BotTalk Reviews

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 ...

Spoilers! Spoilers!  CHAPTER 35 (book 5 of 18): Mighty Spear Formation Kyoto. Tokugawa Ieyasu ((1543-1616). An homage to actor Shintaro Katsu (1931-1997)) looks on as Okumura Suke'emon (Keiji's closest friend) and Maeda Keiji are decimating the 400 Rōnin of Maeda Gen'i ((1539-1602). Magistrate of Kyoto, one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's five commissioners). Hattori Hanzō ((1542-1597). Leader of the Iga ninjas. The Tokugawa general known for Edo Castle's Hanzōmon gate) stops Tokugawa Ieyasu from participating in the Kabukimono brawl. The Rōnins that are still breathing run for it.  Flashback! Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) and his men win The Battle of Okehazama. Okumura Sukeemon (son of Okumura Eishin) now runs the castle of Arako, as the tea-server in the tea ceremony, Okumura Sukeemon spills tea on Oda Nobunaga (a former Kabukimono), Keiji defuses the situation. CHAPTER 36: White Camellias Sutemaru tries to kill Maeda Gen'i with a grenade.  Maeda Gen'i challenges an u...

Sword-brothers, sword-sisters, your local spinner rack is once again displaying another brand new issue of SSOC!  Sixty-four startling pages of barbaric savagery in black-and-white printed on newsprint paper! Inside this magazine you will find the following: Art pin-ups: Conan the Barbarian by Liam Sharp (Conan: Tattered Wings) The Nemedian Chronicles by Simon Jacob (Armoured Gideon) Conan the Barbarian by Chris Campana (The Ghosts of Wahpeton) Breckinridge Elkins by Roberto de la Torre CONAN: THE EXCHANGE by Jimmy Palmiotti (Conan and the Daughters of Midora), Amanda Conner (Conan the Barbarian (2023) #13 Cover B), Andy Belanger (Dark Agnes: Matrimony) and Juliette Uliana Sea Captain Brock orders Rodak to check up on the prisoners (Conan, Tadia Brazoria, Anker and others), then Graigg to check on Rodak. Conan frees himself, kills Rodak, beheads Graigg, and with the help of the other prisoners, he takes over Brock's vessel.  Captain Brock explains that King Cyrus (of the Isle ...

Full Title: Jean-Claude Van Damme et ses doubles: de Jean-Claude Van Varenberg à JCVD Author: David Da Silva (not the Brazilian footballer, the other one with the PhD) Publisher: Omaké books ISBN-13: 9782379892103 Finally! A life-long fan gives us a serious and extensive analysis of Van Damme's Hollywood carrier.  What I did like: The author is always positive and respectful.  Nice foreword by screenwriter and film director Sheldon Lettich. A short chapter about Van Damme's box office rival: Steven Seagal. Plenty of unrealized movie projects. Fascinating!  Fresh content from: Keith W. Strandberg (No Retreat, No Surrender (1986)) Eric Karson (Black Eagle (1988), Lionheart (1990)) Christopher Cosby (Bloodsport (1988))  Paulo Tocha (Bloodsport (1988), Death Warrant (1990), In Hell (2003)) David Worth (Bloodsport (1988), Kickboxer (1989)) Paul Hertzog (Bloodsport (1988), Kickboxer (1989)) Dennis Chan (Kickboxer (1989), Knock Off (1998)) Harrison Page (Lionheart (199...

The Conan the Barbarian screenplay adaptation from 1982 is back in print! What!? Crom listened? Yes! By L. Sprague de Camp, his wife Catherine Crook de Camp and Lin Carter  Foreword by L. Sprague de Camp A movie novelisation based on a screenplay by John Milius and Oliver Stone Also available Unabridged on audiobook read by Bradford Hastings  Also available in Portuguese: ISBN-13: 9786554481540  Conan o Bárbaro – Novelização Oficial do Filme Spoilers! Spoilers!  King Conan is know as Conan the Great. Kallias of Shamar is our narrator from southern Aquilonia, instead of Akiro, the Wizard of the Mounds. Corin the smith, Conan's father, masters the secret of steel from the Atlanteans. The father sword's pommel resembles the hooves of an elk, its grip is wrapped with string made from the intestines of forest tigers. Mystic rites are performed to make the Cimmerian sword INVINCIBLE. Conan's father beheads a Vanir raider from Vanaheim and kills a horse. Maeve, Conan's moth...

Also available in Spanish: ISBN-13: 9788467964325 Conan el Bárbaro: La Historia Oficial de la Película Also available in German: ISBN-13: 9783986663438 Conan der Barbar: Die Entstehungsgeschichte des Kultfilms Also available in French: ISBN-13: 9782364809482 Conan le Barbare: L'histoire d'un Film Culte Also available in Portuguese: ISBN-13: 9788550822174  Conan o Bárbaro: a História Oficial do Filme John Milius's magnum opus gets an official hefty coffee-table book on its 41st anniversary. You know the sword-and-sorcery story: Warrior. Thief. Gladiator. Conqueror. Conan. It takes a little from "The Tower of the Elephant", "Queen of the Black Coast", "The Devil in Iron", "Shadows in Zamboula", "A Witch Shall Be Born", "Worms of the Earth", "The Shadow Kingdom", "The Cat and the Skull", "The Thing in the Crypt" and Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954). Young Conan learns of the Ridd...