A legend has passed, leaving behind a body of work that is nothing short of genre-defining. You think of the great Batman writers of the last 80 years, and on any list that includes the likes of Scott Snyder, Grant Morrison and Bill Finger, you have to include Denny O’Neil. The man who helped put DC Comics back on the map during the Silver Age of comic books, O’Neil’s name graced many a comic book character across DC and Marvel back in the day.
It’s his work on Batman that always be fondly remembered however, as he helped create characters such as Ra’s al Ghul, Talia al Ghul, Leslie Thompkins, Azrael, and Richard Dragon, oversaw the controversial death of the second Robin Jason Todd and in an era where Batman was seen as a campy caped crusader, he helped rejuvenate the vigilante as a dark knight out for justice.
Beyond his work in comic book writing, O’Neil was also a hell of an editor and oversaw numerous Batman titles from 1986 through to 2000. That included the likes of the Knightfall saga and ended with a 1999 finale for O’Neil with the dramatic No Man’s Land storyline that ran throughout 1999. O’Neil sadly passed away last week from natural causes at the age of 81, but he leaves behind a legacy that’ll preserve his legend for many more years to come as one of the definitive architects of the modern-day Batman.
And on that somber note, on to the best comic book covers of the week.
Comic book covers of the week credits
- Kirby Genesis by Alex Ross
- Red Sonja: Age Of Chaos #4 by Derrick Chew
- Batgirl Vol. 7: Oracle Rising by Carmine Di Giandomenico
- Batman And The Outsiders #13 by Michael Golden
- Catwoman Vol. 3: Friend Or Foe by Joelle Jones
- Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 by Doug Mahnke
- The Question: The Deaths Of Vic Sage #3 by Denys Cowan
- Wonder Woman: Dead Earth #3 by Daniel Warren Johnson
- Year Of The Villain: The Infected by David Marquez
- Young Justice #15 by Ben Caldwell
- A Man Among Ye #1 by Stjepan Seijic
- Birthright #44 by Adriano Lucas and Andrei Bressan
- Gideon Falls #22 by Jeffrey Alan Love
- Ludocrats #2 by Jeff Stokely
- Tartarus #3 by Johnnie Christmas
- Buffy The Vampire Slayer Vol. 3 by Marc Aspinall
- Lumberjanes: Campfire Songs by Kris Anka
- Power Rangers / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5 by Dan Mora
- Wynd #1 by Dan Mora
- Finder: Chase The Lady by Carla Speed McNeil
- The Little Mermaid by Piky Hamilton
- Dawn Of X Vol. 5 by Joshua Cassara and R.B Silva
- Invader Zim Quarterly #1 by Aaron Alexovich
- Vampironica: New Blood #4 by Lisa Sterle
- Klaw Vol. 3: The Cycle Renewed by Joel Jurion
Last Updated: June 15, 2020
