BotTalk Reviews

Archer and Boothby explain once they returned they were considered traitors for suggesting humanity was no threat.  The Doctor infects the 8472 station with nanoprobes. Voyager manages to escape as the 8472 exiles agree to an alliance.  Voyager returns to Earth.  Barclay greets the crew while Hugh greets their Borg allies.  The crew make their reunions.  At a get together the Doctor takes a holophoto of the Voyager crew.   Dr. Katherine Pulaski has a surprising cameo as one of the doctors working to cure Tuvok.  A lot of wrapping up takes place with the crew reuniting with their loved ones.  Chakotay and Seven break up as he confesses he still has feelings for Archer.  Some connective threads relate to Picard, with Seven applying to the Academy, though we know she is rejected.  In a way it feels like Return of the King here, with several long moments wrapping up our characters.  It is certainly more satisfying than what we got in th...

Calling all Magni! There’s at least two now! With Robert Kirkman’s Void Rivals having launched Skybound’s Energon Universe, he now takes the writing reins of the flagship Transformers comic series as well, with Dan Mora now on pencils and Sarah Stern on colors. In this twenty-ninth issue... FIGHT! Fight? Yep, that’s about it. After Megatron’s shocking killing of Trailbreaker last issue, Optimus Prime and his boys (and girl) show up to lay the smackdown on the Decepticons. Guess they didn’t have to even roll out to find them! Kirkman takes a break from seeding plot threads to have an all-out Brawl (well, they’re not all Brawl) between the Decepticons and the Autobots for just about the entire issue! It’s a chance to showcase Dan Mora’s art as the two teams of Transformers on Earth go at it. The Decepticons have the objective of freeing Soundwave from the Ark’s prison cell, while Optimus is rightly ticked at one of his soldiers being turned into a Capri Sun by Megatron! Uh, what else? Ag...

Last time on lower decks!  The away team had attempted to escape the planet by commandeering a shuttle on Laapoonia, the Cerritos, hanging in space having dealt several blows on an attacking ship, and having taken a pounding, saw the shuttle carrying the away blow up, and withdrew to safety. And now issue sixteen. The surviving Cerritos crew are grounded at a fleet scrapyard starbase. The admiral and his wife are coming to visit so Captain Carol Freeman hatches a plan to steal an old starship, her first assignment, and go find her crew she doesn’t believe are dead, though Starfleet has them already listed as K.I.A. I feel like this is a good issue that gets dragged a bit in the middle and toward the end just for the sake of having sexbot jokes, but otherwise it’s a decent continuation of a story that being a TPB will help. So far the overall story is good, but with each individual issue being slightly bumpy they need to get to the destination faster. But! 7/10

Uatu the Watcher is our narrator for this crossover event. Baxter Building, New York City. Assisted by his Super-Apes (Miklho (gorilla), Peotor (orangutan) and Igor (baboon)) the Red Ghost (Russian scientist Ivan Kragoff) makes use of Reed Richards' Di-Quantum Stabilizer to strip The Fantastic Four of their superpowers AND to banish them to another dimension... The Planet of the Apes! Ape City. Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic), Sue Storm (The Invisible Woman), Ben Grimm (The Thing) and Johnny Storm (The Human Torch) are about to be convicted for their crime of heresy against apekind... when somehow Cornelius, Dr. Zira, General Ursus and Dr. Zaius get exposed to cosmic rays! Cornelius can now stretch his body, Zira can make herself invisible, Ursus can produce flames and Zaius' flesh turns to stone. Back on Earth in the European country of Latveria. Seeking an alliance, Kragoff pays Doctor Doom (Victor Von Doom, the nemesis of The Fantastic Four) a visit. What I did like: First ...

Sword-brothers, sword-sisters, your local spinner rack is once again brandishing another brand new issue of SSOC!  64 startling pages of barbaric savagery in black-and-white printed on newsprint paper! Inside this gorgeous magazine you will find the following: Terrific art pin-ups: Conan the Barbarian by Ivan Gil (Conan: Scourge of the Serpent) El Borak versus Samiri by Patrick Zircher (Solomon Kane: The Serpent Ring) CONAN: HEART OF DARKNESS by Chris Ryall (Mighty Marvel Calendar Book: A Visual History) and Gabriel Rodriguez (Robert E. Howard: Rattle of Bones & Other Terrifying Tales) Ghulistani Hinterlands A beast of sorceress Er'Bo'A attacks Conan, C'Kaan (a sorcerer and an homage to The Guy aka the mascot of Disturbed), Jorgus and Buterra the Wise (an homage to Heroic Signatures editor Chris Butera). Buterra dies. The dying beast infects Conan with its black magic. An old woman (Hanna, whose daughters (Suna and Suhar) are under the influence of Er'Bo'A) clea...

A family argument breaks out on a rented houseboat.  Chet and his sister Laura take shots and jabs at each other, each placing blame on the other.  The next day it continues until Laura and her husband cannonball into the water.  The husband comes back for his brother-in-law.  Chet dives in only to come up in a darker version of reality, while his sister and brother-in-law find a somewhat nicer reality.  Chet's new friends turn on him.  At the same time, his sister realizes she wouldn't trade the slightly nicer world for her brother.  She dives in to save him, comes back up only to smack into the false bottom of the boat.  Looking down at her is Chet, unable to break through to her. In a way this feels like a take on 'The Bewitchin' Pool' the final episode of the original series.  Only here we get a better world and its shadow.  Honestly, the dialogue between Chet and Laura is insufferable.  It feels very of the moment and just goes...

Creators : Joshua Williamson (writer), Marco Fodera (artist), Lee Loughridge (colorist), Rus Wooton (letterer) Story : The Crimson Twins, Tomax and Xamot, pay a visit to Marvin F. Hinton, aka Roadblock, who is running a successful food truck, as they want him to be the "face" of their fast-food brand, Red Rocket. The Joes also wish to recruit Roadblock due to his abilities as a heavy gunner when he was in the army.  Roadblock rebuffs the twins and instead of taking it graciously, they have their Crimson Guards attack.  Roadblock takes the Siegies down and chases after the twins, driving them off as well.  Meanwhile, in Springfield, Cobra Commander and Destro confer on the status of Cobra and the need to get more Energon.  However, Cobra Commander does have eyes and ears everywhere.   Writing : A nice, solid (mostly) stand-alone issue.  We get to see what makes Roadblock such an awesome character - his abilities as a soldier, yes, but also his love of food a...

Jim Zub's The Conquering Crown part 3 (of 3): The Unlikely Sovereign Count Trocero of Poitain saves the life of Captain Prospero (who was mesmerized by Conan's awesomeness). Aquilonian General Conan (The Savior of Poitain) is spreading hope and his army is growing. Count Trocero thinks that he should be the future ruler of Aquilonia... Prospero is not so sure. Baron Phineas of Tauran joins the Cimmerian's insurgency/armed rebellion.  Travelling to Tanasul (city in northern Aquilonia), King Numedides' forces get attacked by Conan's rebel insurgents. Prospero and Baron Thasperas of Schohira push back Numedides' royal military and gain reinforcements. Close to the Tybor River, the legion of Numedides surrenders to Conan, Prospero and the army of Shamar (city in southern Aquilonia). Conan and co. reach the capital of Aquilonia (Tarantia).  Gromel, the giant Bossonian captain of the Black Dragon Knights, grovels for his life... Conan lets him go. King Numedides has s...

Void Rivals Are At War! The Quintesson War continues in issue # 26 of Void Rivals! Void Rivals is Robert Kirkman’s sci-fi comic that tells the tale of two crumbling planets linked by a “Sacred Ring” (it’s not Halo), their peoples at war for generations. When a member of each culture are stranded together, the two find they must put aside their differences if they want to survive. This story takes place in the so-called “Energon Universe”, Skybound Entertainment’s initiative to relaunch properties like Transformers and G.I. Joe within a shared universe that also happens to include the original characters and setting of Void Rivals. New artist Andrei Bressan steps in along with regular colorist Patricio Delpeche to join Robert Kirkman for the second part of “Quintesson War”. Having invaded both Agorria and Zertonia, the Quintessons make their intent known to planetary leadership. While Zalilak and Proximus fight the Quints on the ground, Darak is in a spot of trouble in space. How will e...

Inside this sumptuous hardcover you will find the following: From 1989, the unfinished SWAMP THING: DÉJÀ VU #1 (Book one of an abandoned three-issue prestige format series) by Len Wein and BERNIE WRIGHTSON! All 46 pages of unpublished annotated prelims by Bernie Wrightson AND the unpainted pencils by Bernie Wrightson for pages 1, 2, 4, 5, 7-17, 21, 22, 24, 28 and 33! A 2015 premise for a 6-issue Swamp Thing mini-series by Len Wein (2 pages). A 2015 pitch for a 6-issue Swamp Thing series by Len Wein (7 pages). The script to Convergence: Swamp Thing (2015) #1 by Len Wein (6 pages). Foreword by Christine Valada (Widow of writer Len Wein). Introductions by Kelley Jones and Rebecca Taylor (Swamp Thing (2016) series editor). Essay by Doug Wheeler (Writer of Swamp Thing (1985) #88–109). Pin-ups by Kelley Jones (Batman & Swamp Thing, 4 x Swamp Thing, 2 x Solomon Grundy, Zatanna, Dr. Anton Arcane, The Spectre and Deadman & Swamp Thing)  Pencils by Kelley Jones with lettering placeme...