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The Bat Strikes Again And Again!
The inspiration for Batman! For the first time in one collection, all four appearances of the pulp hero The Bat, as written by pulp legend Johnston McCulley (Zorro). These stories from 1934-35 detail the adventures of Dawson Clade, a man who was inspired to fight crime by a bat's sudden appearance. Includes an all-new introduction by pulp historian Will Murray.
- GenresPulp
220 pages, Paperback
First published April 8, 2009
4 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Johnston McCulley
242 books81 followersJohnston McCulley (February 2, 1883 – November 23, 1958) was the author of hundreds of stories, fifty novels, numerous screenplays for film and television, and the creator of the character Zorro.
Many of his novels and stories were written under the pseudonyms Harrington Strong, Raley Brien, George Drayne, Monica Morton, Rowena Raley, Frederic Phelps, Walter Pierson, and John Mack Stone, among others.
McCulley started as a police reporter for The Police Gazette and served as an Army public affairs officer during World War I. An amateur history buff, he went on to a career in pulp magazines and screenplays, often using a Southern California backdrop for his stories.
Aside from Zorro, McCulley created many other pulp characters, including Black Star, The Spider, The Mongoose, and Thubway Tham. Many of McCulley's characters — The Green Ghost, The Thunderbolt, and The Crimson Clown — were inspirations for the masked heroes that have appeared in popular culture from McCulley's time to the present day.
Born in Ottawa, Illinois, and raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, he died in 1958 in Los Angeles, California, aged 75. -wikipedia
Many of his novels and stories were written under the pseudonyms Harrington Strong, Raley Brien, George Drayne, Monica Morton, Rowena Raley, Frederic Phelps, Walter Pierson, and John Mack Stone, among others.
McCulley started as a police reporter for The Police Gazette and served as an Army public affairs officer during World War I. An amateur history buff, he went on to a career in pulp magazines and screenplays, often using a Southern California backdrop for his stories.
Aside from Zorro, McCulley created many other pulp characters, including Black Star, The Spider, The Mongoose, and Thubway Tham. Many of McCulley's characters — The Green Ghost, The Thunderbolt, and The Crimson Clown — were inspirations for the masked heroes that have appeared in popular culture from McCulley's time to the present day.
Born in Ottawa, Illinois, and raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, he died in 1958 in Los Angeles, California, aged 75. -wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 5, 2020
To exact his revenge against those who wronged him, a detective dons the guise of a bat to strike fear into the heart of the underworld criminals. Sounds familiar? No, it's not Batman. It's The Bat.
This series of four novellas is thought to be one of the inspirations behind the creation of Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The similarities are many. But how good are these stories? The first one (The Bat Strikes) is very interesting, full of action and twists, and written in a style that makes it an easy read. As you progress through the other novellas, however, they become less interesting, as the action seems to be the same in all of them. But it's still readable and interesting enough to continue. The first three novellas constitute one arc, and the fourth is a stand-alone work.
Is it worth reading? Absolutely. Any Batman or McCulley fan must read this book. At least to get an idea of how the creation of one of the greatest superheroes (Batman) was influenced by the writer of another superhero (Zorro).
This series of four novellas is thought to be one of the inspirations behind the creation of Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The similarities are many. But how good are these stories? The first one (The Bat Strikes) is very interesting, full of action and twists, and written in a style that makes it an easy read. As you progress through the other novellas, however, they become less interesting, as the action seems to be the same in all of them. But it's still readable and interesting enough to continue. The first three novellas constitute one arc, and the fourth is a stand-alone work.
Is it worth reading? Absolutely. Any Batman or McCulley fan must read this book. At least to get an idea of how the creation of one of the greatest superheroes (Batman) was influenced by the writer of another superhero (Zorro).
April 5, 2019
Once again a pulp classic that took me far to long to find and then actually start, once started it took me no time to finish (if I'd forgone television and conjugal duties I'd have finished it on the day I started).
In the introduction Will Murray begins by pointing out that The Bat was written by C.K.M. Scanlon "an ubiquitous house name" but quickly goes on to explain why he believes the actual author to be Johnston McCulley. I haven't read any of McCulley's other work so I won't opine on that, but I can say that this is one of the better pulp writers I've encountered.
McCulley reaches out and grabs the reader right out of the gate with the Chapter title Death For The Governor and the first words "Skidding around the curve..."... you know what I'm just going to give you the whole beautiful paragraph:
Of these first three the second Bite of The Bat might be my favorite. The first The Bat Strikes! felt too rushed and it feels as if McCulley gave himself more time in Bite>. The third, Shadow of The Bat, could have been my favorite except it's written in such a way that I don't think McCulley was planning on coming back to The Bat.
He does come back to it and perhaps was considering more but was re-tooling the series; because Martin Fenbeck, the only person who knows the true identity of The Bat, who appears in the first three, doesn't appear in the fourth Code of The Bat ; and indeed I believe McCulley was setting it up for Barbera Van Wick to become the new confidant/financier. In any case I enjoyed all of the stories and the introduction in this collection.
In the introduction Will Murray begins by pointing out that The Bat was written by C.K.M. Scanlon "an ubiquitous house name" but quickly goes on to explain why he believes the actual author to be Johnston McCulley. I haven't read any of McCulley's other work so I won't opine on that, but I can say that this is one of the better pulp writers I've encountered.
McCulley reaches out and grabs the reader right out of the gate with the Chapter title Death For The Governor and the first words "Skidding around the curve..."... you know what I'm just going to give you the whole beautiful paragraph:
Skidding around the curve on the slippery pavement, the powerful roadster almost collided with a small sedan. Martin Fenbeck had a fleeting glimpse of two white faces, eyes bluging with horror, as he bore down upon them. A quick turn of the steering wheel, a lurch of the big car, and he was past safely.We then get introduced to Dawson Clade, who will become The Bat, and get 'The story so far...' (mostly through flashbacks), a faked execution, an escape to safety, and (the only bit that really connects The Bat with Batman) a source of inspiration. From there and through the next two novelettes, which really make up one long novella or a short novel, the now 'deceased' Dawson Clade uses disguises and other tools in an attempt to bring justice to those who framed him and clear his name.
Of these first three the second Bite of The Bat might be my favorite. The first The Bat Strikes! felt too rushed and it feels as if McCulley gave himself more time in Bite>. The third, Shadow of The Bat, could have been my favorite except it's written in such a way that I don't think McCulley was planning on coming back to The Bat.
He does come back to it and perhaps was considering more but was re-tooling the series; because Martin Fenbeck, the only person who knows the true identity of The Bat, who appears in the first three, doesn't appear in the fourth Code of The Bat ; and indeed I believe McCulley was setting it up for Barbera Van Wick to become the new confidant/financier. In any case I enjoyed all of the stories and the introduction in this collection.
August 21, 2022
I’m a 72 year old man and an avid reader of all kinds of books from baseball nonfiction to Nordic mysteries and thrillers, Irish mysteries and Irish historical fiction. Also I am reading classics that I should have read when I was in high school and college. So here is the connection between classics and my recent jag on pulp fiction. I’m slowly working my way through Dickens and Alexandre Dumas. Both of them published their works over time in newspapers as with pulp fictional works in the first half of the 20th century. Johnston McCulley wasn’t Dumas or Dickens but he was probably the top of his genre. Ext up for me is Queen Margot by Dumas and another volume of McCulley’s Zorro stories.
October 11, 2023
Entertaining book if you enjoy true pulp fiction from back in the day!
November 29, 2010
Once again, Altus Press gives us a great pulp collection.
"The Bat" was a pulp hero who was published in Thrilling Publications' "Popular Detective" pulp from Nov 1934 to Feb 1935. This is BEFORE both Thrilling's The Black Bat or DC's Batman, who appeared in 1939, but AFTER all the major pulp heroes who started in the early 30s (Shadow, Doc, Phantom Detective, Moon Man, G-8, Spider, Secret Agent X & Operator #5).
Now, these 4 short stories of this character were published under the "CKM Scalon" house name. Per Will Murray, this hide, for some reason, Johnston McCulley, the creator of Zorro. Most fans (myself included) may not know that McCulley created several other early pulp characters, such as The Crimson Clown, Thunderbolt, Mongoose, the Green Ghost (a different one from the well known one from Thrilling), even the villinous Black Star. One would think that with his fame, they've not want to hide the fact he wrote them.
The Bat was in the model of his other characters, wearing a sack-cloth mask with a white bat on the forehead (as we see on the cover of this collection), and the common theme of an innocent man framed, who strikes back at his enemies. And like other such characters, has a special gas gun. Like the Spider, he has a special ink stamp that he stamps on the forehead of the criminals he catches (but doesn't kill), at least in the first story.
Overall, in some ways the stories were part of one big story. The setup is in the first story: a state gripped by criminal corruption. Dawson Clade, private detective worked the case, is framed and will be executed. The governor, about to sign his pardon, is murdered. His assistant takes the unsigned pardon, signs it, and drives to the prison. He convences the warden and executor (who are on the side of the reforms) that the pardon is genuine, but to fake the execution so that Clade will be free to gather evidence.
In the stories, Clade, now operating as The Bat, works to find evidence of the criminal corruption, and clear his name. He deals with the murderers of the governor, and shows the corruption of the Lt. Governor (now Governor), and gets a confusion from him that Clade was innocent.
Apparently the series was planned to continue, with a 5th story announced. Was it written, prehaps re-written as another character? (McCulley moved on to his Green Ghost character, who was similiar). We may never know.
In addition to the stories, we also have the original illustrations, which just adds to the overall package.
Now, Murray has tried to push this character as "The inspiration for Batman". I would have to say, after reading them, that NO, that's a bit of exageration. He may be AN inspiration, but I really found only ONE element of the Bat that could have influenced Batman, IMO.
As with all other Altus Press titles, another winner.
"The Bat" was a pulp hero who was published in Thrilling Publications' "Popular Detective" pulp from Nov 1934 to Feb 1935. This is BEFORE both Thrilling's The Black Bat or DC's Batman, who appeared in 1939, but AFTER all the major pulp heroes who started in the early 30s (Shadow, Doc, Phantom Detective, Moon Man, G-8, Spider, Secret Agent X & Operator #5).
Now, these 4 short stories of this character were published under the "CKM Scalon" house name. Per Will Murray, this hide, for some reason, Johnston McCulley, the creator of Zorro. Most fans (myself included) may not know that McCulley created several other early pulp characters, such as The Crimson Clown, Thunderbolt, Mongoose, the Green Ghost (a different one from the well known one from Thrilling), even the villinous Black Star. One would think that with his fame, they've not want to hide the fact he wrote them.
The Bat was in the model of his other characters, wearing a sack-cloth mask with a white bat on the forehead (as we see on the cover of this collection), and the common theme of an innocent man framed, who strikes back at his enemies. And like other such characters, has a special gas gun. Like the Spider, he has a special ink stamp that he stamps on the forehead of the criminals he catches (but doesn't kill), at least in the first story.
Overall, in some ways the stories were part of one big story. The setup is in the first story: a state gripped by criminal corruption. Dawson Clade, private detective worked the case, is framed and will be executed. The governor, about to sign his pardon, is murdered. His assistant takes the unsigned pardon, signs it, and drives to the prison. He convences the warden and executor (who are on the side of the reforms) that the pardon is genuine, but to fake the execution so that Clade will be free to gather evidence.
In the stories, Clade, now operating as The Bat, works to find evidence of the criminal corruption, and clear his name. He deals with the murderers of the governor, and shows the corruption of the Lt. Governor (now Governor), and gets a confusion from him that Clade was innocent.
Apparently the series was planned to continue, with a 5th story announced. Was it written, prehaps re-written as another character? (McCulley moved on to his Green Ghost character, who was similiar). We may never know.
In addition to the stories, we also have the original illustrations, which just adds to the overall package.
Now, Murray has tried to push this character as "The inspiration for Batman". I would have to say, after reading them, that NO, that's a bit of exageration. He may be AN inspiration, but I really found only ONE element of the Bat that could have influenced Batman, IMO.
As with all other Altus Press titles, another winner.
March 17, 2023
A man, trained to be a detective, master of disguise and proficient fighter adopts the symbol of a bat in his crusade against crime...this sound familiar to anybody else...?
Johnston McCulley, the man who created Zorro, actually cranked out about a dozen pulp characters in the hopes of making it big.
Grim and manly, the Bat is a decent character, but the stories, while clever and well written, are short, formulaic and never develop much of a supporting cast or rogues gallery.
The last one ends with some hints of adding to the cast and maybe getting the Bat a permanent HQ (and no, it's not a cave under a mansion)
Decent read, but I get why the character didn't get more attention.
Johnston McCulley, the man who created Zorro, actually cranked out about a dozen pulp characters in the hopes of making it big.
Grim and manly, the Bat is a decent character, but the stories, while clever and well written, are short, formulaic and never develop much of a supporting cast or rogues gallery.
The last one ends with some hints of adding to the cast and maybe getting the Bat a permanent HQ (and no, it's not a cave under a mansion)
Decent read, but I get why the character didn't get more attention.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews