The Lucky Comics Anthology Books

Let's see...

• Four issues of Black Bat Tales
• Two guest-starring roles in Beetle Girl 
• One Free Comic Book Day feature
• One appearance in Dixie Squad
• One spotlight in Pulp Legends
• One story in Unknown Tales
• Three books of his own "The Bat" series

By my math, that's 13 times the Black Bat has shown up in a Lucky Comics series, whether we refer to a version of the character set in the present, or to a more traditional one set in the 1920s or 1930s.

This past fall, Lucky Comics made a number of their stories available on Amazon in an anthology format and the Black Bat has found his way into a couple of the more recent issues. The first of these is issue #9. 

He is displayed on the cover but the material in which he's included is actually one of his guest appearances rather than from one of his own titles. Issues #8 and #9 of Beetle Girl are reprinted in this book. The Bat features prominently in the latter.

Art by Saulo Silva

He's a much bigger deal in issue #11 of the anthology book.
 

This one also collects a guest-appearance, from Beetle Girl #11, but the first issue of The Bat is included as well. The character appears in two of the three books featured in this anthology.

Art by Geanes Holland

That's the most recent issue to be released, so unless I missed something along the way, there are still ten "Bat books" that can (and should) be reprinted.

I'd love to see a compilation of all the Black Bat material in one paperback edition similar to what was done for Beetle Girl. There's no indication that's on the horizon but if it does materialize, I shall make it mine. For now, here's the link for issue #11 of Lucky Comics.

The Bat Prowls, Part 2 - Coming Soon in Lucky Comics' Beetle Girl!

When Lucky Comics announced in issue #9 of Beetle Girl that the Black Bat would guest-star in three issues, I incorrectly assumed that they would be consecutive.  That is not the case, since he was nowhere to be found in issue #10, but he returns in a big way for issue #11 in early April.

Art by Geanes Holland
Colours by Federico Pepito Sioc Jr.

Taking into account the Black Bat Tales series and the upcoming pulp classics prose book in which the character will appear, Lucky might well become our most regular and reliable source of new Black Bat material.

Airship 27 throws down an anthology every couple of years but has been quiet on that front since the third volume was released in late 2015. Moonstone's offerings are constantly months (sometimes years) late and Dynamite appears to have forgotten about the character altogether.

So don't be surprised if Lucky Comics gets mentioned here relatively frequently in the coming months. It's clear they have a vision, a plan and enthusiasm for the character.

Coming Later This Month: Black Bat Tales #2!

The first issue of Black Bat Tales from Lucky Comics came out late last summer and the second is now close enough to release that the publisher is comfortable with promoting it on social media.

The original plan was for this issue to feature a short story (prose) by Lou Mougin. That has since changed and we are getting another comics story while Mougin's tale is being saved for a book called Pulp Legends. Presumably we are getting the 1930s version as opposed to the current-day Bat character that guest-starred in Lucky's Beetle Girl title recently.

Speaking of Beetle Girl, some time back Lucky Comics announced a book called Girl Commandos which would team that character with Flame Girl and Miss Fury. That book should come out at around the same time as BBT2 and its cover was recently revealed as well. Looks sharp.

The Black Bat's appearance in Beetle Girl was drawn by one Saulo Silva. I stumbled into Mr. Silva's Facebook page this weekend and found the sketch below which teams The Bat and Beetle Girl with, I believe, a Brazilian superhero.

At first glance, I couldn't help but wonder if Lucky hadn't created its own "trinity" to match DC's Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman team. I guess we'll find out before too long if Lucky Comics has something along those lines brewing.

Digital and print versions of the Lucky line of comics are available from Indyplanet.

"The Bat Prowls, Part 1!" From Lucky Comics

Lucky Comics is first out of the gate in providing Black Bat fans with new material in 2017.

Danni Garret takes over her grandfather's legacy of the Blue Beetle and rises to meet every challenge as the new, daring Beetle Girl! 

This issue: Three grusome murders at the dockyards of Hill Top City and the police are baffled. Can Beetle Girl uncover who's responsible before murder number four? 

Words & Letters by John Michael Helmer

          Art by Saulo Veiga

Cover B by Daniel Vardi & Saulo Veiga

The standard Lucky Comics format is eight story pages per book, 11 with cover, inside front cover and back cover included, all for $0.75. These are typically available digitally first (in pdf format) but some have recently been added to indyplanet as well to offer a print option. Lucky's first Black Bat offering, Black Bat Tales, is among the books currently listed.

Lucky had mentioned that The Black Bat would appear in a Beetle Girl book a few months ago but provides more details in the "behind the scenes" section of this book.

Having read both Beetle Girl #9 and Black Bat Tales #1, I would submit that the former is (deliberately, judging from the text above) closer to Batman and that the latter is more traditional. Beetle Girl takes place in the present, or close to it (she is the granddaughter of the 1940s hero) while BBT1 was set in the 1920s. Obviously two different versions of the character, catering to both purists and those who prefer updated/modernized takes.

Clicking on the cover image above with direct you to drivethrucomics fro where you can purchase both Black Bat Tales and Beetle Girl issues.

The Beetle and The Bat

November should bring us the second issue of Lucky Comics' Black Bat Tales but I recently found out that The Masked Nemesis of Crime will also make a guest-appearance in one of the publisher's other books.

Lucky Comics has several irons in the fire but Beetle Girl is arguably its flagship book and character with five issues available as I write this. The above image is the cover to a compilation of issues one through ten and is expected to be available in March. Furthermore, she will be one of the main character in an all-female team book coming soon (December?) which will include this blog's former co-star, Miss Fury.

While promoting the book on Facebook, publisher John Helmer mentioned that issue number seven will feature "BG vs Black Bat".  So we have that to look forward to.

And who is this Beetle Girl? The following bio is provided inside the front cover.

There you have it. Her current issues, and number seven once it is available, can be downloaded from drivethrucomics. Print versions coming soon.