The Bat #0

This was a pleasant Christmas morning surprise. It was added to Drive-Thru Comics on December 22nd, but I only happened to see it yesterday. 

The Golden Age Black Bat's legend continues with the Adventures of Michael Quinn --The Bat!

This issue: The Origin of the Bat is revealed. Michael Quinn must don the mantle of the dark avenger to save his one true love.

Story by John Michael Helmer

Art by Kent Clark

Lucky packs a lot into this book's 8 pages. The main story accounts for four of them, but we are also treated to a character fact sheet and some details about his crime-fighting equipment. It's an encouraging sign that at least the modern-day version of the character has not been forgotten.

John, if you happen to read this, I hope you're doing well and I wish you and your family all the best.  

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.

Bat Update from Artist Daniel Solano

It's been a while since Lucky Comics released a new issue of either its 30s-based Black Bat Tales book or its modern-day version of the character, The Bat. Artist (for the latter book) Dan Solano provided a little update earlier today on the Lucky Comics Universe Facebook page.

The Bat #4 is coming, work on writing and illustration has begun on a new series. If you’re familiar with some of my previous work, then you can expect some special appearances from previous characters in the Lucky Comic Universe. I’ve also spoken with John and he’ll be releasing a special collection of issues 1 through 3 with a brand-new Cover, so be on the look out for that. 

"A new series". I believe that means issues four through six of The Bat telling a self-contained tale as opposed to a whole other book being published by Lucky. The first three issues of The Bat told a story called All Points Bulletin.

And for all the fans of some of my previous work here who want to keep up with the progress of the comic and get an early preview, I’ve set up a Patreon page. Currently only one tier exists, but it’ll give access to my page where you’ll see all of my Lucky Comics work before its published for just $1 per month. I have some plans later to expand on what I can offer on the page but for the moment being this will help me keep in touch with anyone who wants to see the work here continue and new comics be produced.

That would be me.

The page was set up less than a week ago so the content is a little thin at the moment but it does include a preview of the cover to the volume 1 compilation referred to above as well as two pages from the fourth issue of The Bat. Sharing those here would defeat the purpose of the Patreon account so I won't, but you can join up for a whole buck a month, support the man and help move the project(s) along.

The Black Bat's ASPC Streak to Resume!

Airship 27's 55th podcast, released earlier today (on YouTube at least) dropped a little bit of good Black Bat news.

Airship 27 publishes novels and anthologies, but Redbud Studio is comics-focused. they have published, among many other books, four volumes of All-Star Pulp Comics, the first three of which included Black Bat stories.

Unfortunately, the character's streak ended after issue #3 but he appears set to start a new one.

Ron Fortier: John Helmer, The Publisher of Lucky Comics...this is according to Mark Davis...supposedly has a new 8-page Black Bat script that he wants to offer us for this volume.

This is somewhat surprising because Lucky Comics has its own Black Bat book in Black Bat Tales. They have two, in fact, if we consider the modern-day version of the character, The Bat.

Now the stories set in the 1930s (Tales) are written by Lou Mougin so perhaps Mr. Helmer preferred to not interfere with that process and/or to ship his own story out because it didn't quite fit into the plans. Regardless, cooperation between publishers is rarely (never?) a bad thing.

Rob Davis warns that there is no set release date for this book so let's not sit on the Redbud website and refresh our browsers repeatedly, but it's good to hear the Black Bat mentioned on an Airship 27 podcast in any case.

Here's the cover to the book which contained the Black Bat's last appearance. Hey, being that he's been a part of most of these books, maybe he's due for cover treatment?

Other stories will include the Crimson Mask and a Purple Scar / Secret Agent - X team-up. You can listen to the show here but the ASPC portion in particular is at the 15:30 mark or so.

Just Out: The Bat #3 by Lucky Comics

The third issue of Lucky's "The Bat" book came out earlier today and it concludes the first story of the series entitled "All Points Bulletin". It is written by (Lucky publisher) John M. Helmer and drawn by Dan Solano.

As is standard procedure for Lucky, this is an 8-page digital book but at one point I wondered if Lucky didn't release an extended version. It is not greater in length but it feels longer than usual. Solano packs a lot onto a page. Cyber Jane guest-stars.

This is not the end for the current-day Bat (Michael Quinn, not Tony). We are told as much in the inside cover. More stories are forthcoming involving human trafficking and corrupt cops and such. Bring it on!

Lucky Comics at DriveThruComics.

The Bat #2 Coming Soon From Lucky Comics

We don't have a specific release date for the second issue of Lucky Comics' The Bat series but we do have a Daniel Solano cover to feast our eyes on.

It can't come too soon because the last issue ended on a cliffhanger. It is almost inevitable that #2 will also include Cyber Jane, another popular character for Lucky Comics who's had four issues of her own series published thus far.

Lucky's Black Bat offerings can be found on Drivethru Comics. If you're just joining us, note that there are two versions; one set in the late 30s using the traditional version of the name and the above, apparently a modern-day legacy character.

Unknown Tales #2 (cover B) Now Available!

The Black Bat themed cover to this book was added to the Lucky Comics page above a couple of weeks ago when the book was first being promoted. That caused me to think I'd already mentioned it on the blog and therefore forget to announce its release. So...Here it is!

Lucky's issues are only eight pages long and this one features two four-page origin stories including, obviously, The Black Bat's.

This is the 1930s version of the character and as usual, Lou Mougin wrote the story and the art is by Lucky Comics regular contributor Eric Douthitt.

It's a fairly faithful origin with a couple of twists. 

Can't help but wonder what the future might bring for this series. We know that a current-day Bat book is coming. Will his origin be revealed in his own series or will it be featured in an issue of Unknown Tales down the road? Since the Black Bat character is popular for Lucky, I doubt it will be long until we find out.

Black Bat Tales #4 Available This Week!

Lucky Comics announced this morning that the fourth issue of their Black Bat Tales series would be available from Drive Thru Comics some time this week.

The $2 price tag is for the print version of the book. Digitally, they tend to be priced at all of $0.75.

If things are proceeding according to plan, I believe the character shooting at The Black Bat is actually Eliot Ness, who was introduced in an earlier issue of this same series. It seems the two are going to have a little rivalry.

The story is by Lou Mougin, the art by Brazilian Kaio Neves. Sample below.

Good Things Come In Fours

From Lucky Comics' Facebook page:

New this Winter: Unknown Tales #2 - With TWO origin stories: The Rotting Corpse and the Golden Age Black Bat!

Sweet.

These books are only 8 pages long so the plan is for The Black Bat's portion to take up the last four.

Meanwhile, work progresses on Lucky's modern day version of the character. The cover revealed earlier is now showing a little colour. I've added it to the Lucky Comics page above, but here it is below.

Four pages from that book are going to be made available to download for free on Christmas Day so after you're done opening presents, float on over to Lucky Comics for some Bat goodness.

Coming Next Year: The Bat #1

At this rate, I might as well self-appoint myself as the unofficial Lucky Comics blog...

The Bat #1 Arrives This Winter! 

Michael Quinn, the Modern Black Bat, is unleashed in his own title from Lucky Comics this winter with The Bat #1!!! 

This two part story titled "All Points Bulletin" will set the tone and kick off this ongoing series as Hill Top PD hunts the mythical Bat creature. With story by John Michael Helmer and stunning art by Daniel Solano, The Bat will hit Lucky Comics with a bang. 

Dan Solano is no stranger to the Lucky Comics Universe as he brought his creator-owned title "Cyber Jane" and her ultra police force "Unit Black" on board in 2016. Now, Daniel is helping launch the Black Bat, spilling from the pages of Beetle Girl, as a modern vigilante bent on bringing his own brand of justice to the world where the police and the justice system cannot. Co-starring Cyber Jane and Unit Black. 

Join us for The Bat #1 in early 2018.
Pages: 8
Format: B & W
Price: $2.00 (print) .75 (digital)

Black Bat Tales will continue to provide, well, tales of the '30s version of the character, no doubt.

Wait a minute...Michael Quinn? Have we got a multi-generational thing going on here? Let's find out in a couple of months!

And Still More Updates On Black Bat Projects From Lucky Comics

Only a few days after sharing posting news about upcoming Black Bat projects from Lucky Comics, additional update were posted on the publisher's own blog. I copy those below, with more than a little anticipation and giddiness.

Lou Mougin has ramped up his Black Bat scripting (to include) several 1932 adventures and has plans to continue his Eliot Ness/Black Bat trilogy as the two work through their tumultuous relationship.  

Lou has another Pulp Legends tales in mind as he continues to expands The Black Bat Golden Age Universe at Lucky Comics.

Publisher John  Michael Helmer has scripted three Black Bat stories: Black Bat vs. Houdini and Black Bat vs. the Pearl Thief are some of the notables. He's also produced "Fantom Face #1" and the "Masked Angel #1" which occur in the Black Bat universe of the 1930's.  

Look for a team-up book consisting of Black Bat, Miss Fury, Masked Angel and Fantom Face in the spring of 2018.

Lots to look forward to there. Miss Fury used to be a co-star on this blog but got bumped when her material dried up and, frankly, I became more interested in The Black Bat both past and current.  She's not new to Lucky Comics though. She appeared in an issue of Girl Commandos.

Fantom Face and Masked Angel, to the best of my knowledge, are new characters or based on public domain character but renamed. My guess is the former. Either way, the notion of a Black Bat "universe" with a set continuity, recurring villains and fellow crime fighters is welcomed.

Black Bat Update From Lucky Comics

Now that Black Bat Tales #3 is available on drive-thru, Lucky Comics publisher John Michael Helmer gave us a peek on Facebook of what we can expect in the (near?) future.

Lucky Comics is pleased to announce that artist Christopher Martinez will be drawing an upcoming Black Bat Tales issue. The story is set in 1932 and features Black Bat's helpers Butch & Silk as they team up to stop a pearl thief. Carlos' dark, moody art is a perfect fit for the noir feel of Black Bat Tales! Welcome aboard.

Pulp Legends #1: The Black Bat

This short story had been in production for some time. I was nearing the point of wondering if it would ever be released and then it appeared out of nowhere last night.

Lucky Comics begins its PROSE series with old fashioned, high action pulp stories! 

This issue: The Black Bat strikes terror in a mobster who has information on the murder of a policeman!

The next issue is already scheduled to feature Secret Agent X but since The (Black) Bat is a key member of the Lucky Comics roster, a traditional version appearing in Black Bat Tales and a modern take guest-starring in Beetle Girl and Dixie Squad, let's not be surprised if he shows up in this series again down the road.

Edit: Black Bat Tales #3 was released on October 3rd and appears to include the same content.

 

IN THIS ISSUE: The Bat has captured a murderer whose evaded the long arm of the law and uses a most unusual technique to interrogate him--a deadly black widow spider!

The Bat Guest Stars in Dixie Squad #2

The (Black) Bat is all over the Lucky Comics line. Black Bat Tales, which features stories taking place in the 30s, recently saw the release of its second issue and a modern take on the character has appeared in a couple of issues of Beetle Girl (see, Dynamite? It CAN be done!). He was also given a spotlight during Free Comic Book Day.

And now, that modern version makes a surprise (well, to me, anyway) appearance in Lucky's Dixie Squad title.

Lucky Comics unique super hero team title featuring dynamic Southern Heroes destined to save America from ALL threats! 

In this issue:  

Dixie Squad is finally given a new commander named Colonel Hobbs! 

The Squad's next mission: Capture the BAT! 

Johnny Rebel, Mountain Man, Superfortress, Virginia Dare, Whistlin' Dixie 

With a fantastic cover by Oscar Suyama, Cássia Alves & Daniel Vardi

The treatment of the character is consistent with his appearances in Beetle Girl. His harsher methods create a perception that he's a menace that needs to be controlled and so the DS sets out to do that very thing.

That being said, a recent issue of the Beetle Girl book saw her chased by Dixie Squad as well. Could the Beetle and Bat end up on the same side? Let's wait and see.

Early Look at Lucky Comics' FCBD Offering

The following image was recently shared with Lucky Comics fans on the publisher's new Facebook group.

It is the work of Lucky Comics regular Eric Douthitt and is an in-progress page for Lucky's Free Comic Book Day offering this year. The issue will follow Lucky's eight-page format with four being dedicated to The Black Bat and the other four to Beetle Girl.

At around the same time, the second issue of Black Bat Tales should become available and hopefully the Pulp Legends prose anthology will follow as planned.

BG11 Available Now, BBT2 on Monday!

Lucky Comics' Beetle Girl #11, discussed in the previous post, showed up on Drive Thru Comics earlier today. It was originally believed that it would be available only in early April so the early release was a pleasant (and extremely rare) surprise.

The 8-page format that Lucky uses has very much grown on me. More along the lines of the golden/silver age material, Lucky's books pack a lot on a page, unlike most of today's books which commit three pages to show two dudes shaking hands or ordering coffee. At $0.75, they're not too hard on your comics budget and it's a good deal on a per-page basis, if you feel the need to analyze it to that degree.

And since we're talking finances, I've never been one to collect variant or rare covers. Never saw the point of buying the same content multiple times for what amounts to a single different page no matter how attractive the rare cover might be.

But for smaller, inexpensive books...Why not? The following cover was shared with me earlier this week (and has since been added to the Lucky Comics page above).

I didn't know if it was done with some degree of confidentiality so I didn't include it here right away, but my understanding is that the book is coming out early next week and a smaller version appears on Lucky's website blog now. I doubt I'm spoiling some big reveal then.

I quite dig this Marcelo Salaza work but I also liked the first cover that was made public. It is my understanding that the book will be available with either one, so I'll get both. One goes in the read pile, the other goes up on my wall. "Problem" solved.

As to the Beetle Girl issue, Lucky might have landed their finest artist yet (I say this without having read their entire catalog, mind you). Geanes Holland seems like a very good fit for the book.

Also, I enjoyed having the Black Bat butt heads with The Shadow in regards to methodology in the first Masks volume from Dynamite Entertainment a couple of years back. Something similar happens here, yet the Black Bat is on the opposite of the argument, interestingly enough.

The Black Bat appears in at least one more future issue of Beetle Girl and to the best of my knowledge, Black Bat Tales is meant to be an ongoing series. So it seems that Lucky Comics has become our proverbial "Bat channel" for the moment.

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.