Death Rides The Valkyrie...Right Into Your Kindle Device!

Earlier today, author Andrew Salmon posted on a Pulp Heroes Facebook group about a recent (as in yesterday) addition to his Amazon portfolio.

On the eve of World War Two, Germany's greatest zeppelin, The Valkyrie, is on a good will tour across the US.  

But there's trouble on board and disaster on the horizon if Tony Quinn, the Black Bat, and his crew can't solve the mystery of a stolen jewel in time. 

And why did a reformed thief suddenly commit suicide? Or did he? The clock is ticking and peace hangs in the balance!  

It's murder and mayhem aboard a floating city of yesteryear. The stakes have never been higher for the Black Bat in Death Rides The Valkyrie!

Does any of that sound familiar? It should if you've read the first volume of Airship 21's Black Bat Mystery anthology as it is Mr. Salmon's contribution to that entertaining book.

There are four stories in BBM1 but you can read this one individually as a $0.99 Kindle version. The story's inclusion in BBM1 is acknowledged in the opening credits, though it refers to "an earlier version" which may mean that there are modifications to this stand alone version.

Click on that rather cool cover to blow it up. It is the work of Mike Fyles.

Masks 2, Issue 7 Solicitation

Coming in October:

Writer: Cullen Bunn
Art: Eman Casallos 

In this issue, the machinations of the Red Death have scattered the masked heroes of three eras into the time stream. Now, wildly altered versions of the heroes have reunited for one last campaign to defeat the Red Death and save all of reality.

More "alternate versions" of these characters, including a cyborg Shadow, apparently, judging from the above cover.

Have you heard of "event fatigue"? It's the term used to refer to being punch-drunk from all the line-wide storylines that the comic companies have going, such as DC's recent Convergence books and Marvel's Secret War nonsense.

I believe I have some sort of "alternate version fatigue". While I try to be open-minded to that approach from publishers, there's just a point where you want to read about the character that drew your attention and captured your imagination in the first place. Dynamite seemed poised to provide exactly that in the first volume of Masks, but have since gotten further and further from it (whereas Moonstone is doing the exact opposite, to their credit)

Of course, it may be that writer Cullen Bunn will come up with something clever for his version of The Black Bat. But his treatment of the character so far does not inspire confidence, sorry to say.

The Black Bat Returns!

Credit to First Comics News for breaking this because NO ONE else seems to have it.

Cover art: Mike Fyles 

6” x 9”, sc, 270pgs, $13.95 

The original Black Bat returns in this thrilling collection of all NEW action-crime stories! 

Read the character that was created at the SAME TIME as Batman! 

Ex-District Attorney Tony Quinn is blinded in a courtroom assault! 

He now seeks justice outside of the law as the relentless hero who can see in the dark: The Black Bat! 

Guest-starring: The Green Lama, Domino Lady, and Golden Amazon! 

Stories by Ron Fortier, Bobby Nash, Adam L. Garcia, Colin B. Harvey, Sean Taylor, James Palmer, David Boop, David White, and Josh Vogt!

The publisher is not named, and FCN uses a Dynamite banner in the announcement, but the book's logo appears to be the Moonstone logo. It seems clear that this is the anthology book that Ron Fortier has talked about a few times in recent months and that the character will be be done far more traditionally than Moonstone's earlier version. I assume this is an October solicitation.

I absolutely LOVE that cover and I need to get my hands on a bigger version. Check out some of Mike Fyles other work on his Facebook page.

Edit: Moonstone posted about it on their seldom-used Facebook group. It is actually a November solicitation, not October.

Another edit: Ron Fortier stated on Facebook that his Black Bat story involving Dr. Satan is included in this book.