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G-8 and His Battle Aces #55
The Black Aces of Doom by Robert J. Hogan
Born of the dank and lecherous swamp, with a thirst for the blood of their fellow men, the Black Aces of Doom flew the night skies of war! They flung their hideous challenge to G-8, and the Master Spy accepted, knowing that his life was the prize of the game, that failure would mean only—Death!
Adventure House
7x10
110 pages
Cover Frederick Blakeslee
$12.95
Born of the dank and lecherous swamp, with a thirst for the blood of their fellow men, the Black Aces of Doom flew the night skies of war! They flung their hideous challenge to G-8, and the Master Spy accepted, knowing that his life was the prize of the game, that failure would mean only—Death!
Adventure House
7x10
110 pages
Cover Frederick Blakeslee
$12.95
112 pages, Paperback
Published November 10, 2018
1 person want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 7, 2021
“Like vultures of the night, with their claws made sharper on the grindstone of hate—flew the Black Aces of Doom!”
The pulp started out as Battle Aces , then after a couple of issues, the magazine was cancelled, and then it was rechristened as G-8 And His Battle Aces and it became a hero character pulp. G-8 was a World War I aviation hero, whose adventures often delved into espionage, and with most of his novels having either a horror or a science fictional theme to them. It should also be pointed out, that all the fiction in each of the magazines were totally written by Robert J. Hogan.
●In this issue’s novel, The Black Aces Of Doom , series’ regulars G-8, whose real name is never known, and his wingmen Nippy Weston and ex-football player Bull Martin, are on a secret mission behind the German enemy lines. They have found themselves stomping around in a nameless swamp when they discover reoccurring villain Dr. Krueger’s new mad scheme. It is the Black Aces of Doom , and this group consists of top-notch pilots who dress all in black with large hunchbacks, and with only breathing and seeing slits in their masks.
As the trio get back to their headquarters, they give their report and they eat. Then they get a telephone call that a high General has just been mysteriously murdered. Just as mysterious are the disappearance of some important documents, some weird scratches that have left behind on the floor, and that the room had been locked on the inside. Then G-8 and company are informed that their hangers have just been mysteriously bombed. While an enemy aircraft was seen flying over the squadron’s hangers, they silently go up in flames. Then it mysteriously happens to other airplane hangers across the front, and it is up to G-8 to discover the how and the why it is
happening, and who is behind the fires.
As G-8 and company deduct where the next attack is going to happen, the trio is there to stop it, and when they do, they find it is the Black Order of Doom that is behind everything. They also find that these German madmen can jump from airplanes without dying.
After a failed assassination attempt, G-8 finds that he can infiltrate the Black Aces and off he goes, and what G-8 finds leads to more fast-paced action, kidnappings, air-fights, and more Herr Krueger.
This is easily one of the better of the mid-period G-8 novels, with plenty of plot-twists, air-fights, nasty believable villains, and intrigue, even if the story has a weak, and rushed ending. Blink and you’ll miss it. But it has Herr Krueger, who resembles, and could have been the inspiration for Dr. Who’s Davros, who day-to-day operations and schemes are carried out and overseen by his own personal Red Skull in the form of Herr Geist. The weakness of the ending can be easily overlooked because of the brevity of the novel, but how can you pass up this novel, especially when G-8 is barely saved after being feed to a passel of swamp rats?
●Next up are three World War I short stories, and the first up is the rather hard-boiled The Skyman From Hell and in it the 89th Pursuit Squadron, as commandeered by Captain Lee, has a leak that is putting the squadron, and all of its missions, at risk, and people are dying because of it. The suspicion, at first seems to down on new pilot Rayson, who is deeply scarred, and whose mad skills are far beyond those of a rookie pilot, but then all suspicion shifts to pilot Schwartz. Is Schwartz being set-up, and is he innocent, or is he as guilty as charged. A tough war crime story of espionage and betrayal, this is a story that would not have seemed out-of-place in one of the EC war comics or in the early issues of DC’s war comics. High praise. A great story with a melancholy ending.
● The Mad Dog Patrol is up next, and it is a light-hearted story in the continuing Greaseball Joe series of stories. Here rookie Lieutenant Charles Gray shows up at Captain Lacy’s 69th Pursuit Squadron with his dog “Sausage”, an odd and sods type of dog. Gray is getting anxious about his first mission, and when he finally goes on it, he turns tail and runs away back to base. At first, he is given a pass on this one time only. When it happens again, the squadron fears Gray is going to wash out, so it’s up to series regular, the self-important know-it-all Doc Bowker to do something about Gray’s backbone.
More humorous than serious, this is an entertaining story that would have done well in the slicker magazines. After reading a number of these Greaseball Joe stories, I think that it’s about time for a collection of these stories to be issued by somebody. I know I’d buy it.
●Up last is the old-fashioned Aces High and Chuck Gordon of the 83rd Pursuit Squadron has a
mission, and that mission is to kill Baron von Tilzer who had shot Chuck’s brother out of the sky. This is another of Hogan’s short character examinations of the attitudes and people who fought in the skies of World War I. It was a different time, and the ending to ‘Aces High’ has a wistfully romantic ending to it.
All of the stories in this issue are superior entertainments, and none should be languishing in obscurity. All are different in tone, and together all make this issue something I’m glad I spent money on and read.
●Some words should be said about the art. All of the interior artwork is done by the unjustly forgotten John Fleming Gould who fantastically manages to capture the total feel and sight of some of the better action scenes in all the stories here, not to mention his air battles and dogfights never stop thrilling the reader. Then there is the poster worthy cover by Frederick Blakeslee, who shows a scene out of the novel in which he makes the Black Aces look like something supernatural and right out of hell.
So, for all G-8 and air war fans, this is an issue that should be on your shelves.
The pulp started out as Battle Aces , then after a couple of issues, the magazine was cancelled, and then it was rechristened as G-8 And His Battle Aces and it became a hero character pulp. G-8 was a World War I aviation hero, whose adventures often delved into espionage, and with most of his novels having either a horror or a science fictional theme to them. It should also be pointed out, that all the fiction in each of the magazines were totally written by Robert J. Hogan.
●In this issue’s novel, The Black Aces Of Doom , series’ regulars G-8, whose real name is never known, and his wingmen Nippy Weston and ex-football player Bull Martin, are on a secret mission behind the German enemy lines. They have found themselves stomping around in a nameless swamp when they discover reoccurring villain Dr. Krueger’s new mad scheme. It is the Black Aces of Doom , and this group consists of top-notch pilots who dress all in black with large hunchbacks, and with only breathing and seeing slits in their masks.
As the trio get back to their headquarters, they give their report and they eat. Then they get a telephone call that a high General has just been mysteriously murdered. Just as mysterious are the disappearance of some important documents, some weird scratches that have left behind on the floor, and that the room had been locked on the inside. Then G-8 and company are informed that their hangers have just been mysteriously bombed. While an enemy aircraft was seen flying over the squadron’s hangers, they silently go up in flames. Then it mysteriously happens to other airplane hangers across the front, and it is up to G-8 to discover the how and the why it is
happening, and who is behind the fires.
As G-8 and company deduct where the next attack is going to happen, the trio is there to stop it, and when they do, they find it is the Black Order of Doom that is behind everything. They also find that these German madmen can jump from airplanes without dying.
After a failed assassination attempt, G-8 finds that he can infiltrate the Black Aces and off he goes, and what G-8 finds leads to more fast-paced action, kidnappings, air-fights, and more Herr Krueger.
This is easily one of the better of the mid-period G-8 novels, with plenty of plot-twists, air-fights, nasty believable villains, and intrigue, even if the story has a weak, and rushed ending. Blink and you’ll miss it. But it has Herr Krueger, who resembles, and could have been the inspiration for Dr. Who’s Davros, who day-to-day operations and schemes are carried out and overseen by his own personal Red Skull in the form of Herr Geist. The weakness of the ending can be easily overlooked because of the brevity of the novel, but how can you pass up this novel, especially when G-8 is barely saved after being feed to a passel of swamp rats?
●Next up are three World War I short stories, and the first up is the rather hard-boiled The Skyman From Hell and in it the 89th Pursuit Squadron, as commandeered by Captain Lee, has a leak that is putting the squadron, and all of its missions, at risk, and people are dying because of it. The suspicion, at first seems to down on new pilot Rayson, who is deeply scarred, and whose mad skills are far beyond those of a rookie pilot, but then all suspicion shifts to pilot Schwartz. Is Schwartz being set-up, and is he innocent, or is he as guilty as charged. A tough war crime story of espionage and betrayal, this is a story that would not have seemed out-of-place in one of the EC war comics or in the early issues of DC’s war comics. High praise. A great story with a melancholy ending.
● The Mad Dog Patrol is up next, and it is a light-hearted story in the continuing Greaseball Joe series of stories. Here rookie Lieutenant Charles Gray shows up at Captain Lacy’s 69th Pursuit Squadron with his dog “Sausage”, an odd and sods type of dog. Gray is getting anxious about his first mission, and when he finally goes on it, he turns tail and runs away back to base. At first, he is given a pass on this one time only. When it happens again, the squadron fears Gray is going to wash out, so it’s up to series regular, the self-important know-it-all Doc Bowker to do something about Gray’s backbone.
More humorous than serious, this is an entertaining story that would have done well in the slicker magazines. After reading a number of these Greaseball Joe stories, I think that it’s about time for a collection of these stories to be issued by somebody. I know I’d buy it.
●Up last is the old-fashioned Aces High and Chuck Gordon of the 83rd Pursuit Squadron has a
mission, and that mission is to kill Baron von Tilzer who had shot Chuck’s brother out of the sky. This is another of Hogan’s short character examinations of the attitudes and people who fought in the skies of World War I. It was a different time, and the ending to ‘Aces High’ has a wistfully romantic ending to it.
All of the stories in this issue are superior entertainments, and none should be languishing in obscurity. All are different in tone, and together all make this issue something I’m glad I spent money on and read.
●Some words should be said about the art. All of the interior artwork is done by the unjustly forgotten John Fleming Gould who fantastically manages to capture the total feel and sight of some of the better action scenes in all the stories here, not to mention his air battles and dogfights never stop thrilling the reader. Then there is the poster worthy cover by Frederick Blakeslee, who shows a scene out of the novel in which he makes the Black Aces look like something supernatural and right out of hell.
So, for all G-8 and air war fans, this is an issue that should be on your shelves.
Displaying 1 of 1 review