Manbat by Neal Adams, June 2019 (used for SDCC 2019 limited giclee)

I am continuing my posts of pieces I have from Neal since his recent passing, and this one is simply spectacular in my opinion. Neal was responsible for creating many key characters in the Batman mythos, one of which was Manbat. Neal had recently completed this piece and had it hanging at his booth during Heroes 2019 in Charlotte. I fell in love with it at first sight. It so perfectly captures the essence of Manbat...human meets beast, striking terror in the hearts of all, a nod to the Dark Knight if he was more animalistic. I could always feel the influence from Marvel's Hulk here, with the gruesome transformation, ripping clothes with only pants remaining, and the ability to strike sheer terror into everyone around, while still containing a humble spirit within.



The view here is just perfect. Manbat is flying right at you. His beastly face is terrorizing. His eyes gaze piercing holes. The humanity is still evident with the pants and belt (that don't look the least bit disturbed!). The perspective and muted color scheme make it feel like he is flying super fast, and you have been given the privilege of a snapshot of him as he soars in on his target. This is Manbat, and it screams Neal through and through.



I instantly told Neal this was cover quality and deserved to be a cover. The details are stunning, and pictures just don't do it justice. Neal takes painstaking effort in every line he draws, every marker shading he executes, and this is evident everywhere in this piece. This was released as a limited giclee for SDCC 2019, and they promised me #1 since I purchased the original. I ended up picking up my giclee at SDCC, and it was remarqued with a Batman head to boot!



Accomplished in ink and markers over pencils, on 11"X14" heavy art paper. Signed by Neal in the bottom left corner.