RIP Denny O'Neil

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BAT 77
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RIP Denny O'Neil

Post by BAT 77 »

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Batman writer and editor Denny O'Neil from natural causes at age 81. He was the editor of the Bat books when I started buying Batman & Detective during the second wave of Batmania in '89, and, he helped to shape the character we, as comics fans, know and love to this day.

It has been a privilege to be reading and reviewing his writing on the Bat Books of the 1970s for BAT 77 - The 70s Batman Podcast. In the next two weeks, I will be reviewing his first two stories of the Ra's Al Ghul Saga, Detective #411 (Talia's introduction) and Batman #232 where Ra's makes his first appearance. And I am looking forward to discovering more of his work as I work my way thru the Batman and Detective issues in the 70s.

Kevin Smith has just graciously put out his three-part interview with Denny as one omnibus episode of his Fatman Beyond podcast which you can find at https://www.smodcast.com/channel/fatmanbeyond?audio=286. It is well worth a listen.

Dan Greenfield of 13th Dimension has also posted a touching tribute by Denny's partner in crime, Neal Adams, at https://13thdimension.com/denny-oneil-a ... eal-adams/.

Rest in peace, Denny. You will be missed.
BAT 77 - My '70s Batman Childhood
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gothosmansion
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Re: RIP Denny O'Neil

Post by gothosmansion »

I started collecting in 1976 and first discovered some of Denny's great earlier stories via Treasury Edition. DC picked some really great O'Neil stories to spotlight in those, and he quickly became one of my favorite Batman writers.

I got to collect some (and would have collected all, if not for spotty newsstand distribution) of Denny O'Neil and the underrated Don Newton's 70s Batman run. After becoming a fan of his due to the treasuries, I enjoyed getting to collect new O'Neil stories. During this time, O'Neil teamed with Marshall Rogers for a really good Detective story.

Denny and Jim Aparo's Batman/Ra's Al Ghul team-up always gets left out of the Tales of the Demon collections, and it is a good story.

I wish I could have thanked Denny O'Neil for all the great stories that he wrote that I enjoyed. However, I would also like to thank him for some of his editorial decisions, too. Mr. O'Neil is the editor who teamed Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle and teamed Chuck Dixon with Graham Nolan, which were two of the last runs I enjoyed. I think Paul Dini's time on the Bat-books is the only run I've enjoyed since O'Neil retired from editing.

I may be wrong here, but I think Denny O'Neil is the editor who put Roger Stern on Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man, meaning he also set Stern's great run in motion.

Mr. O'Neil, thank you for the hours of entertainment you gave to countless comics readers. You leave behind a great legacy.
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