- Title: Batman #243
- Comic Vine: link
- Writer: Dennis O’Neil
- Artist: Neal Adams
Throwback Tuesday takes us back more than 50 years to Batman‘s pursuit of Ra’s al Ghul around the world ending at a secret base high in the Himalayan Mountains and the first appearance of the Lazarus Pit. Written by Dennis O’Neil and drawn by Neal Adams, Batman #243 begins with Batman besting Lo Ling in combat forcing the other man to help the Dark Knight Detective find the illusive Ra’s al Ghul leading the pair to Switzerland and a run in with Ubu and Talia (one of who treats him much more warmly than the other) before storming the refuge of the Demon’s Head only to learn of Ra’s recent passing.
There’s some great art here by Adams, featuring the classic Batman look and style, although the detective misses out on events that happen after he chooses to leave as Ra’s body is taken down into a pit and new life is breathed into him. For the first time, we see Ra’s al Ghul brought back to life with a crazed glimmer in his eye and a foreboding of what is to come.
[DC, $.20]