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| The first Black Bat appeared in ''Black Bat Detective Mysteries'', a short-lived pulp which saw six issues, all written written by ] (a pen-name of William Fitzgerald Jenkins), between ] and ]. He was a man called Black Bat in the way ] was called the Saint; unlike the Simon Templar books, however, none of the Black Bat stories ever mentioned the character's real name. | The first Black Bat appeared in ''Black Bat Detective Mysteries'', a short-lived pulp which saw six issues, all written written by ] (a pen-name of William Fitzgerald Jenkins), between ] and ]. He was a man called Black Bat in the way ] was called the Saint; unlike the Simon Templar books, however, none of the Black Bat stories ever mentioned the character's real name. | ||
| In July ] ]' ] (also known as Standard or Better) introduced a new Black Bat in a series called ''Black Book Detective''. 1 - 61 were written by ] under the house name G. Wayman Jones, and 62 (and 63) by Stewart Sterling. The stories describe the crime-fighting career of former District Attorney |
In July ] ]' ] (also known as Standard or Better) introduced a new Black Bat in a series called ''Black Book Detective''. 1 - 61 were written by ] under the house name G. Wayman Jones, and 62 (and 63) by Stewart Sterling. The stories describe the crime-fighting career of former District Attorney Tony Quinn. In a clear departure from most pulp characters and heroes, this Black Bat was actually an ] story, describing how Quinn became the Black Bat after being blinded and disfigured by ], an idea borrowed a few years later by DC Comics for the creation of villain Two Face when D.A. Harvey Dent was disfigured by having acid thrown in his face. | ||
| Both Black Bat and Batman hit the newsstands around the same time, and both claimed that the other was a copy. The threat of lawsuits ended when the Black Bat finally ended his run. It is probable that the costumes of both characters were copied from the 1933 Black Bat covers. | Both Black Bat and Batman hit the newsstands around the same time, and both claimed that the other was a copy. The threat of lawsuits ended when the Black Bat finally ended his run. It is probable that the costumes of both characters were copied from the 1933 Black Bat covers which featured a costumed Black Bat on the cover though inside the "Black Bat" was indistinguishable from any other man in his choice of clothing. | ||
| In the first issue, DA Tony Quinn is blinded by acid and believes his career is over until Carol Baldwin arrives. She tells him that her father is a small town policeman who is dying from a gangster bullet and that a surgeon is willing to perform an operation to graft his corneas onto Tony Quinn'e eyes so that he can see again. The operation is done in secret and when the bandages are removed, Quinn finds that he can not only see normally but can even see perfectly in darkness too. While blind, Quinn had developed the necessary skills of the blind; sharper hearing, more sensitive touch, a better sense of smell, etc. | |||
| Like many other crime fighters, Quinn is unhappy about all the criminals who slip through the law's net on legal technicalities, etc and decides to work outside the law in another persona to bring them to justice, and so the Black Bat is born, with Quinn deciding to stay keep the role of a blind man and later acquires the title of "Special District Attorney". Carol, a "resourceful and intelligent girl" decides to work with Quinn on his secret crusade and next comes Butch O'Leary. None too intelligent but completely loyal and "a hulking giant of a man who was never happier than when his fists were flying in defense of the law and in the aid of the Black Bat". Last came "Silk" Kirby, a small time crook who had tried to rob Tony Quinn one night and had been persuaded to stay on as "officially" valet to the blind Quinn but in reality a valuable asset to the Black Bat using his Underworld skills. | |||
| Quinn has a secret underground tunnel to a gatehouse at the rear of his house which leads to a quiet street, which he uses as the Black Bat. This is necessary not just because of criminals who want him dead but because of the police too as he works outside the law. Friend to Quinn, the bulky Lieutenant, about ten issue later, Captain McGrath (under Commissioner Warner) is also enemy of the Black Bat. He suspects they are one and the same and often tries to prove it, with tricks, even once having a doctor examine Quinn's eyes. While Quinn can see perfectly, he can also make his eyes appear like those of a blind person and the doctor is fooled. Quinn usually turns the tables on McGrath, making him look foolish in his attempts to prove he is the Black Bat. | |||
| Covers of the Black Book Detective where Black Bat was the main story with some back-up stories were normally dark and featured a crime being committed while in the background shadows is the symbolic face of a brooding Black Bat looking on. Few covers broke with this tradition, like #27 where the Black Bat is seen being attacked by a a huge dog and a knife weilding woman. | |||
| Unlike many heroes of the pulps, the Black Bat did not come up against the fantastic but battled ordinary criminals who prey on the weak and helpless. The stories were detective stories too with the criminal and details revealed in the last pages by Quinn. Issue '''7''' has the Black Bat fighting against a gang of arsonists burning down tenement buildings for insurance money, regardless of who dies in them. Issue '''11''' has the Black Bat investigating a strange plane crash as well as a missing fortune in diamonds, needed for America's war effort. Russia initially started the war on Germany's side so issue '''12''' deals with Russian spies who commit sabotage and murder in America. Issue '''13''', a fiend uses a hospital for illegal and deadly experiments, even punishing his own men with horrible torture if they fail him. | |||
| '''19''' has a man who is believed to be the Devil but the Black Bat reveals his trickery. '''25''' has Nazi fifth columnists are a supply of bauxite (aluminium ore) which America desperately needs for the war effort. '''27''' (around this time, page count of the BB stories started dropping due to a paper shortage, to about 45 pages for a t.ime) Prohibition is over so ex-bootleggers move into the commodity market, stopping supplies getting through. '''28''' features a criminal hypnotist. '''36''' (Artwork is usually checked for "taste" but this one got through. A woman on the front cover who is obviously not waring a bra.) One by one, people who know a secret start dying. '''38''' A man convicted of murder has the Black Bat convicted of charges too on which he must acquit himself. '''39''' Crooks planb to attend a rich party as detectives and steal two million in diamonds. '''40''' The death predictions of a man prove too accurate so the BB investigates. '''41''' In a 73 page story, a killer plots to control the Sentinel newspaper. '''44''' A jail break and bank loot vanishes. | |||
Revision as of 09:46, 1 September 2006
The Black Bat was the name of two characters featured in different pulp magazine series in the 1930s.
The first Black Bat appeared in Black Bat Detective Mysteries, a short-lived pulp which saw six issues, all written written by Murray Leinster (a pen-name of William Fitzgerald Jenkins), between 1933 and 1934. He was a man called Black Bat in the way Simon Templar was called the Saint; unlike the Simon Templar books, however, none of the Black Bat stories ever mentioned the character's real name.
In July 1939 Ned Pines' Thrilling Publications (also known as Standard or Better) introduced a new Black Bat in a series called Black Book Detective. 1 - 61 were written by Norman Daniels under the house name G. Wayman Jones, and 62 (and 63) by Stewart Sterling. The stories describe the crime-fighting career of former District Attorney Tony Quinn. In a clear departure from most pulp characters and heroes, this Black Bat was actually an origin story, describing how Quinn became the Black Bat after being blinded and disfigured by acid, an idea borrowed a few years later by DC Comics for the creation of villain Two Face when D.A. Harvey Dent was disfigured by having acid thrown in his face.
Both Black Bat and Batman hit the newsstands around the same time, and both claimed that the other was a copy. The threat of lawsuits ended when the Black Bat finally ended his run. It is probable that the costumes of both characters were copied from the 1933 Black Bat covers which featured a costumed Black Bat on the cover though inside the "Black Bat" was indistinguishable from any other man in his choice of clothing.
In the first issue, DA Tony Quinn is blinded by acid and believes his career is over until Carol Baldwin arrives. She tells him that her father is a small town policeman who is dying from a gangster bullet and that a surgeon is willing to perform an operation to graft his corneas onto Tony Quinn'e eyes so that he can see again. The operation is done in secret and when the bandages are removed, Quinn finds that he can not only see normally but can even see perfectly in darkness too. While blind, Quinn had developed the necessary skills of the blind; sharper hearing, more sensitive touch, a better sense of smell, etc.
Like many other crime fighters, Quinn is unhappy about all the criminals who slip through the law's net on legal technicalities, etc and decides to work outside the law in another persona to bring them to justice, and so the Black Bat is born, with Quinn deciding to stay keep the role of a blind man and later acquires the title of "Special District Attorney". Carol, a "resourceful and intelligent girl" decides to work with Quinn on his secret crusade and next comes Butch O'Leary. None too intelligent but completely loyal and "a hulking giant of a man who was never happier than when his fists were flying in defense of the law and in the aid of the Black Bat". Last came "Silk" Kirby, a small time crook who had tried to rob Tony Quinn one night and had been persuaded to stay on as "officially" valet to the blind Quinn but in reality a valuable asset to the Black Bat using his Underworld skills.
Quinn has a secret underground tunnel to a gatehouse at the rear of his house which leads to a quiet street, which he uses as the Black Bat. This is necessary not just because of criminals who want him dead but because of the police too as he works outside the law. Friend to Quinn, the bulky Lieutenant, about ten issue later, Captain McGrath (under Commissioner Warner) is also enemy of the Black Bat. He suspects they are one and the same and often tries to prove it, with tricks, even once having a doctor examine Quinn's eyes. While Quinn can see perfectly, he can also make his eyes appear like those of a blind person and the doctor is fooled. Quinn usually turns the tables on McGrath, making him look foolish in his attempts to prove he is the Black Bat.
Covers of the Black Book Detective where Black Bat was the main story with some back-up stories were normally dark and featured a crime being committed while in the background shadows is the symbolic face of a brooding Black Bat looking on. Few covers broke with this tradition, like #27 where the Black Bat is seen being attacked by a a huge dog and a knife weilding woman.
Unlike many heroes of the pulps, the Black Bat did not come up against the fantastic but battled ordinary criminals who prey on the weak and helpless. The stories were detective stories too with the criminal and details revealed in the last pages by Quinn. Issue 7 has the Black Bat fighting against a gang of arsonists burning down tenement buildings for insurance money, regardless of who dies in them. Issue 11 has the Black Bat investigating a strange plane crash as well as a missing fortune in diamonds, needed for America's war effort. Russia initially started the war on Germany's side so issue 12 deals with Russian spies who commit sabotage and murder in America. Issue 13, a fiend uses a hospital for illegal and deadly experiments, even punishing his own men with horrible torture if they fail him.
19 has a man who is believed to be the Devil but the Black Bat reveals his trickery. 25 has Nazi fifth columnists are a supply of bauxite (aluminium ore) which America desperately needs for the war effort. 27 (around this time, page count of the BB stories started dropping due to a paper shortage, to about 45 pages for a t.ime) Prohibition is over so ex-bootleggers move into the commodity market, stopping supplies getting through. 28 features a criminal hypnotist. 36 (Artwork is usually checked for "taste" but this one got through. A woman on the front cover who is obviously not waring a bra.) One by one, people who know a secret start dying. 38 A man convicted of murder has the Black Bat convicted of charges too on which he must acquit himself. 39 Crooks planb to attend a rich party as detectives and steal two million in diamonds. 40 The death predictions of a man prove too accurate so the BB investigates. 41 In a 73 page story, a killer plots to control the Sentinel newspaper. 44 A jail break and bank loot vanishes.
Black Bat Detective ran for 62 issues, from July 1939 to Winter 1953, one of the few hero pulps to survive past World War II. No. 63 was planned for Spring 1953 but never appeared. A few titles have been reprinted.
Along with other pulp heroes such as The Shadow and Doc Savage, the Black Bat was an influence on DC Comics' Batman.
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