New Page: Blitz

It only takes up a small portion of the space underneath the banner, at far right, so you may not have noticed it, but I've created a page simply called Blitz.

From time to time, historical info about The Black Bat will mention that following the end of his adventures in Black Book Detective in 1953, he became something of a sensation in Germany. Translated versions of his stories began to appear in the 100th edition of Pabel Kriminal Roman in 1960 and in short order he became the series' leading man from issue 135 to at least 667.

But you can't keep a good bat down for long.

A publisher named Blitz-Verlag has been publishing Black Bat stories for the better part of the last decade now. A number of them have been reprints from the Black Book Detective run of 1939 to 1953 but there has been some original material as well. A.S. Jones, at right, refers to a Angelika Schröder who probably added the "Jones" to her initials in homage to the G.W. Jones name that accompanied so much of the character's past adventures.

Thus far, Blitz has published 12 books, reprint and new tales in equal amounts. The Blitz page above provides cover images for each one as well as translations of the solicitation text, to the best of my ability to do so. It's a little...choppy...at times, but you'll get the idea.

I've also fleshed out the Black Book Detective page a bit, adding names and publishing dates for the covers that are NOT yet available.

I was pleased to score a decent scan of the cover to one of the last issues (Winter 1952) which, interestingly, makes reference to a Tony Quinn and Carol Baldwin mystery. Miss Baldwin did not usually get named on the cover. Being that she was such an integral part of the Black Bat's origin and entourage, it's good to see her getting equal billing, however short-lived it was.

Ravenwood/Black Bat shift to a Special Edition

I was on the Dynamite Entertainment message board earlier today discussing the Guns Of The Black Bat mini series from Moonstone Books.

Being that Ron Fortier's work was the topic of conversation, it occurred to me to ask who among the regular visitors might be readers of Airship 27's material. While gathering the link to display on the message board for those who may not have been aware of Fortier's (and Rob Davis') publishing company, I came across the following solicitation.

Of the original Ravenwood Stepson of Mystery stories, there were only ever five. In the past three years Airship 27 Productions has published nine short stories and one full length novel starring this unique occult detective. 

Airship 27 Productions is thrilled to reprint four of those fan-favorite tales in this new edition. This volume features writers Aaron Smith, Jonathan Fisher, Gene Moyers and Ron Fortier, as each adds his own storytelling talents to one of pulpdom’s least known but most original heroes. Sit back and prepare to encounter bizarre, supernatural mysteries as only Airship 27 Productions can deliver. 

(reprints three stories from the out of print Ravenwood: Stepson of Mystery V.2 and a Ravenwood story from OCCULT Detectives V.1).

In December 2015, writer Aaron Smith pointed out to me (on Twitter) that his story in the second volume of Ravenwood: Stepson of Mystery included The Black Bat. I'd added that book to my wish list on Amazon but it was never in stock.

Small wonder! As stated above, it's out of print! But since Aaron Smith is listed among the writers in the Special Edition, then presumably his story from volume two is included in it now instead.

You can purchase Ravenwood from Amazon.com or Createspace.

Some Black Bat Art by Eder Messias and John Castelhano

I'm struggling to find details about the page below. It is referred to as a "page test" by Brazil's Eder Messias on his deviantart page so perhaps the point was to use it as submission material.

That is the Dynamite Comics version of The Black Bat, published in 2014, if I recall correctly. I've only seen two other pages by Messias, including the one below, inked by John Castelhano.

I could have sworn that was a re-creation of a cover from that 12-issue series but damned if I can find it now, so perhaps it isn't. Even if it is, it's a good one.

See more of John Castelhano ink work in this particular photo folder on his Facebook page. It includes several other classic characters such as Red Sonja, Vampirella and Miss Fury.

"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.

Good Problem To Have

While becoming more familiar with The Black Bat, I was surprised to find out that much like a pulp version of David Hasselhoff, he became hugely popular in Germany after his popularity fizzled in North America. So after I was done with building the pages that would display covers and art from Dynamite Comics and Black Book Detective, I thought I would try to find as many cover images from Pabel Kriminalroman Fledermaus as I could.

And that has gone far better than I could have hoped.

I found about a dozen of them at first, from various sources, but later landed a bunch more while searching ebay listing from Austria and Germany.

Then earlier tonight, I came across a website which enabled me to search ended ebay listings. With that site's help, I scored about 40 more. Not taking into account the covers which do not display The Black Bat (and therefore are of no interst to me), my collection is becoming quite complete.

The collection has become so large, in fact, that it was becoming cumbersome to have all the covers on only one page. I have therefore broken it down over three pages. And as I continue to add images, then perhaps I'll expand from three to four to five pages, whatever. For now, that's where we're at.

I also came across something a little unexpected. Back in January, I bought one of these German mini-novels because it was cheap and had Canadian involvement. I'm Canadian and that the Black Bat would have anything to do with this country struck me as unusual, so I thought it would be a good issue to sample.

That was issue 498. Well, it turns out that issue 513 also involves Canada and it was also relatively inexpensive, especially for being shipped from Europe. So I bought earlier tonight and apparently I can expect to receive in about two weeks. Merry Christmas to me.

(Chase To Canada)

So while I wait for that to arrive, I'll embellish the cover images I found earlier tonight and start adding them to their respective pages.

Reluctant Review: Guns Of The Black Bat

I was stoked when this series was announced, bummed (but not surprised) when it turned out to be late, then excited when I saw all three issues available for order from Moonstone's website. I ordered them that morning and they hit my mailbox two weeks later.  Pretty good turn around time, Moonstone, so thank you for that.

So was it worth the wait?

I don't like to review books, frankly.  I've never had a damn thing published and my art skills are at toddler levels. Who the hell am I to judge someone else's work when they're clearly better than I am?

I'll share impressions, knowledge of content and personal opinion but with a reminder that whether or not *I* happen to like something (or not) doesn't make it good or bad. Different strokes and all that.

First things first; I've long had the impression that this project encountered a lot of challenges. Both writing and art credits changed since the covers for the first issue (at right) were revealed. Fortier's name remains, but with co-writer Eric Esquivel taking Shaps' place and art by Paul Delacroix. Also, some pages of art are more detailed than others which makes me wonder if there wasn't a bit of a rush to get the book finished. Entirely speculative on my part, mind you.

As to the cast, I very much enjoyed the variety among the Guns. Staying with the first issue, let's refer back to the solicitation text for a moment.

Dateline 1938.
Hitler and the Nazis have begun their plans to conquer the world. In the states, the crimefighter known as the Black Bat encounters German spies exhibiting strange, unworldly powers. Have aliens infiltrated the Third Reich and is the threat to mankind greater than imagined? Hurriedly the Bat assembles a team of specialists to help him confront this unknown foe: Airboy, Domino Lady, Moon Man, Golden Amazon, and more! They will become known as The Guns of the Black Bat.

More signs of changes in original plans. The book actually takes place in December 1940, not 1938. Domino Lady does not appear in this book, however another character does and a few more are referred to. There are a number of Easter eggs for long-time pulp fans, which is always fun.

The book assumes you have some basic knowledge of the characters. Golden Amazon, for example, has some sort of evil voice-in-head deal going on, but it is never explained.

This doesn't take anything away from the book. If anything, it adds an element of mystery. But it does feel as though the first issue might have better served as the third issue out of four or more (and makes one question whether that wasn't the original plan). Several aspects of the book make it feel as though the story of the Guns was meant to continue but as we move to issues two and three, none of the material from number one is acknowledged.

Numbers two and three take place in 1937. Again, being that they are earlier chronologically, they probably should have been released first. In fact, Sylvestre Szilagyi's art is so gorgeous that I feel that releasing issue two as issue one (and three as two, obviously) instead would probably have made a stronger first impression.

Different cast in this two-part story called The Final Phase, but many similarities among the characters. Instead of Air Boy flying overhead, we have Ron Fortier's original creation, Nighthawk. Instead of The Golden Amazon providing a strong female presence, we get the Domino Lady.

These issues do a great job of building the suspense and desparation of a very dire situation, explained in issue two's solicitation text:

Someone has poisoned Manhattan’s water supply and is turning both humans and animals in to de-evolved monsters and beasts. Only the Black Bat and his assembled team, Phantom Detective, Domino Lady, I.V. Frost and Nighthawk can hope to stem the nightmare tide and save their city before it is too late.

I can tell you one thing, there is none of that "decompressed writing" crap. There is a lot of character interaction, dialogue and narration because so much happens so quickly. All three books have a very quick pace. No panel is wasted.

And while there are many "Guns" featured in these three issues, the Black Bat is undeniably the star of the show. A fine balance has been struck.

So yeah, very enjoyable ride and fun concept. I would love this idea to become a Moonstone regular.

It would probably work best as one-shots or two-parters. I can imagine a "core" group of guns (I.V. Frost as the resident scientist type, Nighthawk as the regular provider of air support, etc.) with an otherwise rotating cast. Something like Marvel's Defenders; a "non-team" which nonetheless featured some characters while others came and went.

We'll keep our fingers crossed while we wait for the Black Bat / Domino Lady mini to be solicited and released.  But to those of you who have read and enjoyed these books, take the time to provide feedback to Moonstone if you would like to see more. It may have more of an impact than you realize.

Excelsior's Other Black Bat Project

It's been about two years since Excelsior updated its Black Bat webcomic. I still check in from time to time to see if any progress has been made but it's been clear for some time that this project is basically dead in mid-fight after 18 pages of story plus one cover page.

If that's the case, we might have lost more than it appears. Going back over the images posted in the Excelsior Webcomics Facebook group back in 2012, it seems as though two separate projects were underway at the time.

The webcomic was written by Nick Ahlhelm and drawn by Marc Santiago. Some of the first pictures added to the Facebook group were design sketches by Santiago. Makes sense.

But a few weeks later, artist Edgar Bercasio got into the game with, among other things, this beauty:

There was some discussion within the group about how Bercasio's initial attempt looked too much like that other Bat-themed character (due to pointy ears on the cowl, the bottom half of the face being visible, etc.). This led to the more finished product you see above.

What it didn't lead to was a completed product. The webcomic plodded along slowly, releasing a page every three months or so. But Bercasio, obviously very enthusiastic about the project he was involved with, at one point posted the first page of a story written by Gordon Dymoski.

So apparently there were plans for both a webcomic and a print one. That I know of, nothing ever came of the latter and the former has now dried out. Too bad, because that's some quality work up there.

Here's a look at another image by Bercasio. I assume it was intended to be the cover prior to the redesign of the character's appearance. Still cool.

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.

For Halloween, Return Of The Monsters

This is a bit of a frustrating time to be a Bat fan.  There are all kinds of projects on the way, whether comic, novel or reprint, but they are all taking forever to arrive.

So today being Halloween, I took the plunge and bought the digital version of  Return of the Monsters: Black Bat & Death Angel vs. Dracula.

A Return of the Originals event! For the first time in history three eras collide in one place as Pulp Fiction's newest heroine, Death Angel joins forces with Pulp's enduring vigilante The Black Bat to battle the eternal face of horror, Dracula. Mike Bullock (The Phantom) and rising star Eric Johns bring this spine-tingling tale of darkness, lust and fear to you, wrapped in a visceral cover crafted by horror comic legend Dan Brereton.

All right. While I can enjoy a different interpretation of the character, I hated the version by Moonstone from the Return Of The Original "event" which basically fizzled. He was little more than a schizophrenic psychopath, at least in his own oversized book. And I have no love for Death Angel, a character who was unnecessarily shoe-horned into said book.

But this single issue had a few good things going for it, admittedly. Aside from a couple of panels I found confusing, Eric Johns' art is easy on the eyes. And while little attention was paid to The Black Bat's team of assistants in Moonstone's material at the time, McGrath makes a brief appearance in this one.

One the downside, for a book which uses the Black Bat as a selling feature, the character first appears on page 22 out of 30. Death Angel, mind you, is on every single page. Hell, she gets more face time than Dracula! In fact, she basically defeats him!

Setting that aside, this book left open the possibility of these characters meeting again.  But being that it was published in 2011 and it appears that Moonstone now prefers to publish a more traditional version of The Black Bat, it's unlikely to happen.

Still, I may very well include it when I order the print version of Moonstone's Guns Of The Black Bat series. It's not a classic but it would nicely complete the collection of Moonstone's initial attempt at publishing the character. Demonstrating interest can't possibly be a bad thing.

The Shootout Takes Place in FAC2 from Will Lill Comics!

I misunderstood an announcement from Will Lill Comics this past spring.

They revealed a preview of their Fun Adventure Comics anthology by listing some of the stories to be included (including a Black Bat story called Shootout At The Dry Martini) in the book and naming the creators involved.

When they stated that issue #1 would be available in July of this year I assumed, in error, that the Black Bat story was going to be included therein. That was not the case. It was, rather, included in the second issue which was uploaded to Drivethru Comics a week ago.

Issue 2 of Fun Adventure Comics! includes 3 great stories: Part 2 of The Midnight Stranger in "Between the Wish and the Thing..." by Lloyd Smith, Joe Koziarski & Warren Montgomery. Todd Jones, Lee Oaks & James Gaubatz brings us "The Paranormal Consultant" and The Black Bat in "Shootout at the Dry Martini". Cover by Bruce Cashman.

I'm a big fan of Drivethru but if print is your thing, the book was also added to IndyPlanet.