Scan barcode
skjam's review
3.0
Perhaps the best-known of the Spider stories, because of its memorable villain, the Bat Man. Not only does the Bat Man control a flock of thousands of poisonous vampire bats, but he dresses in a vampire bat costume, complete with wings that allow him to glide through the air.
This novel is a great example of the frenetic pace of the Spider stories, with Richard Wentworth on the go from the very first page and barely slowing down until the final one (when we learn that he somehow did some research on the villain offscreen, it's difficult to figure out when he had time to do that.) Plus the climax is a thrilling midair battle between Spider and Bat Man with our hero at a distinct disadvantage against his more maneuverable foe.
But there's some disappointment too. When the Bat Man is finally dealt with, we learn his real name, but not why he sought world domination, how he managed to get and control a flock of vampire bats, or what the heck inspired the whole mad scheme in the first place. I mean, people don't just randomly decide to put on a vampire bat costume and attempt to take over the world...right?
For more pulp reviews, see http://www.skjam.com/tag/pulp/
This novel is a great example of the frenetic pace of the Spider stories, with Richard Wentworth on the go from the very first page and barely slowing down until the final one (when we learn that he somehow did some research on the villain offscreen, it's difficult to figure out when he had time to do that.) Plus the climax is a thrilling midair battle between Spider and Bat Man with our hero at a distinct disadvantage against his more maneuverable foe.
But there's some disappointment too. When the Bat Man is finally dealt with, we learn his real name, but not why he sought world domination, how he managed to get and control a flock of vampire bats, or what the heck inspired the whole mad scheme in the first place. I mean, people don't just randomly decide to put on a vampire bat costume and attempt to take over the world...right?
For more pulp reviews, see http://www.skjam.com/tag/pulp/
More...