Bottalk Reviews

Yo Joe? Uh… not yet. This is Duke # 1, a brand-new comic series published by Skybound Entertainment and starring the non-ninja frontman of G.I. Joe, Conrad Hauser AKA Duke! With Robert Kirkman’s Void Rivals having launched Skybound’s new Energon Universe, G.I. Joe is the second Hasbro property to take its place in this new world after Transformers. Rather than a typical G.I. Joe team book, they’ve opted to do solo Duke and Cobra Commander books to lead it off. After making his debut in Transformers # 2, Duke’s all set to go on his own adventure. He witnessed Starscream transform and kill his comrade Tyler Frost in that issue, but now finds himself the victim of a cover-up as the US government flat-out denies the existence of transforming alien jets! What’s a Duke to do but go rogue and try and uncover a conspiracy that has coiled its way deep under the surface of America? Yo… Larry Hama? Nope, Larry Hama’s doing his own thing, so if you’re looking for more traditional Joe fare, go chec

Creators : Joshua Williamson (Writer), Tom Reilly (Artist), Jordie Bellaire (Colourist), Rus Wooton (Letterer) Plot : We get a brief history of Duke's exploits in the US Army while he's talking to Colonel Hawk, who is concerned about Duke's recent change due to an event where he saw a friend of his killed by a transforming jet but the government is covering it up and Duke just wants answers. He eventually meets up with Dr. Adele Burkhart and together, try to find some answers about possible aliens or high technology. With her help, he infiltrates M.A.R.S. Industries and sees the high-tech war machines that they are producing. He fights Mercer who, along with the other guards, kicks Duke out after ruffing him up a bit. Duke returns to Dr. Burkhart's house to find it ransacked and she is near death but passes what "whoever did that to her" was after to him. After a run in with the police, Duke runs off. Colonel Hawk decides to find Duke and wants the best to do

Creators : Larry Hama (Writer), Chris Mooneyham (Artist), Francesco Segala (Colorist), Sabrina Del Grosso (Flatter), Pat Brosseau (Letterer) Plot : Serpentor begins his plans with his new, mutated, forces, to invade Springfield. In Arlington, the Joe team buries one of their own (killed in the last issue) with full military decorations. In Springfield, Cobra Commander addresses the citizens and prepares them for Serpentor's eventual invasion. In New Jersey, Revanche is monitoring the Serpentor/Cobra situation. Back at the G.I. Joe headquarters, they too are monitoring the Cobra situation and explain why their fallen ally was given such a burial (due to his history with Stalker, Storm Shadow and Snake-Eyes in Southeast Asia). At Snake-Eye's cabin, Timber's wolf pack drops off a puppy for them as they talk about the future. Story : This is another set-up issue. We get to see what the major story-arc is going to be going forward (Cobra vs. Serpentor's mutated forces) and h

Creators : Larry Hama (Writer), Chris Mooneyham (Artist), Francesco Segala (Colourist), Pat Brosseau (Letterer) Plot : The G.I. Joe team is engaging in a two-pronged attack against Cobra Island – one group in the C-130 Hercules and another in the WHALE. Wild Bill and Duke are attempting to keep the C-130 from crashing as a missile had hit and damage some of the hydraulics. Within Cobra Island, Serpentor unleashes a Mutant Virus Bomb to turn everyone within the blast radius into cannibalistic monsters, against the suggestion of Dr. Mindbender. But Serpentor would rather do that than be captured by G.I. Joe. G.I. Joe is able to discover what’s going on and turn around to escape. The C-130 encounters the Cobra Cruise Ship with Revanche’s BAT’s on it, which attack the C-130 but they are able to escape. The WHALE also turns around and Laura and Wade Collins are guarding Cobra Commander but he’s able to overpower them and escape on the Jet Sled. The C-130 (after ditching the vehicle

Spoilers! Spoilers!  The merciless Starscream ices soldier Frosting, this pisses off Channing Tatum... oops, I mean Hauser so much so that he will start his own secret military science fiction unit: G.I. Joe. Conrad is calling his Ninja croupier friend in Vegas: Snake Eyes, right now. Starscream squished his best friend, now a sober, somber Sparkplug Witwicky wants retribution. Could Starscream be correct? Are the Autobots actually pure evil? Yes! They want to dominate the human race? Yes! The malevolent Optimus Prime kills a fawn, oh dear, and does not bury it! The hypocrite leader of the Autobots clearly cries bogus tears for the baby deer and the fallen Bumblebee. Crocodile tears from the one also called Alligaticon! Never forget that Prime murdered Teletraan One (see last issue), to stop it from reviving more upstanding and decent Decepticons, but also to keep it quiet, naturally, loose spaceship lips sink ships you know. The foul Cliffjumper fakes that he's afraid and unaware

We’re back in business, huh? Yep, a brand-new Transformers comic series after nearly ten months of no new Transformers comics! 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 what will likely be the linchpin of this new initiative. In this second issue, Optimus Prime and his functioning Autobots must quickly adjust to the new world they’ve awakened into, while Starscream and the active Decepticons cause even more havoc! The larger world takes notice of the giant robots running amok and musters a response, but can anything prepare anyone for a threat on this level? So thrill me, now that the Big Ark Nap is over, it’s balls-to-the-wall action, right? Well, yes and no… this issue mostly focuses on the Autobots and Optimus in particular getting more acquainted with their new settings and human friends Spike and Carly. Meanwhile, the Decepticons continue their rampage as they try

Explore! Explore! Repair! Repair! Review! Review! Spoilers! Spoilers! Carly and a grieving Spike Witwicky discover the Autobot Ark. The Shuttle is full to the gills with deactivated G1 Transformers. Jetfire (last seen in Void Rivals #1) arrives to reactivate Teletraan One. He chooses his long time friend Starscream to be repaired first... What I did like: A letters page! Is that the G.I. Joe Crusader Space Shuttle? Optimus Prime is using pro wrestling moves. Is Daniel Warren Johnson a sports entertainment aficionado? Yes he is and we are smelling what he's cooking and it's just too sweeeeeet. Ratchet utilizing flying kicks is actually cartoon accurate. Carly is a Frazetta Girl! The transformations are fantastically drawn. The Autobot Ark never looked this amazingly detailed. Soundwave using his shoulder batteries cannon is a rare treat. Thank you! Soundwave caring about Ravage. If you have pets, you know. Optimus Prime running towards us is very Sunbow Productions. Bravo! Opt

Mini-Series Premiere. The Rise of Cobra begins here. In a world where the Cobra organization hasn't formed, one man's sinister plans to utilize the mysterious alien substance known as Energon sends shockwaves across the globe. Who is Cobra Commander? Where does he come from? And what horrors is he planning to unleash that will rock the world-and maybe the universe-to its core? Red-Hot writer Joshua Williamson (Superman, Duke) and artist Andrea Milana (Impact Winter: Rook) kick off the second of four action-packed miniseries that will introduce the best and worst humanity has to offer in the Energon Universe. In Shops: January 17, 2024

Is that Autobot Stratosphere in G.I. Joe: Special Missions (2013) #3?       Yes, it is. I was Paul Gulacy's toy reference guy for most of his run on Special Missions. You ran the CTLP?       Yes, the Complete Transformers Listing Page, it linked to every single Transformers website on the internet. I kept it updated and dead links free for years and years. A titanesque task. Who was The Myth on the CTLP?       The Myth was my nickname for the youngest Transformers webmaster in the world. Today, he must be in his early 30s. Time flies.  You started a petition for G1 reissues?       Yes, in the late 90s. My online petition was signed by hundreds and hundreds of Transformers fans who wanted Hasbro to rerelease Generation One toys from the 80s.  Is that you credited on the Inhumanoids: The Complete Series - 2 Disc Set?       Yes, I supplied all the scans for it. Over the years you've helped multiple major online retailers and publishers sell Transformers and G.I. Joe products?