by Jevon Phillips
from Los Angeles Times
Neal Adams, one of the most influential comic book artists of all time due to his transformative work on Batman, the Avengers and the X-Men, died Thursday due to complications from sepsis. He was 80.
Adams was one of the few artists who, early in his career, worked at both Marvel and DC Comics, helping chart the visual path for some of the most popular characters in comics. His most lasting influences would be on DC’s Batman, making him a darker character that moved away from the camp of the ‘60s, and on Marvel’s X-Men, which, though it was canceled in 1970 because of weak sales, was thought of as an artistic triumph that led to an ultimate revival, when it would become one of the company’s signature titles.