The Vampires: The Thunder Master

Another improvement over a weak predecessor, or in this case, two weak predecessors. After being captured by Phillipe and co., Irma Vep and Moreno are sentenced to life in a penal colony in Algeria for the crimes committed, while Moreno is executed, and Satanas escapes unnoticed, and follows Irma to north Africa, disguised as a priest. He plans on blowing up the ship she is on in order to help her escape, and discreetly gives her instructions on how to survive the blast, and return to Paris, if she survives. Perusal of the red codebook (from ch. 3) the details of the plot to free Irma. Satanas believes that there were no survivors from the blast, so he tries to avenge her death by attempting to kill Phillipe with a bomb in his top hat. At least we now know why that silly thing was introduced in the previous chapter. His life is saved at the last possible moment. Irma, it turns out, did survive the blast, and is now making her way slowly back to The Howling Cat Nightclub in Paris. When she arrives, they learn that Satanas has been arrested, and a new Grand Vampire is elected, with Satanas committing suicide by poison.

The set designs seem to get more impressive with each chapter lately, but it has gone on long enough.