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The cover of BATMAN 244 by Adams.
The perfectly done climax of the R'as Al Ghul saga by O'Neil and Adams.


[Linked Image from milehighcomics.com]


Whether by O'Neil Adams/Giordano, or Robbins Adams/Giordano, O'Neil Novick/Giordano, or Robbins Novick/Giordano, there was a 6 year period where I was reading BATMAN and DETECTIVE where I never loved comics more.
HOUSE OF MYSTERY, HOUSE OF SECRETS, SWAMP THING, THE DEMON, KAMANDI, BRAVE AND THE BOLD, WORLD'S FINEST, JLA, WEIRD WESTERN, JIMMY OLSEN, NEW GODS, FOREVER PEOPLE, WEIRD WAR, GHOSTS, STRANGE ADVENTURES, OMAC, THE SHADOW and so many others were a part of that amazing period. But for me it all began with Batman.

And Neal Adams, whether I fully realized it or not, was a huge part of creating that magic. Often just a cover, or a single issue, or just the concept that was continued or imitated by others. Or completely unrelated work by other writers and artists, but who Adams helped get in the door at DC and Marvel, to do other fantastic but completely different work, in a wide array of styles.

That these stories are so revered and loved, and still set the standard over 50 years later in the current era on several generations of artists, are testament to how fresh and powerful that work remains, as its influence endures.