Bottalk Reviews

Filled with interviews and many, many images this Hardcover book gives us a look at the making of the original series, animated series and first six films.  If you are looking for something new, some insight or new piece of trivia you won't find it here.  You will find often told tales from the cast and those involved behind the scenes.  Talking points that have been repeated ad nauseam over the years in interviews, dvd extras, convention appearances, autobiographies and other behind the scenes books.  DeForest Kelley recounts the infamous 'favorite fan letter marijuana cigarette' story.  I do find it interesting that the infamous kiss from 'Plato's Stepchildren' is only given one little blurb.  The animated series gets scant coverage, a few measly pages.   There are a few images here that I haven't seen in ages.  In its over sixty year existence there are only so many 'fresh' images out there.  Usually, you get the standard publicity images.   If y

The killer states he intends to transform Kate.  Using discarded pieces of the Creature he will remake her in its image, just as he has remade himself.  Eventually, she manages to escape and puts a gun to the back of his head... only for the real Creature to attack.  It leaves him mangled and Kate is the one to finish him off in a fit of rage.  The Creature swims off into dark waters of the lagoon, leaving Kate behind. This is so anti-climatic and uneventful.  Having the killer remake himself with pieces of the Creature was an interesting idea.  Him wanting to remold Kate could have been interesting too.  But none of this goes anywhere.  Again, the Creature is but a bit player in this mini-series.  He simply swims away, leaving Kate with blood on her hands.  She is still the same broken character we encountered in issue one.  Maybe that is the point, but it is extremely unsatisfying.   five out of ten.

We go back to the beginning, before the Black Stone, before Thulsa Doom, Conan is a youth from the south, he still has his old Pictish sword (Brule's blade freshly acquired at Venarium in Conan the Barbarian FCBD 2023). Conan ventures North to Asgard in this prequel to The Frost-Giant's Daughter aka The Gods of the North. Jim Zub's Frozen Faith part 1: Cold Comfort starts now! Conan remembers Lyolf training him for combat with wooden sticks. The young Cimmerian questions the existence of his deity Crom, preferring to trust his five human senses, his own strength and steel weaponry. Conan sees a pack of wolves eating a human corpse next to a campsite. For no reason and with no strategy whatsoever he immediately attacks the pack. The wolves naturally overpower him. Conan loses his sword. Conan remembers asking his father the location of Crom's mountain. His father confirming that Crom resides on all mountains and in the souls of all Cimmerians. Conan's father is sure

Void Rivals has better things to do tonight than die! It does and it continues here with issue # 11! Void Rivals is Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici’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. In this eleventh issue, Darak, Solila, and their new best buddy Triple Changer Springer have to fend off an Zertonian battalion intent on capturing or killing them! The Quintessons, Hot Rod, and even our good buddy the Skuxxoid continue along their paths, which will undoubtedly soon intersect again! So lots of Transfor

On Romulus a coup takes place.  Later, Sela and her father discuss the situation.  An announcement is made, with General Revo (Sela's father) condemning the coup and outing those who carried it out.  On Earth Chief O'Brien analyzes the images of those who carried out the coup and realizes it was none other than Worf, Ro Laren and B'Elanna Torres. Much of this issue is spent discussing the self-replicating mines O'Brien developed at the beginning of the Dominion War.  They have since been co-opted and used by other races to keep a hold on territory, killing thousands.  He is called out during a lecture and labeled a war criminal.  I'll just be upfront, I don't care for this story thread at all.  Having him get involved with the larger story of the Romulan coup is fine.  But having some young cadet throw mud at him feels wrong.  Also, it feels like Spock is increasingly becoming a character that they don't quite know what to do with.  He did little during the

eBook by Michael A. Stackpole  Cover by Jenny Frison Illustrations by Patrick Zircher  From Titan Books and Heroic Signatures Spoilers! Spoilers! N'Yaga (shaman of the Black Corsairs) is chilling in his cave, he sees in the bones before him that Bêlit will soon be paying him a visit. Bêlit arrives seeking N'Yaga's wisdom, she's dressed in Shem tribesman robes.  First mate N'Goro, a tall, powerful, scarred hunter brings an antelope has an offering. N'Yaga knows Bêlit's father. Nephew Izefia mentions that Bêlit is dressed as a raider. A threat. Izefia misreads his uncle's scattered bones and is told to prepare the antelope for diner.  N'Goro hands Izefia the antelope and sits behind Bêlit. Bêlit aka The Daughter of the Hawk tosses the shaman's bones to see her own future. N'Yaga sees a black-maned lion aka Conan in the bones, he foresees the events of "Queen of the Black Coast"  Ophir is mentioned. N'Yaga remembers Arthaniel's

Creators : Dan Watters (Writer), Andrei Bressan (Artist), Adriano Lucas (Colorist), Rus Wooton (Letterer) Story : Both Destro and Tomax with Xamot go over the events at the end of the last issue (separately) to their respective troops, each blaming the other and planning on how to take the other out.  We get a quick background on Tomax and Xamot as we see their troops training and then get attacked by some Iron Grenadiers. Some Siegies then attack a M.A.R.S. facility but are repelled by some Battle Android Troopers (as it is a storage facility for Energon as well).  The Iron Grenadiers attack another Extensive Enterprises facility but face backlash from some Assault System Pods.  Both sides then meet up at a neutral island but still blame each other for the attack in Darklonia.  While threats are made, both decide it would be best to duel to the death and the winners absorbing the others company.  Destro heads to his hidden sanctuary in Scotland, confident, no one knows where it is but

Creators : Larry Hama (Writer), Paul Pelletier (Pencils), Tony Kordos (Inks), Francesco Segala (Colorist), Sabrina Del Grosso (Flatter), Pat Brosseau (Letterer) Story : On Cobra Island, the G.I. Joe infiltration team is captured and put in a cell while the mutated, cyborg troops are loaded into the stealth bombers for an attack on Springfield. At the Pit, Duke informs the Ninja Team that they will be doing a recon of Springfield. Back on Cobra Island, the infiltration team escapes and heads to Dr. Mindbender's lab while out on a highway, the Baroness and the (real) Zartan head towards Springfield in a tractor trailer, with the other Dreadnoks and the Thunder Machine in the back. In a bit of serendipity, the Ninja Team is driving a van next to them (unknowingly) and we get the hint Storm Shadow isn't wild about Scralett's plan.  In Dr. Mindbender's lab, the infiltration team gather lots of information and capture Dr. Mindbender and discover a frozen body in a secret comp

Data, in his search for Lore, resigns from Starfleet and ventures to the Academy.  Data manages to enlist the aid of Chief O'Brien.  Together they search Farius Prime, a world the Chief is very familiar with, for clues to Lore's whereabouts.  They are soon attacked by Klingons but are saved by Geordi La Forge.  On Orion they confront those who gave Lore technology, and Data uses aggressive means to get the information he desires.  They find a huge space station and onboard are confronted by Klingon Korath.  Lore suddenly snaps Korath's neck from the shadows.  Part of the space station detaches as Data has Geordi beamed away.  Lore removes Data's head and on the bridge of his ship we see assimilated Klingons. This story is... quite messy.  Lore says he deliberately wrote a mystery to get his brother's attention... but it just feels like a fetch quest with little pay off.  Orions, Klingons... nothing of real substance.  The confrontation between Data and Lore is very

Sisko's mother educates him on what is, what was, and consequences.  Meanwhile, Beverly Crusher and Wesley reunite.  The reunion is very brief, though Wes does manage to slip her a note before she departs.  Later, Ensign Sato makes her move.  She activates a device which brings forth... Lore. I have to say I did not see the final page coming.  The reunion between Crushers was nice, though perhaps too brief.  I do wish the many pages devoted to the Sisko family had more substance.  DS9 is great but there is only so much non-linear nonsense I can take.  Sara says so much and yet so little all at the same time.   seven out of ten.

Prepare for battle! That’s right! With Robert Kirkman’s Void Rivals having launched Skybound’s new Energon Universe, noted writer/artist rolled-into-one Daniel Warren Johnson takes the reins on the linchpin of this new initiative, a brand-new Transformers comic series! Well, he maintains the reins on the writing of this series at least, as does Mike Spicer on colors. Jorge Corona takes over regular penciling duties with a style that barely misses a step from DWJ’s previous efforts. In this tenth issue, we learn what Beachcomber has been doing on Earth this whole time and Shockwave’s horrifying plans for the planet’s resources come to light. I remember Beachcomber! You sure do, he made a cameo appearance in the first arc and we find out here that he’s been on Earth for a long time! It’s a good and familiar take on the hippie dune buggy and fans of his will be happy to see he’s getting this spotlight. Beachcomber’s interactions with Spike and Astrotrain are quite engaging and I hope he’s