Savage Sword of Conan: REFORGED #5 review

64 restored and fully colored pages of barbaric savagery!

Inside this magnificent full-color magazine you will find the following:

Classic revitalized art pin-ups in stunning color:

Conan the Barbarian by Mike Zeck from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #16

Conan ad by Pat Broderick from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #10

THE PEOPLE OF THE BLACK CIRCLE Chapters 1 & 2 only (Chapters 3 & 4 are next issue) by Robert E. Howard, Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala. (New Colors by GFB Group/GFB.it)

Khemsa (a wizard who works for the Master of Yimsha) puts a curse on Bhunda Chand (Yasmina's brother... the King of Vendhya) for Yezdigerd (the King of Turan). Yasmina is forced to euthanize her bother. Queen Yasmina of Vendhya wants the see the Black Seers of Yimsha dead.

Conan (now a chief of the Afghulis of Ghulistan) kidnaps Yasmina to regain his seven Afghuli headmen who were captured by the Vendhyans.

Gitara (Yasmina's treacherous maid) tells her boyfriend wizard Khemsa about the kidnapping, Gitara wants Khemsa to abduct Yasmina to wring a huge ransom from Vendhya.

In Peshkhauri. To make certain that Conan's seven chiefs cannot be bartered for Yasmina and to turn the rest of Conan's men against their Cimmerian chieftain, Khemsa murders all seven captives.

Kerim Shah (a spy of King Yezdigerd of Turan) orders a Turanian army to be sent to Afghulistan to capture Yasmina from Conan.

Khemsa uses the globe of Yezud (the City of the Spider God) to kill Yar Afzal (chief of the Khurum Wazulis and friend of Conan). Conan and Yasmina flee to Yimsha (the mountain of the Black Seers in Ghulistan).

The Black Seers (the Four rakshasas of the Black Circle) force Gitara to fall into a precipice, make Khemsa slip into a rock avalanche and snatch Yasmina.

THE GODS OF THE HYBORIAN AGE part Two: Crom and Mitra: Gods to Swear by, an essay by Robert L. Yaple from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #7

THE HYBORIAN AGE, Chapter 2: The Rise of the Hyborians by Robert E. Howard, Roy Thomas and Walter Simonson. (New Colors by GFB Group/GFB.it)

Adapted from the Essay by Robert E. Howard (Conan's creator). From Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #8.

What I did like:

Yasmina is based on cosplayer and belly dancer Maureen Wise.

A NEW "Wizards of the Black Circle" cover by Alan Quah!

A vintage cover by Earl Norem from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #16.

Fabled Robert E. Howard adaptations from the 1970s!

What I did not like:

No new essay by Roy Thomas!

Only reprints. I wanted at least one fresh new exclusive continuing story in color.

I give it a 9/10. We get even more pages this time around!

Transformers #28 (2023) review

Kirkman Kills The Transformers! Well, not all of them, yet! 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 Mike Spicer still on colors. In this twenty-eighth issue, Megatron has a freakout, Arcee gets a promotion, Miles Mayhem tries his darndest to get a spin-off, and SOMEONE DIES. FOR REAL. PERMANENTLY. Whut-oh. Yeah, Kirkman finally gives in to his Walking Dead and Invincible pedigree and brings on the gore here, for both human and Transformer alike! After I felt like he was being remarkably restrained for his first three issues, he really goes for it here and it’s... I dunno... kind of on the nose, maybe? I guess he wanted to show that his run will be chock-full of consequences too, but I feel maybe his choice of victim was a little flawed and a real shame. The victim is a Transformers character that is known for getting the shaft usually...

Solomon Kane: The Original Comics Omnibus Vol. 1 review

Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane, the dour English Puritan Swashbuckler, gets a revised complete collection of his classic Marvel suggested for mature readers sword and sorcery adventures. The omnibus is available in two versions: with a Mike Mignola dust jacket (available everywhere) or with a direct market Howard Chaykin dust jacket (only available from comic book stores). Inside this magnificent hardcover you will find the following: Stories in full color: Kane versus looter Le Loup (Red Shadows by Robert E. Howard, Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin) Kane versus looter Le Loup (Red Shadows by Robert E. Howard, Ralph Macchio, Steve Carr and Bret Blevins) Kane versus a werewolf (And Faith, Undying... by Ralph Macchio and Bret Blevins) Kane versus kidnaper Sir George Banway (Blades of the Brotherhood by Robert E. Howard, Ralph Macchio, Bret Blevins and Al Williamson) Kane versus Prince Ali-Ben Ar (The Prophet by Ralph Macchio, Mike Mignola and Al Williamson) Kane versus vampires/zombie...

Transformers #34 (2023) review

How do you propose I get to the comic store this week? On My ROLLER SKATES??? The bold new era for the Autobots and this book continues! Robert Kirkman, chief architect of the Energon Universe, writes the flagship Transformers title and Jason Howard takes over as regular penciler for this new story arc with Mike Spicer on colors. Howard had previously drawn issues #13 and #14 of this book, along with many covers. In this thirty-fourth issue, we meet Doctor Henri Arkeville, Thundercracker and the Aerialbots set out on a quest, and Shredhead and Cliffjumper bite off more than they can chew! Doctor Arkeville? Really? Yep! Kirkman’s appreciation for the Sunbow cartoon continues as he formally introduces Doctor Arkeville into the story, and much like Miles Mayhem, he just has to take a swing at General Flagg! Flagg’s in an ornery mood after learning that Optimus gave up the Matrix and is a less powerful ally now, so he doesn’t take kindly to being attacked. He still offers Arkeville Mayhem’...

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