several of the Superman figures were redrawn by him.<ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 170: "Many talents from both Marvel and DC contributed to this landmark publication – in addition to inker Dick Giordano, Neal Adams provided several re-drawings of Superman while John Romita Sr. worked on numerous Peter Parker/Spider-Man likenesses."</ref>

The last complete story that Adams drew at DC before opening his own company, [[Continuity Associates]], was the oversize ''[[Superman vs. Muhammad Ali]]'' (1978) which Adams has called a personal favorite.<ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 178: "Writer/artist Neal Adams proclaimed that ''Superman vs. Muhammad Ali'' was "the best comic book" he and co-writer Denny O'Neil had ever produced."</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last= Schumer|first= Arlen|title= The Greatest: Neal Adams and Superman vs. Muhammad Ali|journal= Comic Book Artist Special Edition|issue= 1|publisher= TwoMorrows Publishing|date = 1999|location= Raleigh, North Carolina|url= http://twomorrows.com/comicbookartist/articles/spali.html|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130602210021/http://twomorrows.com/comicbookartist/articles/spali.html|archive-date= June 2, 2013|url-status=live|access-date= July 4, 2013|quote= Arlen Schuer: Do you feel Superman vs. Muhammad Ali is the best comic you ever did?<br />Neal Adams: I would have to say yes. I've been asked lots of times, but I must admit, even I enjoy reading this book over and over again.}}</ref> After this, Adams' production for DC and Marvel was mainly limited to new covers for reprint editions of some of his work, such as ''Green Lantern/Green Arrow'', ''The Avengers: [[The Kree-Skrull War]]'', ''X-Men: Visionaries'', ''Deadman Collection'' and ''The Saga of Ra's al Ghul'', which were variously published as reprint [[miniseries]]<ref>{{cite journal|last= Trumbull|first= John|title= DC Comics Deluxe Reprint Series of 1983 to 1988|journal= [[Back Issue!]]|issue= 81|pages= 89–95|publisher= TwoMorrows Publishing|date= July 2015|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> or [[trade paperback (comics)|trade paperback]] collections. In 1988, he designed a new costume for DC's [[Robin (character)|Robin]] character Dick Grayson.<ref>Manning, Matthew K. "1990s" in Dolan, p. 247: "When WB made the decision to include Dick Grayson in the Batman Movie DC editorial was required to modify the classic costume of the iconic Boy Wonder to better suit the tone of the movie, they called upon several artists to put their own spin on it. It was legendary artist Neal Adams who delivered the winning concept. Robin is Dick Grayson. An Acrobat that calls himself Robin. I was charmed by the Robin costume as a child so I just made it more sensible. Tights, turned the cape inside out and the boots, well Dick is an acrobat so I gave him footwear that allows him to have better grip"</ref> DC loved the redesign and adopted it to the comics years later when they introduced new Robin Tim Drake. a miniposter included in the first issue of the ''Robin'' limited series.<ref>Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 248: "Complete with a Neal Adams poster stapled to its spine, the first issue [of ''Robin''] featured an apprehensive Robin doubting his place by Batman's side."</ref>

===21st century===
[[File:6.29.13NealAdamsByLuigiNovi3.jpg|right|thumb|Adams at the 2013 [[Wizard World New York Experience]]]]
In 2005 Adams returned to Marvel (his last collaboration for this publisher had been in 1981 drawing a story for the ''[[Bizarre Adventures]]'' magazine) to draw an eight-page story for the ''[[Giant-Size X-Men]]'' #3.<ref name="GCD">{{Grand Comics Database search |type=credit|search= Neal+Adams|title= Neal Adams}}</ref> The following year Adams (among other artists) provided art to ''[[Young Avengers]] Special'' #1.<ref name="GCD" />

In 2010, Adams returned to DC Comics as writer and artist on the miniseries ''Batman: Odyssey''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/04/02/its-official-neal-adams-on-batman-odyssey/ | title=It's Official: Neal Adams on ''Batman: Odyssey''|date=April 2, 2010|first=Alex |last=Segura|publisher=[[DC Comics|DCComics.com]] | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100821203209/http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/04/02/its-official-neal-adams-on-batman-odyssey/|archive-date=August 21, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Manning "2010s" in Dougall (2014), p. 313: "Writer/artist Neal Adams returned to the character of Batman with this series that took place in its own slightly altered continuity"</ref> Originally conceived as a 12-issue story, the series ran for six issues,<ref name="GCD" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=25519 |title=Neal Adams talks about ''Odyssey'' |website= Comic Book Resources|first=Kiel|last= Phegley| date=April 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420053214/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=25519| archive-date=April 20, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> being relaunched with vol. 2, #1 in October 2011.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/07/19/batman-odyssey-volume-2/ | date = July 19, 2011 |first= Laura| last= Hudson| title=Parting Shot: ''Batman: Odyssey'' to Return in October with Vol. 2| work= [[ComicsAlliance]]| access-date= November 30, 2011|archive-date=December 1, 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111201033627/http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/07/19/batman-odyssey-volume-2/| url-status=live}}</ref> A total of seven issues were published for the second series until its end in June 2012.<ref name="GCD" />

Apart from those assignments for DC, Adams penciled ''[[The New Avengers (comics)|The New Avengers]]'' vol. 2, #16.1 (Nov. 2011) for Marvel Comics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=32007 |title=Neal Adams returns to ''Avengers'' With Bendis| first=Kiel|last=Phegley|website= Comic Book Resources|date=April 22, 2011|archive-date=May 16, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516000920/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=32007|url-status=live}}</ref> In May 2012, Marvel announced that Adams would work on the X-Men again with ''The First X-Men'', a five-issue miniseries drawn and plotted by him and written by [[Christos Gage]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://io9.com/5910255/neal-adams-to-draw-the-first-x+men-a-miniseries-starring-wolverine-and-a-nazi+hunting-magneto|title= Neal Adams to draw ''The First X-Men'', a miniseries starring Wolverine and a Nazi-hunting Magneto|first= Cyriaque|last= Lamar|date= May 14, 2012|publisher= [[io9]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120819171741/http://io9.com/5910255/neal-adams-to-draw-the-first-x+men-a-miniseries-starring-wolverine-and-a-nazi+hunting-magneto|archive-date= August 19, 2012|url-status=live|df= mdy-all|access-date= August 19, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/05/14/marvel-announces-first-x-men-by-neal-adams-and-christos-gage/|title= Marvel Announces ''First X-Men'' By Neal Adams And Christos Gage|first= Rich|last= Johnston|date= May 14, 2012|publisher=[[Bleeding Cool]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120719182247/http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/05/14/marvel-announces-first-x-men-by-neal-adams-and-christos-gage|archive-date= July 19, 2012|url-status=live|access-date= August 19, 2012}}</ref> Adams produced short stories for ''[[Batman Black and White]]'' vol. 2 #1 (Nov. 2013)<ref>Manning "2010s" in Dougall (2014), p. 339</ref> and ''Detective Comics'' vol. 2 #27 (March 2014).<ref>Manning "2010s" in Dougall (2014), p. 341</ref>

In February 2016, Adams revisited some of his most notable covers done for DC Comics in the 1960s and 1970s,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/neal-adams-to-pay-homage-to-distinguished-career-of-neal-adams-in-dc-variant-cover-series-2015|title= Neal Adams Pays Homage to Distinguished Career of Neal Adams in DC Variant Covers|first= Brendan|last= McGuirk|date= November 15, 2015|website= Comic Book Resources|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160303064310/http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/neal-adams-to-pay-homage-to-distinguished-career-of-neal-adams-in-dc-variant-cover-series-2015|archive-date= March 3, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> replacing the original characters with some of the [[New 52]] ones.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2016/01/29/side-by-side-neal-adams-revisits-his-legendary-past |title= Side-By-Side: Neal Adams Revisits His Legendary Past|first= Tim|last= Beedle|date= January 29, 2016|publisher= DC Comics|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160626183701/http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2016/01/29/side-by-side-neal-adams-revisits-his-legendary-past|archive-date= June 26, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Later that same year, Adams wrote and drew the six-part ''Superman: Coming of the Supermen'' miniseries.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/11/13/superman-will-be-heroic-handsome-and-wont-break-necks-in-coming-of-the-supermen|title= Superman Will Be Heroic, Handsome, and Won't Break Necks in ''Coming of the Supermen'': Neal Adams Returns to Superman|first= Joshua|last= Yehl|date= November 13, 2015|website= [[IGN]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160119123428/http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/11/13/superman-will-be-heroic-handsome-and-wont-break-necks-in-coming-of-the-supermen|archive-date= January 19, 2016|url-status=live|df= mdy-all}}</ref> In 2017, Adams wrote and drew a ''Deadman'' limited series.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.cbr.com/deadman-neal-adams-dc-comics/|title= Neal Adams Resurrects Deadman For DC Comics|first= Liam|last= Nolan|date= July 12, 2017|website=Comic Book Resources|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170821035034/http://www.cbr.com/deadman-neal-adams-dc-comics/|archive-date= August 21, 2017|url-status=live|df= mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/08/02/neal-adams-deadman-dc-november-comics/|title= Neal Adams Explains That Everything You Knew About Deadman Was Wrong|first= Rich|last= Johnston|date= August 2, 2017|publisher= Bleeding Cool|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170821035436/https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/08/02/neal-adams-deadman-dc-november-comics/|archive-date= August 21, 2017|url-status=live|df= mdy-all}}</ref> He drew a new five-page story titled "The Game", which was written by [[Paul Levitz]], for the ''Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman'' hardcover collection.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newsarama.com/38292-what-s-inside-action-comics-1000-hardcover-companion.html|title= What's Inside ''Action Comics'' #1000 Hardcover Companion|first= Chris|last= Arrant|date= January 23, 2018|work= Newsarama|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180123202914/https://www.newsarama.com/38292-what-s-inside-action-comics-1000-hardcover-companion.html|archive-date= January 23, 2018|url-status=live|df= mdy-all}}</ref>

In August 2020, Adams and writer [[Mark Waid]] released ''[[Fantastic Four]]: Antithesis'', a four issue miniseries starring the Fantastic Four in a battle with a new cosmic threat.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Spry |first1=Jeff |title=Superstar Neal Adams on finding the 'family' in new Fantastic Four comic event 'Antithesis ' |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/neal-adams-takes-on-marvels-first-family-in-fantastic-four-antithesis |website=SYFY.com |access-date=May 3, 2022 |date=August 6, 2020}}</ref> This would be his final work as an interior artist.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dar |first1=Taimur |title=RIP Neal Adams: legendary comic artist and champion of creator rights passes away at 80 |url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/rip-neal-adams-comic-creator-legend/ |website=The Beat |publisher=Superlime Media LLC |access-date=May 3, 2022 |date=April 29, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Younis |first1=Steve |title=Neal Adams, Legendary Comic Book Artist, Dies Aged 80 |url=https://www.supermanhomepage.com/neal-adams-legendary-comic-book-artist-dies-aged-80/ |website=SupermanHomepage.com |access-date=May 3, 2022 |date=April 29, 2022}}</ref> Adams' final work as a writer (in addition to providing the artwork) would be ''Batman vs Ra's al Ghul'', a miniseries that was originally published in November 2019 before the final two issues were delayed to March 2021 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harris |first1=Tyler |title=Review: Batman Vs Ra's Al Ghul #5 |url=https://darkknightnews.com/2021/03/19/review-batman-vs-ras-al-ghul-5/ |website=Dark Knight News |access-date=May 3, 2022 |date=March 19, 2021}}</ref>