I had completely given up on this. I'd written to Steeger Books a couple of times to ask if there would a seventh volume to their archive series and while they responded in the affirmative at the time, it was so long in coming that I just assumed that the project had been canned.
I believe volume six was released in 2016. Hell, Steeger Books was still named Altus Press at the time.
In The Black Bat Archives, Volume 7, Anthony Quinn, the blind former District Attorney turned masked crime fighter, faces off against chilling new enemies. In “The Faceless Satan,” Quinn must battle a shadowy criminal mastermind, while “The Murder Prophet” sees the Black Bat racing against time to stop a mysterious figure whose death predictions come true. Finally, in “The Nazi Spy Murders,” Quinn is drawn into an international conspiracy threatening America’s war effort. Packed with intrigue, suspense, and action, this volume brings to life three unforgettable pulp adventures featuring one of the most iconic heroes of the golden age!
Laurence Donovan penned The Murder Prophet in this compilation, while the other two stories are by Bat creator Norman Daniels. All were published in 1942. Of note, Daniels also wrote a story called The Murder Prophet, but that one was only released in 1947.
Coincidentally, Murder Prophet was one of the books included in the digital package I purchased (see November 22nd post) and the one I'd chosen to read next. The style is undeniably different than Daniels' material, but unlike some other "non-Daniels" stories, it has at least avoided errors with the characters' names and major inconsistencies with their personalities. It may turn out to be one of the better Bat tales from someone other than Daniels.
I'm very eager to get this one on the bookshelf and hope that we don't have another eight year wait for volume eight to become available! Click on the cover to be taken to Steeger's page.
