Batman & Deadman in the first-ever Neal Adams Batman story — the issue that redefined the Dark Knight’s look, tone, and physicality. “Track of the Hook!” is a landmark Bronze Age pivot point: Adams brings kinetic motion, noir shadows, and a new anatomical realism that instantly separated Batman from his camp-era TV counterpart.
Deadman reaches out from beyond the grave for justice, Batman gets pulled into the search for “The Hook,” and the book reads like the moment DC decided to grow up. Essential Adams. Essential Batman.
Cover — “Track of the Hook!”
Art: Neal Adams
Adams’ breakthrough Batman cover — elongated figures, heavy shadows, Deadman in anguish, Batman clawing his way forward. A seismic shift in DC’s house style.
“The Track of the Hook!” — 22.67 pages
Art: Neal Adams
Deadman seeks Batman’s help tracking his murderer, only to become entwined in a larger criminal conspiracy. One of the most influential Batman stories of the era and the winner of a 1968 Alley Award.
Strong mid-grade copy with solid eye appeal. Front cover is clean with bold color, moderate edge/corner wear, and light spine stresses. Small color-breaking ticks but nothing heavy. Back cover shows minor soiling and a faint crease near the spine. Interior pages are supple and off-white, firmly attached at staples. Presents extremely well for the grade — a sharp, affordable example of a key Neal Adams milestone.
Batman & Deadman in the first-ever Neal Adams Batman story — the issue that redefined the Dark Knight’s look, tone, and physicality. “Track of the Hook!” is a landmark Bronze Age pivot point: Adams brings kinetic motion, noir shadows, and a new anatomical realism that instantly separated Batman from his camp-era TV counterpart.
Deadman reaches out from beyond the grave for justice, Batman gets pulled into the search for “The Hook,” and the book reads like the moment DC decided to grow up. Essential Adams. Essential Batman.
Cover — “Track of the Hook!”
Art: Neal Adams
Adams’ breakthrough Batman cover — elongated figures, heavy shadows, Deadman in anguish, Batman clawing his way forward. A seismic shift in DC’s house style.
“The Track of the Hook!” — 22.67 pages
Art: Neal Adams
Deadman seeks Batman’s help tracking his murderer, only to become entwined in a larger criminal conspiracy. One of the most influential Batman stories of the era and the winner of a 1968 Alley Award.
Strong mid-grade copy with solid eye appeal. Front cover is clean with bold color, moderate edge/corner wear, and light spine stresses. Small color-breaking ticks but nothing heavy. Back cover shows minor soiling and a faint crease near the spine. Interior pages are supple and off-white, firmly attached at staples. Presents extremely well for the grade — a sharp, affordable example of a key Neal Adams milestone.
