BotTalk Reviews

CHAPTER 1 58 BC. Helvetii lands (Switzerland). Marcus Coax/Crow, a gigantic horseshoe moustache-wearing Gaul that looks like the long-lost brother of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian, saves Sanian Divico (an Helvetii oracle) and her entourage from Germanic scouts. Sanian invites Coax to her village. Irika and Sanian spy on Coax, while Coax has a nightmare about his recent blood oath of vengeance.  Coax informs Sanian's father, Divico (possibly the leader of the Helvetian tribe of the Tigurini) that Germanic clans are gathering on the other side of Lacus Lausonius (Lake Geneva on the north side of the Alps). The Helvetians are sure to be raided and decimated before springtime.  Flashback!  75 BC. A Rhodian galley is intercepted by Cilician pirates, a 25-year-old Julius Caesar gets captured.  Farmakonisi (island in the Aegean Sea, Greece). Caesar makes the acquaintance of a clean-shaven Coax who does not know his own tribe because his parents were slaves, killed ...

You know the sword-and-sorcery heist story by heart: From 1933, The Tower of the Elephant by Robert E. Howard. A strange, blood-freezing story of an idol that wept on its throne, and a valiant barbarian from the fringes of an elder civilization. What I did like: 25 impassioned paintings by French comic book artist and illustrator Valentin Sécher starring David Boistault as Conan. 1) The Maul neighbourhood, the City of Thieves, Zamora, street level. 2) In a tavern, a Kothian, a professional kidnapper schools a young Conan about the Elephant Tower that houses the great jewel called the Elephant's Heart (the secret of Yara's magic). 3) The lacerated corpse of the kidnapper. 4) Conan the Cimmerian hits the streets. 5) The temples of the City of Thieves (Arenjun) and Yara's impenetrable tower. 6) Yara, the high priest. 7) Yara's mysterious gardens. A Zamorian royal guard lies strangled. Conan encounters Taurus.  8) Conan converses with Taurus of Nemedia aka the Prince of all...

Who is the Worst Bot Ever?? You find out in this special trade-sized Transformers story by writer Brian "Smitty" Smith and artist Marz Jr. that follows the story of Ballpoint, a tiny Decepticon that turns into a pen! Ballpoint’s got a small body but a huge ego and his dream is for his Decepticon colleagues to finally recognize his contributions to the cause! Right... what is this then? This is a lighthearted tale for kids, and perhaps charming for some older Transformers fans as well. A parable told in humour about finding the people who value you and your place in the world. There’s nothing ground-shaking or particularly original to be found here, but there are some laughs to be had and fun, energetic art. If you want to introduce some younger children to Transformers or comic books in general, this is a good bet, as it skews towards that “Transformers: Rescue Bots” demographic. For older fans, there’s a couple of gags that landed for me, like the writer’s take on the Rumbl...

A catalogue accompanying the exhibition at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.  Edited by Peter Maresca and Brian Walker. What you'll actually find inside this mysterious "Companion Catalogue": Photos: Cartoonist Ernie Bushmiller at his drawing board in 1955, Ernie with a group of Nancy and Sluggo vinyl dolls, Ernie in 1948, Ernie reading a Nancy Dell comic book by John Stanley and Dan Gormley in 1959 and Ernie at a Red Cross fundraiser. A nice Preface by Caitlin McGurk, Curator of Comics and Cartoon Art at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum Nancy and Me by Ernie Bushmiller from Collier’s Magazine (September 18, 1948) Ernie Bushmiller’s famous self-portrait for Martin Sheridan’s 1942 book, Comics and Their Creators. A drawing of Ernie Bushmiller dreaming by Bushmiller from 1945. The Life and Times of Ernie Bushmiller by Brian Walker The first appearance of Nancy from the Fritzy Ritz daily comic strip, January 2, 1933. Original art from around 1935 ...

Who is this Benjamin Marra? What is he known for? His great illustrations for MLB.com and NYTimes.com The GRAMMY nominated Warfaring Strangers: Acid Nightmares album from The Numero Group His contribution to Cryptozoo (2021) He is Jake Rhodes aka Space Cowboy (Channel Frederator) His cameo in The Education of Fredrick Fitzell (2020) The Indie Rock Universe special foldout in Rolling Stone magazine #1039 The title sequence for Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (2018) When the King Held Court (30 for 30 Shorts) Masters of the Powerskull Sword in Adventure Time Comics #21 Robot Overlord Land in Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream Hellcloud Awaits in Bloodshot Reborn Annual 2016 U.S. Agent vs. the Terror-Saur!! in Strange Tales II #3 Space-Werewolf Biker Gang Zealots Gone Wild!! in Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies Beachhead in Heavy Metal Magazine #280-281 Teen Swamp Monster Love in I Feel Love   Casino Squat in Lethal Comics Presents: Psycho Goreman Album cover art for Peter Peter (Bien...

aka Les Ombres de Thulé Basil Poledouris's Conan the Barbarian soundtrack starts playing in the background... Have recent graphic novels been failing to enrich your lives lately? Time to rejoice! Humanoids, Inc. / Les Humanoïdes Associés come to us in our hour of need with a fresh new horror comic chock-full of deadly serious dark fantasy goodness. Vallum Antonini, 163 AD. With the help of the enchantress Ithome, the vengeance consumed General Horatius of Rome wants to summon the Hirudinea, dark deities known as the Shadows of Thule to destroy the Pictish people who murdered his pregnant wife. Unbeknownst to him, Ithome has an ulterior plan: Use the Hirudinea to eradicate Rome! Will the seals on the seven megaliths be reinforced in time? Will the Lovecraftian leeches be able break down this barrier that divides our dimensions? With the assistance of the Gaels and Thorfel, a Hemsworth look-alike Celtic Roman soldier, will a doppelgänger of Robert E. Howard's Bran Mak Morn: The L...

aka Conan Le Cimmérien - Le Maraudeur noir Clearly inspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and never published during his lifetime, The Black Stranger by Robert E. Howard gets poorly adapted in France. Robert just can't get a break. The amateurish art of Jean-Luc Masbou is not ready for prime time. The human form is not mastered at all. Enthusiasts of anatomy will be severely upset. Faces look all too often like boiled potatoes or rotting pumpkins. Nonetheless lots of work is put in the vegetation of the Pictish wilderness, rock formations, the fort, masted sailing ships, weapons and clothes. The strange black Stygian mage/demon also disappoints by not being consistent or creepy enough. The terrible lettering makes the tale almost illegible. The pin-ups for The Treasure of Tranicos are all embarrassing except for the one by master Philippe Druillet, but it's cropped. Cropped? What the heck? Yes, and this is extremely disrespectful. Shame on you Glénat, Jean-Dav...

It's Wouzit's time to shine! Who is this Wouzit? It's actually Pierre Tissot and he's just rejuvenated his fantastically delightful and famous The Great Red (Le Grand Rouge) to mesmerize a new generation of readers. This graphic novel is also a great way to practice your French. The self-taught Mr. Tissot has been honing his craft for years now. Fans have watched him bloom into a mature craftsman and this new amended/expanded/completely redrawn edition that sports thirty extra pages, shows off his improved story telling skills on every single page. Ivan Barnave, our influenceable protagonist is a scammer that prefers to paint the town red, your typical red-headed stepchild without a red cent to his name... and now, sadly, he has blood on his hands. Sentenced to death Ivan clumsily escapes his captors... but ends up stranded on a strange island. Miles away from civilization, surrounded by a fauna that is disturbing and equally dangerous, he quickly becomes lost in the i...

I just cannot refuse another great yarn by the Godfather of British comics, Pat Mills! Simon Bisley's art looks a little lazy at times, but Clint Langley's art is solid and carries the book. Potty mouth sewage droid Ro-Jaws and sniper extraordinaire Joe Pineapples are stuck on a feces asteroid or is it a cacasteroid or maybe an assteroid for millions of years. Since he's marooned for many millennia, Joe takes the time to reflect on his life, and tries to forget a comrade from his checkered past: an influential female that he had fallen for. It's a story about longing to be human, escaping your fleshy envelope, immortality, free will, identity, losing your mind, love, loss, friendship and the memories that linger inside your soul, even the festering ones that you would like to erase. Lots of things to digest. Best LOL moments: Ro-Jaws telling Joe that he understands perfectly what ghost Swarf Feegar is saying, Joe asking Ro if he has other voices available in his system...