BotTalk Reviews

Uhura falls through the Guardian of Forever and ends up in 1963 America’s south to quickly learn about the injustices black Americans suffered in that time (and beyond, but yeah) meanwhile Kirk and Spock also go back in time to retrieve her in the most middling story about racism and how things eventually get better because of the foundations laid by men like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the people who followed him. Okay first thing, this was something I could’ve lived without but Discovery demanded we needed it: Carl. It made sense in a galaxy post time wars, but does not in a time when they met the Guardian of Forever and it was a giant stone portal not Carl. Next, there are better ways to tackle prejudice and racism than this comic based off of a TV show that tackled racism and prejudice far better.  One store employee gets mad at Uhura for being there and there’s a sign? And that’s all the injustice they show. She meets Dr. King, neat. And in the middle of a protest (that loo...

The Babel conference begins.  Sato addresses the members then it begins to fall apart with shouts and accusations.  After a recess Sato's mentor, Solara, is allowed to speak and suggest founding something called the Emerald Chain.  Meanwhile, a ship at warp approaches.  Once it drops out of warp, it will explode.   This would work better as an episode.  Tense negotiations, backroom dealing.  These make good drama for tv.  In a comic... it is difficult to pull off and keep it compelling.  Kirk has been pushed aside.  You'd think with his experience he would address the delegates at least once.  I appreciate what they are doing here.  And introducing the Emerald Chain is a link to Discovery.  But I found this issue ground things to a halt.   six out of ten.

Archer and Boothby explain once they returned they were considered traitors for suggesting humanity was no threat.  The Doctor infects the 8472 station with nanoprobes. Voyager manages to escape as the 8472 exiles agree to an alliance.  Voyager returns to Earth.  Barclay greets the crew while Hugh greets their Borg allies.  The crew make their reunions.  At a get together the Doctor takes a holophoto of the Voyager crew.   Dr. Katherine Pulaski has a surprising cameo as one of the doctors working to cure Tuvok.  A lot of wrapping up takes place with the crew reuniting with their loved ones.  Chakotay and Seven break up as he confesses he still has feelings for Archer.  Some connective threads relate to Picard, with Seven applying to the Academy, though we know she is rejected.  In a way it feels like Return of the King here, with several long moments wrapping up our characters.  It is certainly more satisfying than what we got in th...

Last time on lower decks!  The away team had attempted to escape the planet by commandeering a shuttle on Laapoonia, the Cerritos, hanging in space having dealt several blows on an attacking ship, and having taken a pounding, saw the shuttle carrying the away blow up, and withdrew to safety. And now issue sixteen. The surviving Cerritos crew are grounded at a fleet scrapyard starbase. The admiral and his wife are coming to visit so Captain Carol Freeman hatches a plan to steal an old starship, her first assignment, and go find her crew she doesn’t believe are dead, though Starfleet has them already listed as K.I.A. I feel like this is a good issue that gets dragged a bit in the middle and toward the end just for the sake of having sexbot jokes, but otherwise it’s a decent continuation of a story that being a TPB will help. So far the overall story is good, but with each individual issue being slightly bumpy they need to get to the destination faster. But! 7/10

A family argument breaks out on a rented houseboat.  Chet and his sister Laura take shots and jabs at each other, each placing blame on the other.  The next day it continues until Laura and her husband cannonball into the water.  The husband comes back for his brother-in-law.  Chet dives in only to come up in a darker version of reality, while his sister and brother-in-law find a somewhat nicer reality.  Chet's new friends turn on him.  At the same time, his sister realizes she wouldn't trade the slightly nicer world for her brother.  She dives in to save him, comes back up only to smack into the false bottom of the boat.  Looking down at her is Chet, unable to break through to her. In a way this feels like a take on 'The Bewitchin' Pool' the final episode of the original series.  Only here we get a better world and its shadow.  Honestly, the dialogue between Chet and Laura is insufferable.  It feels very of the moment and just goes...

The Omega will soon head out toward Babel.  A conference will determine the future of the Federation, the trip will take the Omega four months... but everyone else, twenty three years.  Before they leave First Officer 'Wowie' has a disappointing family reunion.  He returns over the years and time moves on.  His family grows bitter, Earth slowly recovers but the future appears bleak.  Wowie returns to the Omega and says that Kirk should be in charge. The situation on Earth, at least the political climate, feels very 'of the moment'.  We see those who lived in comfort now living with fear.  This issue is focused on 'Wowie'.  we get to see his family life, his personal doubts, and how he sticks to his guns in the face of opposition from his family and others.   seven out of ten.

Chapel reunites with her friend, no longer under control of the Seed.  In space the Enterprise is intertwined in vines.  Pike confronts the Seed controlled Una.  He manages to speak directly to the Seed, informing them their jailers are long gone.  Enterprise fires a beam at the surface that frees the trapped prison ship.  Later, Chapel and Una beam down to a 'boring' planet with The Seed, presenting them with a new home. I feel like this five issue mini is the first or second draft of a Strange New Worlds episode.  There are some interesting ideas, with an unusual setting.  But as I have said there is something lacking in its portrayal of our characters.  Scotty especially, but even the modern take on Chapel feels off in this series.  The resolution is very Trek.  Talking with the Seed and resolving the situation.  Much appreciated as opposed to a pew pew sfx battle.   six out of ten.  

Is this the end of Angry Vine Woman? So Chapel rescues her friend, her team, and La'An Noonien-Singh and they are then rescued by Spock and Anime drawing Scotty. Meanwhile in space the crew work to solve the mystery of the Arken and work toward a solution for the angry vine woman, all of which tie up nicely. And good thing too, because this is the type of story that would get old if it got dragged out. And the solution and how they worked it all out is classic Star Trek, and then how it wrapped up with the plant creature by working out a deal instead of running in with phaser firing and blowing everything up, was also very good. Again this would’ve been better as a 5 part season 3 story instead of the seasons more weaker episodes. 8/10

Last time on issue 14! The Cerritos visited Laapoonia, sent down an away team led by Jack Ransom where they were suddenly trapped on planet as Cerritos was suddenly attacked by a strange battleship. And now here is 15 with the away still on the planet attempting to find a way off, in orbit Cerritos is getting slaughtered by the much more advanced strange ship.  Eventually a small shuttle from the planet commanded by the away team attacks the strange ship, and Cerritos makes its escape straight into a cliffhanger. So here we are with part two and we seemed to have forgotten all about D'Vana Tendi being mad about T’Lyn for some reason, and the senior officers on the planet are now stupid. But only we can follow the lower decks main characters of course. We still learn nothing about the mystery ship except that it’s advanced. Well advanced compared to Cerritos, which is not a Prometheus class ship or anything. Really the thing hurting the story is the truncated length of comic books o...

Species 8472 chase Voyager as the Doctor attempts to make more nanoprobes.  Janeway has Voyager take a hit from the Borg cube, defending their new allies against 8472.  As reinforcements come in, Voyager takes out three bioships.  The assault against the ship intensifies.  The planet killer beam is charged and fired on the Borg cube, with Seven and her new allies beamed away at the last moment.  Janeway surrenders when 8472 promises the Voyager crew will live.  They are taken to a base where they meet Boothby and Archer... and Admiral Paris. A lot going on this issue and it feels intense.  The Doctor struggles to produce new assimilation nanoprobes while under attack and dealing with the ailing Tuvok.  I will say the Borg who were severed from the Collective get little to do here except dodge weapons fire.  The appearance of 'Boothby' and Archer from an episode of Voyager is much appreciated.   seven out of ten.

In a medieval setting a fortress is under siege.  During the attack an armoured knight opens the gates and stands ready with a modern gun.  He opens fire.  In conflict with the leader of the opposition the knight is defeated by his own weapons and the victors enter the fort.  Behind enormous doors we see a tank, a WWII plane and seemingly an atomic bomb.  The victor meets the face of God, a fast food drive through character with a speaker in its stomach.   The art for this issue is great.  The story, however... just doesn't fit The Twilight Zone.  I could see it in Eerie (1966 Warren Magazine) or Creepy (1964 Warren Magazine), but it just doesn't have that 'it' factor that says The Twilight Zone.  That doesn't mean it is bad.  Not at all.  It is a fine story.  I just think that it would fit in better elsewhere.   six out of ten.