A Decadent Amalgam of Pulp, Villains, Action and Intrigue!
935374
The cover of this book really caught my eye reminding me of the pulp fiction novels and the classic film noir dramas of the 50s, enticing me to explore it further.  After the first couple of chapters, I was totally hooked.  Filled with villainous characters who possess superhuman abilities of various types, the book is colorful, satisfying and action-packed.  The main protagonist Dane Curse is a former black cape with super human strength who now works as a private investigator.  However, Dane is not without his own faults, problems and challenges including anger management issues, a vindictive ex-wife, former associates who view him as a turncoat and a wayward daughter.  Partnered with Police Officer Laars Monday, Dane sets out to solve the mysterious crime of the stolen Vandenberg Coconut, the largest and most valuable diamond in the world.  He must deal with an endless array of black capes and regs who seek to harm, kill, discredit or otherwise stop him. We are quickly brought into the murky underworld of Gold Coast City where deceit, greed and mayhem run amok.  Unlike other novels of this genre, both men and women are equally represented and neither gender has a monopoly on good or evil which I find appealing.  From the first chapter through the novels surprisingly tragic conclusion, it is a delicious and satisfying escape from our normal world.
2673626
This story was pure pulp intensity with a gothic flavor. It reminded me of such 80s flicks like Highlander or Beastmaster. A warrior is awakened in NYC of today and must battle an evil druid. The twist: they both turn into gargoyles at night! There was romance, a good plot that moved and some intense emotions. A bit of Beauty & the Beast too. But what really stands out is the action which comes fast and furious. This isn't a novel with the complexity of Game of Thrones... more like a Conan story with a modern edge and greater female appeal featuring a tormented monster  that isn't overplayed.

I was asked to read an ARC after reading FEAR THE LIGHT and liking the writer's author page. I'm glad I did.
2511107
The second ACTION PACKED volume of the ground breaking series The Ride lives up to and exceeds the former. This time focusing on a single character the deadly perky Laci. The only child of  deceased crimelord parents Laci is trained in various deadly arts by the employees of her father's partner. A "good girl" until information arrives on her birthday that shakes her entire perception of the world. Gritty crime has never looked so cool!

Fast paced , funny and a bit cruel Laci's on a non-stop quest for the truth. The incredible Doug Wagner has infused an tired revenge tale with an hip , saucy and funny anti-heroine that we need to see more of. What really stands out is the INCREDIBLE art work of Brian Stelbreeze, an industry legend he has a gift of making less seem like so much more. The Black and white art says so much about each character while not overcrowding panels with useless detail.

Look,do yourself a favor and pick up this mash-up of John Woo, Manga and stark artwork that screams "ACTION!".
2843262
This book is absolute hilarity from start to finish. Jim Hardison managed to write a legitimately good  as a fantasy novel in its own right, while simultaneously making fun of everything that fantasy novels hold dear. The adventures surrounding Thoral  Mighty Fist and his companions go from wild tale to wild tale, getting progressively more ridiculous and action packed. Follow along on this tale of adventure, romance, comedy, blood and gore, and so much more!
1768041
"Thrilling Mystery" was one of the "Weird Menace" pulps which sprang up in the late 30's to early 40's, Filled with, at the time, a high percentage of gore and sex, the stories while focused on the supernatural, always had a "logical" conclusion. Much like "Scooby Doo" the solutions often strain the limits of credulity, Adventure house is to be praised for its reprint series. Everything is as it was except the back cover. The reproduction of the text is about as good as it is going to get. These things were originally published on highly acidic wood pulp paper which often blurred the text, sometimes making the text a chore to read.

  The stories in this issue, naturally enough, vary in quality from the quite good and almost plausible to the plain out silly. Each story does at least present at least one memorable image or nifty idea. If you have ANY interest in the pulp culture which flourished from the dawn of the twentieth Century to the Late 1940's you NEED to seek own these adventure house reprints.

So what is inside the lurid cove? First up is "The House of Dreadful Night." Arm Banner is delivering his pretty young wife, Ruth to a sanitarium run by her uncle. It is implied that her nerves may be so tattered, that she may never exit once she enters the gates of the forbidding prison-like structure. What goes on beyond the vestibule includes sadism, flagellation, and a denouement straight out of Edgar Allan Poe. Be warned, All of the black characters  in this tale are offensive stereotypes.
Next up "Blood of Witches" The local fortune teller seems phenomenally gifted, Gifted beyond coincidence. Like the previous story, a lead character's insanity is at stake. I found this tale the slowest moving, though the author Paul Ernst normally does fine work.
"The Haunting of Stephen  Crimm" is a mood piece written around a central crime. A testament to how our own minds can be our worst enemies.
"The Dead Walk Softly, by Arthur J. Burks, an old hand at this sort of fiction, gathers a dozen or so folks on a small island. People soon start turning up dead. Then just as mysteriously as how they were executed, it seems they are coming back to life!
"The Skull and The Cross" invokes that great standby of fiction, a supposed evil curse from Egypt.
"From Beyond the Grave" features a repellent, bestial husband, his very young and stunningly beautiful wife and justice from beyond the grave.
"Doctor Guillotine" by Allan Echols was my favorite story in this issue. Vardis Fleming, young super scientist, crosses paths with a seemingly immortal genius of evil who has created an army of zombies to do his bidding. Vardis has a beautiful flame-haired assistant named Zona. Naturally she ends up naked in the clutches of the bad guy who intends to make her his undead bride. The implausibilities abound but the pace never lags.
"Dead Man Swims" is a clever "trick" story about a reanimated corpse.
Finally there is "Horror Ship" Somewhere between Hawaii and California, passengers and crew  of the "Southern Star"start turning up dead. A ghost is sighted by several witnesses as well as odd shaped footprints. A "who done it" that is reasonably plausible and filled with lots of gore and mayhem.
 Whether you are new to this genre or are a long time lover of thirties genre fiction, you simply can't go wrong with this marvelous reprint.
2421681
Once again, Airship 27 assembles a great collection of new short stories of a classic pulp hero.  This is their second volume of stories with the Black Bat.

The Black Bat was a lesser pulp hero, but still well remembered. He was part of the 'third wave' of pulp heroes, most of whom could have been comic book characters. The Black Bat wore a costume similar to Batman, who came out around the same time. Unlike what is shown in most artwork, his has a full face mask (the cover and interior artwork correctly shows this). What makes the BB most interesting is that he was really former DA Tony Quinn, who was blinded when a criminal threw a vial of acid in his face (shades of Two-Face). A secret procedure gave him the eyes of a slain sheriff, and he was able to see in the dark. This, added to his heighten senses from when he was blind gave him a clear advantage over his foes. He is aided by Carol Baldwin (daughter of that slain sheriff), who is a possible love interest, and 2 reformed criminals: "Silk" Kirby a former con artist, and Butch O'Leary, a former pugilist. There is also Capt McGrath, who is sure that Tony is really the Black Bat, and tries to prove he can really see. This provides a little comic relief in the stories.

He ran in 60 some issues of "Black Book Detective" from 1939 to 53 (outliving many other characters). Now in the public domain, several have taken to writing new stories of the BB, sometimes teaming him with other pulp heroes. Moonstone is doing a comic with him, and Airship 27 has now started this new anthology series and Altus Press is doing a new complete reprint series (along with the Black Bat Companion).

This collection has 4 stories by several experience neopulp authors.

The first story pits the Black Bat against Nazi spies and a deadly poison.  This is a good, solid Black Bat story, and for first time readers will introduce the main characters in this series.

The second story pits the Black Bat against "Super-Detective" Jim Anthony, another PD pulp character, in a story dealing with dirty cops.  This is written by Joshua Reynolds, who has written several Jim Anthony stories for Airship 27.

I do have to comment that some of how Jim Anthony was handled in this story puzzled me.  Set in 1940, it is said that Anthony is retired.  That makes no sense, as his original stories were published from 1940-43.  Unless the author is trying to say his published adventures happened much earlier then that.  Also, there was a scene with Anthony kind of 'passing the torch' to the Black Bat, as if the Black Bat represented the 'new generation' of such heroes as compared to Anthony.  But the thing is, both the Bat and Anthony are part of the 'third wave' of pulp heroes.  The Bat actually started a year BEFORE Anthony.  So didn't quite make sense to me.

The third story moves the Black Bat outside of his usual haunts, being set in a small town in New York state.  His aides aren't there to help him either, as he deals with a town plagued by what seems to be enemy planes.  But its all a plot of the main villain, who gets away at the end.  A good setup for a return in the future.  I hope so.

The fourth story is an interesting one that brings in baseball (and baseball scandals), with a criminal kingpin trying to horn in on owning a baseball team.  This gave it a different feel from the usual gangster/nazi stories we see too often in new pulp stories.

This is another good collection from Airship 27.  I hope we see a third collection.
2592701
Generally, pulp fiction stories focus on a man struggling with dark, powerful and often, evil forces.  This debut offering from Sean Chercover is pulp fiction with a capital "P".  His P.I., Ray Dudgeon is an unapologetic yet somewhat sympathetic character caught up in a scenario that takes him from the streets of Chicago to the phony backslapping glitz of Hollywood.  The narrative is descriptive and the books themes are universal in nature; no one and nothing is what they/it seem to be, greed and suspicion are ugly things, and that loyalty, ethics and happiness are fragile commodities that come and go based upon individual needs and personal gain.

Big City, Bad Blood is classic noir.  We have the P.I. hired to protect an individual, who unwittingly becomes a target of an organized crime syndicate (known in Chicago as "The Outfit").  The good guys and the bad guys are a mixed bag and it's hard to determine which side of the line some of the characters occupy.  We also have high level political corruption extending all the way up the ladder to State Senators and Federal Appellate Court Judges .....not much of a stretch of the imagination to anyone who has ever lived in The Windy City, as I have.

Chercover's writing is marvelously descriptive.  His characters are well defined and his depiction of the city itself will leave anyone familiar with Chicago and its local landmarks, bars and eateries feeling right at home.

Fans of Dashiell Hammet, Raymond Chandler, Lawrence Block or Ross Macdonald, men who are masters at crafting clever, gritty and atmospheric tales, will want to add Sean Chercover to their reading list.
1946865
Fun read, toying with the whole super villain theme. Bit labored in places, and the inevitable, and then the hero escapes, of the pulp genre. I would recommend it as fun light reading. Bwahhahah!
650294
A surprise of a story.  From the very opening words you know you are reading something that does not fit the normal pulp crime genre.  Don't let the cover fool you.  It is done this way to stylishly represent a bygone era in pulp crime novels.  But this is no pulp crime story and the cover looks nothing like the lead character in the book who experiences brainquakes. The protagonist is a bag man for the mob...the guy who picks up and delivers the days profits from gambling and other illegal activities.  A qualification for this job is utmost trust and a look and lifestyle that does not attract attention.  I will not give away any of the plot as it should continually unfold for the reader.  But if you are tired of the formula crime story where a flawed but honest cop tracks down a really flawed baddie, this book is for you.  Samuel Fuller tells a helluva story!
3402649
A really neat idea that is fun for readers of ANY color, "Black Pulp" like its sister publication, "Asian Pulp" presents modern stories inspired by pulp fiction from the 20's to the 50's. In this case, however the protagonists are African-America. There are private detectives with a touch of super powers, an up and coming boxer turned private eye investigating a cult practicing human sacrifice in Hollywood, a black Tarzan, tough guys who meet a hard end and other equally compelling characters. If you are looking for a very different yet immensely satisfying read, you can not go wrong with this collection of first rate fiction with an edge.
4928449
Alex Ross' love for pulp fiction is well known and under this Dynamite series, he is able to indulge in it wonderfully. Based on a classic pulp saga of the Spider, the first issue, illustrated by Ross himself, sets things up: It's 1938 and New York City has just elected the "Justice Party" into power with hopes of sweeping reform. Within days, the Party has put criminals into armored police uniforms to march the streets, control press into propaganda, demand people pay immediate "taxes" and rounding up dissidents to camps. As one character openly says "when justice is outlawed...then the just must become outlaws."

Soon, a force of resistance grows from various masked vigilantes. The Green Hornet and Kato are in town hunting a mob boss and run into the Shadow, who pushes the idea of "the justice above law" as they are joined by the Spider. A chance encounter leads to the Green Lama and Miss Fury working together as the super-strong Black Terror also gets involved. Blinded while helping prisoners escape, former District Attorney Tony Quinn discovers he can see in darkness and becomes the Black Bat. Finally, inspired by stories of his family, a young immigrant takes up the mantle of the legendary Zorro.

Some may complain of this crowding in too many characters but there are great touches like Kato admiring the Shadow's abilities while Miss Fury and Green Lama have a nice partnership. The way Quinn discovers his abilities is good as is how the new Zorro comes to be a hero. The action is great, rendered wonderfully by artist Dennis Calero for a gritty pulp feel, plenty of shadows and moods to help things along (such as the POV of the Bat in darkness) and fantastic action scenes. Chris Roberson's script is great, handling the melodramatic declarations with the character mixes of the Shadow and others. Also a help is the identity of the man behind the Party, the classic case of "every villain is the hero of his own story." The end may be a bit abrupt but it still works and closes a terrific crossover. Thrown in are great extras of sketch work (The Phantom was originally planned to be in this but couldn't be worked in) and variety covers by great artists to help the fun. Overall, a must-read for any fan of the pulp era to enjoy a dream team of these heroes at their best.
1221143
Another fun trip into the Defiant-verse.  The author seems to be really hitting stride.  I've seen some folks complaining about lack of closure to the book.  The author seems to be a big fan of the old pulp serials like Doc Savage, The Shadow, and Tarzan.  It becomes quite apparent half way through the book that this one begins an extended story arc.  As a big fan of the old pulp serials, I'm quite up for this!  I, for one, would much rather read a long story arc broken into manageable chunks than a thousand page omnibus I might get lost in.  The characters are as solid as ever, the conflicts have become more interesting, and with the arc format, the story a bit more complex.  So far each book has been better than the last and the world has gained detail and breadth.  I'm looking forward to digging in to the villain spin-off Razor's Run shortly!
440081
I bought this book from the author at Origins Game Fair 2017.

He seems like a great guy. He not only signed my copy but also drew a sketch of the character on the inside cover .

I love pulp stories , superhero stories, and comic books. This novel has touches of all of the above.

Pussy Katnip is an old pulp character that has  been ressurected by Brooks. He has a lot of passion for this character and it shows through in his writing.

The story is well-paced and plotted. The characters are unique and distinct (no small feat in anthropomorphic tales).

I thoroughly enjoyed this story in all of its pulpy glory.

One last comment before I leave to read another Pussy Katnip story. I really love the character of Detective Lila Ringtail. So much subtle social commentary wrapped up in an excellent character skin. By far my favorite character from these stories. And has entered my top fifty favorite fictional character list.
2753839
I really love this series, and the latest installment of the saga of Matt Cahill will have you chomping down like a Kodiak Spirit Bear on it's mix of commando action and mystical mayhem.  All the elements readers love are present. Axe? Check. Intense actions scenes that have you tapping "next" with the quickness of The Penetrator popping in a speed loader? Check!  A broader look at the mystical nemesis' that inhabit the world of The Dead Man?  Yup.

Best of all however is this.  Russian Juggalo with a Cleaver and Machine Gun riding an ATV? CHECK!!!!!

The prose is fast and furious, but James Daniels does take a lot of care with his characters and gives the readers a wide lens on how much magic is bleeding in to the hard edged Mack Bolan styled world of the series.  Another great entry into my favorite series of the last year.

Also, Daniels deserves mucho credit for "best use of a Mack Bolan paperback" in action prose.  It shows not only a tip of the hat, but a real respect for the genre that sometimes gets buried under parody all to often.  Men (and Ladies) of Action NEED this series.
3283814
I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of Sharp's latest foray into dark fantasy and ended up finishing this adrenaline-fueled yarn over the course of two stormy winter nights. Cold Counsel can be summed up in a single word: EPIC! Slud is my new favorite character and Sharp's approach to fantasy is dark, nasty, and bloody. Sharp creates a world layered with mythology and fills it with memorable characters that are both wicked and tender. All hail Slud and the Blood Claw Clan!
1612944
I loved, LOVED Skulduggery Pleasant. It's an absolute hoot and packed with action, suspense and a multitude of thrills!

It's about, an unlikely 13 year old heiress named Stephanie, and a walking, talking, crime fighting skeleton, Skulduggery. Together they solve crimes in an urban fantasy world.

To find her uncle's murderer, Stephanie must delve into the fantastical and magical world. Stephanie and Skulduggery are also in a race to retrieve the most powerful weapon in the world before the assassins on her tail get manage to kill her first.

My favorite character in the book is Skulduggery. He's hysterical! He's a funny, smart detective, and an elemental whose magic revolves around fire, water, earth and air.

Working around the clock to solve cases is Skulduggery's passion and he skillfully fights his way out of the most dire of situations because of his few centuries worth of battle experience.

As if I needed more reasons to love the chivalrous skeleton, he has an incredible car, a 1954 Bentley. Unfortunately, once the dynamic duo set out on their investigation the car's fated to blow up.

His friend, Ghastly, enjoys making clothes that have magical powers and occasionally saves their lives. Some answers to Skulduggery's mysterious past are answered but only make him more interesting and complex.

Skulduggery Pleasant is bursting with humor, thrilling action, creative brilliance, and characters that you are dying to hang out with.

I loved this book! Did I mention that? I had gotten it from the library and loved it so much that Alyssa and Jake bought me the entire series for Christmas.

Get your hands on this book and like me you'll be dying for the next in the series! This is great for guys and girls because you've got Stephanie on the female end and Skulduggery is a fantastic character that EVERYONE will love. Honestly, people, some parts of this book were so entertaining that I had to go track down Alyssa, Jake and Mom so I could read aloud to them.

Funny, witty, creative, fast-paced. Jim Butcher/Harry Dresden fans will love Skulduggery Pleasant!
2318070
It's darn clever plotting, too. Organized crime had its filthy mitts all over professional boxing in the 1950s and, appropriately, it plays a major part in this tightly written retro-pulp novella.

Characters will make or break a work of fiction, and author Dundee ("Tunney") scored a decisive win with the Duke, here. He's tough, brave, streetwise and yet a good joe to his very core. To paint it in crude brush strokes, he is similar to a Louis L'Amour western hero, only in a gritty postwar urban setting.

I have great appreciation for the classic pulps, and admiration for the pulp writers. But frankly, those guys were meeting deadlines and worried about bills most of the time; so even some of their great works weren't as carefully polished as this novella. And yet Counterpunch maintains a vintage pulp fiction flavor from cover to cover.

All the Fight Card books are great reads, and this one is exemplary.

Henry Brown is the Two-Fisted Blogger, and chief/cook/bottle washer at Virtual Pulp Press. He is author of some pulpy fiction of his own, and the military thriller Hell and Gone.