The Black Spectre is a recent New Pulp hero created by Roger Alford. Alford has written several Black Spectre books that previously were only available as ebooks, but he is now bringing them out in print.
The Black Spectre is a kind of mix of pulp hero and comic-book hero with a bit of a Batman inspiration (though I see a little bit of another comic-book character as well). It’s a balancing act; is this a pulp hero or is this a comic-book hero in prose format? I think he is more pulp hero, but do see the comic-book elements.
The Black Spectre is really millionaire Brent Gregor. His father was the District Attorney and was targeted by mob thugs who killed him and injured his wife, who lived out the rest of her days in an insane asylum. Brent was only 8, and was looked after by his father’s butler. He is now in his mid-20s.
Okay, at this point, if you think he then trained his mind and body to fight against crime, you’d be incorrect. Brent was injured and is confined to a wheelchair, unable to walk. So, how does he become a masked vigilante for justice? Well, that’s what you’ll learn in the Origins series, of which Book 1, Ghosts in the Asylum, is out now in paperback. Books 2 and 3, No Victory Without Scars and Vengeance Waits at the Door, are coming soon to paperback as well, and I look forward to reading them.
He is able to gain powers that allows him to walk and make use of shadows, but he must use the powers to help the innocent. But like The Black Bat, he will still pretend he can’t walk. Only his loyal butler will know his secret.
And he is needed. Terminal City, the setting for the series, is controlled by various mobs. If they aren’t killing each other, they are controlling the ordinary citizens.
And there are other characters who are important in this story, such as reporter Vicky Rose, who wants to move out of the city hall beat to the crime beat. She is working to clear a man accused of killing the new anti-crime mayor, whose murder is similar to the one that killed Brent’s father. But she won’t serve as a love interest for Brent, already having a boyfriend, which I thought was a good change. And Brent’s butler is similar to Batman’s Alfred, but different enough to be a character in his own right. He is the only one who knows Brent’s secret.
There are two other Black Spectre books: Invitation to Death and Other Thrilling Mysteries and Death Is a Silent Intruder and Other Thrilling Mysteries, which are collections of short stories, and only available in ebook format.
I found this first work well done and look forward to the rest of the Origin stories. We see Gregor in his very first action as The Black Spectre, learning his abilities, and doing the best he can. So it will be interesting to see the rest of the Origin storyline. Does he work to learn the full extent of his new abilities? Does he work to learn fighting skills (both armed and unarmed)? Does he learn how to be a detective, and does he start building up a network of contacts? Guess we’ll have to read the rest to find out.
If you are looking for a New Pulp hero in the style of characters like The Black Bat, check this one out.
