#human bat

I’ve seen this cover many times over the years, but I’ve still not been able to get a hold of the actual book.

Apparently, this was a British pulp story for the younger crowd written in 1950.

The Human Bat and The Human Bat v The Robot G angster by Edward R. Home-Gall.

From the exhaust coming out of the robot’s `belt` I’m going to assume he is a diesel robot. Don’t see a lot of those.

Quote from L.W. Currey, inc.

" First of the two "Human Bat" novels, written by a noted writer of boys' stories, followed by THE HUMAN BAT V. THE ROBOT GANGSTER (1950). "The 'hero' is The Human Bat, a costumed psychotic who makes Batman appear almost normal. Mechanical batwings give him the power of flight, and from his fingers he is able to project energy beams. 

His mission in life is to save young boys from a life of crime. Here, he smashes a criminal mastermind (masquerading as a robot spider!) who recruits boy thieves by poisoning their minds with 'kleptotoxin.' ... [In the sequel there is] more spectacular high camp, and even more violence (dead policemen everywhere!), as the sinister Dr. Syntax sends out a gigantic armed robot to commit jewel robberies. 

The robot is accompanied by a schizophrenic schoolboy controlled by the disembodied brain of his twin, who has been dismembered by his mad scientist father. By turns hilarious, repellent, and oddly fascinating." end quote.

From GoodReads

“British author Edward Reginald Home-Gall was the son of author William Benjamin Home-Gall. He was a prolific author of YA books and magazine stories, many under pseudonyms. He published the Shirley Flight series first under the name Judith Dale and, later, under his own name. He also used the names Edwin Dale and Rupert Hall.