BotTalk Reviews

SOLOMON KANE: THE LION ERRANT part 4: Valley of Death  The Valley of Narrai next to the river Gaur (Narmada River).   Ghebal Qagh (Master of artillery in the army of the two Khans) uses his large-calibre cannon to kill Baghela and his mahouts... Kalyan Shah and his musketmen... and Arjun Das and most of his spearmen. Chandra Shah (Prince Vir's uncle, Dalpat Shah's younger brother) flees the scene. The lion named Somnandi/Dawon throws Ramih Khan off of his mount. Somnandi the Lion becomes gigantic. The warrior queen Rani Durgavati turns into the Hindu goddess Durga. Ramih Khan turns into the buffalo demon Mahisha/Mahishasura. The vetala (Lopesh) tries to steal Solomon Kane's Atlantean staff, Abramo Bensaid immolates Lopesh and Kane drives his stave into the vampire's heart. To save the Mughal Empire, Ghebal Qagh fires his cannon on Mahisha, Mahisha kills Durga, Kane kills Mahisha with his Atlantean stave. Prince Vir Narayan (son of Rani Durgavati) and Beohar Kayastha (Ra...

Jim Zub's Cursed Shores Beyond part 4: A Glimpse Beyond Flashback: Conan decapitates Thulsa Doom, Black Stone cultists sense the demise across time, some start worshipping the elder god... The Woeful Eye/Shuma-Gorath, others... a new eldritch being... Jaggta-Noga. Jaggta-Noga knows that Set (the sinister snake-god who loathes the Woeful Eye) sent Conan back in time and that some of Set's power remains sprinkled on the Cimmerian. Jaggta-Noga needs to feed on Conan to completely cross into The Hyborian Age.  On The Isle of Dread, CONAN OF CIMMERIA slays the last two robe wearing "Noga Kinfolk" servants of Jaggta-Noga, Conan battles Morley, Conan offers Morley to Jaggta-Noga, Morley gets ingested by Jaggta-Noga.  With its connection to Conan's world waining, Jaggta-Noga creates a sucking vortex, it grabs the barbarian, VALERIA prevents Conan from reaching the maw of Jaggta-Noga. Denied his Set flavoured amuse-gueule, depleted of power, Jaggta-Noga is forced to return...

Tides of the Tyrant-King part 2 (of 4): The Desperate and The Drowned The Hyborian Age of Conan.  Mago and Tormey die. Hydallan falls in Thulsa Doom's pool of Emerald Water and is strengthened by the malachite liquid he swallows. Hydallan escapes with Conan (as seen in Conan the Barbarian (2023) #4). Hydallan rebuilds his village of Erianne, suffers from Emerald Water withdrawal, gets sick, dies and rises from his grave as a reanimated servant of Thulsa Doom. The forest north of Messantia (capital city of Argos). CONAN OF CIMMERIA dreams of Thulsa Doom, he wakes up and tells Zuleika (the mysterious Circassian girl who needs more of Thulsa Doom's emerald elixir to save her lover (Stephen Costigan in the future) from withdrawal and death) that he has a score to settle with Thulsa. Zuleika explains to the Cimmerian that her lover (Costigan) is a thrall of Thulsa Doom/Kathulos. Wolves attack, Conan butchers the wolves. Chinatown, London (Limehouse in the East End), 1924. (from Robe...

Group huddle! It’s reunion(s) time in 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. In this thirty-fifth issue, virtually our entire cast gather, take stock, fight, make new friends, unmask, and do various other things! So everyone’s here? Geez, almost. With Skuxxoid arriving on the planet that Darak and Solila, not to mention Pythona’s gang and ROM are currently stranded, that’s nearly the entire cast of Void Rivals in this issue. That’s not even mentioning the final cou...

After a quick recap from Jadzia Dax, we go into our story where our people on the holosuite attempt to solve the game and out in space Defiant defeats the Maquis. Well this sure was a rushed conclusion, Dax and others look at a body then rush outside, give a speech. And outside Sisko figures out what happened to the Varela crew. And that’s it. What should’ve been a two issue conclusion is rushed out in one issue. I mean for a rushed final story it was alright, but when they tell you the stakes are high, they need to deliver those stakes. And the object everyone is trying to find just kinda goes away, and Verad becomes a werewolf... for reasons and just kinda goes nowhere. Plus the Blade is this entity game master that just kinda exists. And I don’t know, this wasn’t great. This story could’ve been in any corner of the franchise, it didn’t really need to be DS9, and it feels that it’s DS9 just to be DS9. 3/10. Its only saving grace being that it is Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. But this n...

Story : Flint is able to stop the G.I. B.A.T. but Duke is hurt so Night Force and the Joes head back to base. The Baroness makes contact with a handler of some sort to get supplies and information. Hawk/Zartan meets up with General Flagg and they discuss the Mobile Command Center and its Energon stores. Hawk/Zartan splits the Joes up into two teams - one to track the Baroness and one to escort the MCC. Flint is unhappy he needs to take the G.I. B.A.T. again and asks Scarlett to keep an eye on Cobra activity that would indicate the Baroness gave them info. Hawk/Zartan contacts Zarana and Zandar to get them to mobilize Cobra to make it look like Cobra knows something. Meanwhile, the Baroness finds Hawk's cabin and a surprise inside.  Writing : Not as much action here, but there in going-ons. Many plots are building to a head and Flint isn’t so sure of Hawk anymore. We also get to see Doc and Flagg in the Joe comic now too!   Art : Really good throughout the issue. Getting to see...

And so on the holodeck Worf and co. find O’Brien and are faced by the head of the Game in the form of a classic vampire. Outside, Odo investigates the Varela and the Defiant makes its return to DS9. Oh good Verad is back. Okay so a couple of continuity things right off, first we see Bashir and Doctor Selar in sickbay, Selar is supposed to be in a coma but then both are captured when Maquis throw Odo and team in confinement with them. Also Odo is off searching the ship, but he’s also walking past Quark? And Selar apparently made a quick recovery.  Also Verad and Maquis? Verad wasn’t even a great antagonist in the show, they could’ve chosen any number of characters. Also the portrayal of the Maquis as power grabbing terrorists, they were never that. They were colonists angered by the Federation’s decision to abandon them for some treaty, making them the big bad for plot reasons is just kinda lazy. On the plus side the A story on the holodeck is a much better story involving a mystery...

The battle begins.  The Emerald Chain fights desperately to destroy the last remnants of the Federation.  Sato and Kirk coordinate fleet actions to get as many ships as possible into the singularity.  Sato proposes Agnes assimilate him so the others can escape.  So she and Kirk can live.  Sato and Kirk have one last argument but this one Sato wins.  He is assimilated.  His plan works.  Two years later we see former members of the Omega living their lives.  A statue of Sato at Starfleet Academy... and on some distant planet a Borg Nanite free Kirk and Agnes watch the sunset.   Most of this issue feels like the George Lucas shorthand of, 'they fight'... but it is pretty great.  I liked Kirk and Sato working together after being at odds for so long.  I thought it was great they had one last 'argument' that Sato one.  After everything his solution was to sacrifice himself.  So much of this series focused on Sato instead o...

Story : Sean Collins/Throwdown continues his rampage, destroying a Terror Drome and a couple of Cobra H.I.S.S.: High Speed Sentries before stealing a Cobra Stinger: Night Attack 4-WD to move onto the next Terror Drome. Helix and Beachhead provide commentary while informing Duke of the situation. A Joe team, with Snake-Eyes and Scarlett are en route. Snake-Eyes is finally able to confront Sean. Writing : Hama keeps the pressure and action going in this issue. Sean, with Dr. Venom's programming, just doesn’t stop. The beginning is a bit odd with the commentary from Helix and Beachhead. While all are cured of Dr. Venom's programming, there might still be more to the story. Art : Pelletier keeps the art nice and crisp with a lot of good colors. When Sean and Snake-Eyes do their mental battle, the color changes up a bit and is a bit reminiscent of the style from the 80’s.   Overall : Sean gets his issue in this deprogramming arc and it has a strong finish. Excellent art and a straig...

Back to Cybertron again! The war changes once again! Robert Kirkman, chief architect of the Energon Universe, writes the flagship Transformers title and Karl Kerschl pencils this issue with Mike Spicer on colors. In this thirty-seventh issue, we return to Cybertron to check in on Elita Prime’s contingent of Autobots as they battle Shockwave’s forces on their contested home planet. Will sabotage from within force Elita Prime to change her mind about Optimus and those still on Earth? That’s what happens, isn’t it? Yeah. Basically this issue is just working towards Elita Prime admitting she was wrong about Optimus and becoming amenable to sending him help on Earth. There’s a bunch of skirmishes with Shockwave’s forces that culminate in a “reveal” that the Autobots have been compromised by a saboteur that nearly swipes the Matrix from Elita! I think Elita has looked kind of shortsighted under Kirkman so far, with her butt-headed decision to oppose Optimus and take the Matrix. Maybe Kirkman...

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 Michael Netzer/Nasser and Dick Giordano from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #20 Conan ad from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #35 The Phoenix on the Sword by Richard Corben from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #4 The Frost-Giant's Daughter by Richard Corben from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #4 Queen of the Black Coast by Richard Corben from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #4 XUTHAL OF THE DUSK/THE SLITHERING SHADOW by Robert E. Howard, Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala. (New Colors by GFB Group/GFB.it) Conan and Natala (a daughter of Brythunia) wander into the accursed city of Xuthal. Thalis the Stygian (the daughter of a king) wants Conan to be her king, she tortures Natala and offers Natala to Thog (a very ancient and very terrible monster), Thog eats Thalis, Conan tangles with T...

In the holo suite Chief Miles O’Brien faces a mysterious and shrouded figure! The commander of the U.S.S. Valera accuses Commander Jadzia Dax of murder and Worf puts everyone on lockdown in their quarters while they investigate. But as Jadzia slowly puts things together two of the Varela escape and run for the O’Brien Must Suffer holosuite, pursued by Jadzia and Worf. Nobody on DS9 gets a break! Is another rule in the Star Trek bible. As now our story has become a murder mystery AND a holodeck tries to kill everyone in a game story. It’s a good story for this month, only issue is this is a graphic novel story and the separate issue break up hurts the momentum. But as a whole it’ll be an excellent story.  7/10

We start our story six years after Frontier Day with Commander Raffaela “Raffi” Musiker and Admiral Kathryn Janewa on the moon in front of a ship that crashed on moon.  From there we get Raffi’s pov during the events that lead up to Seven’s mission (seen in Star Trek #1) and following that is Raffi welcoming her new XO, the Mistress of the Winter Constellations,  and we meet their newest AI, Sybil, a planetoid based on Dr Soong’s positronic network. Sybil is there to forecast future threats to galaxy and the Federation (because that always works out and has no consequence what so ever) and on this mission they are to fly into the watery centre of a frozen planet or “eyeball planet” but  Commander D'Vana Tendi discovers something that could be detrimental to the safety of ship and crew. They have to fly into the ocean, but is the ship sound enough to withstand that pressure? What happens if the hole freezes back over? This first issue introduces us to a new ship and a mos...

In order to continue covering his tracks Captain Miller levels false accusations on Deubert and the Andorian agent, he’s ordered to bring them in alive, he doesn’t want that. Meanwhile our fugitives are on the run and do a quick exposition dump before going to a drone operated mining system controlled by Section Null. After a bloody firefight with goons the fugitives hide in one of the crates until the crates are beamed to captain miller’s ship! Three issues in and at least they end the Will They or Won't They? thing. And already captured by Miller. Or are they? Miller seems to think so.   At least they don’t seem to be dragging this plot out with multiple issues of running and hiding. And the story is a nice quick flow and gives us a little background on our two main protagonists. 7/10

Spoilers! Spoilers!  CHAPTER 53 (book 7 of 18): Descendants of Ogres Ofu senses that an ogre is coming for her. Keiji Maeda pays a visit to Naoe Onatsu (sister of Naoe Kanetsugu) and Naoe Kanetsugu ((1559-1620). Military commander of the Yamashiro Province, an homage to Arnold Schwarzenegger). Keiji picks up The Shiji by the historian Sima Qian. Keiji and Sutemaru are attacked by Iwabe (a giant mind reading Ogre from the hidden Nagiri village). CHAPTER 54: The Laughing Ogre! Iwabe follows Keiji into a bathhouse. Keiji pranks six Kabukimono samurai with a bamboo wakizashi, the Kabukimono ruin (by oxidization) their own iron swords by bringing their real swords into the sauna. Iwabe the Ogre and Keiji become friends. CHAPTER 55: The Ill-Fated Damsel Iwabe reveals that he raised Ofu in Nagiri after her mother's death. Ofu doesn't want to leave with Iwabe, so she brings Keiji some persimmons (fruit). Ofu is actually Princess Ofu, her mother (Oyuki) is from Nagiri and her father is ...