BotTalk Reviews

Jim Zub's A Nest of Serpents part 1: Slaves of the Magi We get a quick adaptation of The Vale of Lost Women (1967). Amra The Lion aka Conan is the war-chief of the Bamula tribe. The Ophirean, Livia of the House of Chelkus, is a captive of the Bakalah tribe. Conan and his warriors attack the Bakalahs. In a valley of white blossoms, Conan saves Livia from a winged devil from the Outer Dark. Conan is escorting the traumatized Livia to the Stygian borders, so that the Stygians can send her home to Ophir. They reach the town of Daynt (on the border between Kush and Stygia). They are welcome with open arms and disturbing smiles. They are invited to dine at Daynt's only inn. Conan peruses the tavern's menu and notices that the prices are much too low.  A suspicious Conan tells his Bamula brothers to "test" their food and to abstain from drinking the vino. The Bamulas and Livia gorge themselves eventually, but Conan barely touches the tainted food. Conan decides to retir...

The Free Comic Book Day prelude to this Fall’s epic event: Conan: Scourge of the Serpent! Jim Zub's A Simple Steal A microscopic prequel to Robert E. Howard's The God in the Bowl. The Hyborian Age of Conan. We are in Numalia (city in Nemedia). A young, 17-year-old, cash-strapped Conan of Cimmeria is trying his hand at being a thief. Conan easily breaks into Aztrias "scented dog" Petanius (the governor of Numalia's nephew)'s manor and gives the attack mutt a tasty treat. The Barbarian spots an interesting scintillating strongbox... But it's too heavy to carry and cannot be smashed. Conan is discovered by Aztrias. Conan knocks out the young aristocrat's guards. Conan forces Aztrias to open his coffer... but alas, it is empty. Aztrias informs Conan that he is now poor... so poor that he won't be able to remunerate his guards or his gardener anymore. The guards overhear this and leave. Aztrias mentions Kallian Publico's Temple and a Zamorian diamon...

Jim Zub's Twisting Loyalties part 4: Purged Zula, guardian of the grasslands, is sure that Conan, who speaks with a forked tongue, is a servant of Set in disguise. Conan tries to convince Zula otherwise. Zula transforms back into a panther, then into a woman (from Conan the Destroyer (1984)). Conan swears to Zula that he has never worshiped the snake god and that he has never set foot in Stygia. Zula informs the Cimmerian that his aura is tainted/cursed by dark magic and that his soul is in jeopardy. If Conan wants his spirit to be saved he'll have to reach Zula's ancestors' ancient monument, an immense "Olmec" stone head. Zula transforms into a harmless raven and takes flight, Conan follows on foot. We get two flashbacks, one from The God in the Bowl and another from Conan the Barbarian #18. Conan rapidly climbs to the top of the stone head, an amazed Zula starts his True Form ritual. Zula will try to exorcise the Set poison from the Cimmerian. If Conan canno...

Jim Zub's Twisting Loyalties part 3: Hunted The waters of Zarkheba. Bêlit, the Queen of the Black Coast has been murdered and avenged. Conan of Cimmeria is leaning on his great sword upon the white beach, watching the Tigress swinging out on her last voyage. A grieving Conan decides to immediately plunge into the mysterious jungles of the Southern/Black Kingdoms.  Conan kills a lizard and devours it raw. The barbarian is maltreated by a swamp, rain, pollen and hornets. Conan falls into a body of water (just like in Predator (1987)), he kills a crocodile, but he does not eat it. Exhausted, Conan collapses. A sound interrupts the Cimmerian's slumber, he spots a hunter using the trees, spying on him (just like in Predator (1987)). The next day, Conan finds no trace of the hunter (just like in Predator (1987)). Conan finds a village (just like in Predator (1987)). Not fond of his foul smell, the Kushites ask Conan to leave. Remember now: Conan was infected with vile Set magic by N...

Jim Zub's Twisting Loyalties part 2: Fangs & Foolish Thieves concludes. The Shemite coastal city of Kyros. The sneak thieves lead by Tarnasha have been brutally dispatched by Conan of Cimmeria and girlfriend Bêlit. To save her life, Tarnasha, proposes a heist to steal a relic.  We get a nice The God in the Bowl flashback. Conan encounters "The Serpent God" in Kallian Publico's Temple, a museum in Numalia (city in Nemedia). Conan is still shell-shocked from his clash with the enormous snake with the human visage. Bêlit, Conan and Tarnasha decide to team up. They make a pact. They will remain partners for the duration of the robbery. The trio of thieves start planning. The famous antiquarian, Libradicio, has in his possession a Stygian artifact, "The Fangs of The Serpent".  Bêlit will create a disturbance (as Libradicio's troubadour paramour) in front of the antiquarian's manor house and Conan & Tarnasha will filch "The Fangs" and wha...

Sword-brothers, sword-sisters, your local spinner rack is sporting another brand new issue of SSOC!  62 mind-rendering pages of barbaric savagery in black-and-white printed on newsprint!  Inside this pulpy magazine you will find the following treasures: A Pin-Up of Conan by Gerardo Zaffino KING CONAN: THE ENSORCELLED, PART III: The Woods of the Witchbreaker by Jason Aaron and Geof Isherwood The Witchfinders aka The Brethren of the Briar find a caroling Conan leaving the Graaskal Mountains (splitting Hyperborea and Brythunia).  The leader of these Witchfinders/monks introduces himself as Father Flail. Flail is looking for Xyleena. Conan lies that he has already iced the witch. Conan notices on the back of one of the monks... the sword of one of his Black Dragons of Aquilonia. The monk confirms that they killed his Dragon. Conan breaks the monk's back against a tree. The Witchfinders grab Conan and remark that he has been marked/burned by Xyleena. Conan is perplexed by the...

Jim Zub's Twisting Loyalties part 1: Fangs & Foolish Thieves begins. The coastal city-state of Kyros in Shem. Bêlit's ship The Tigress secretly pulls into port for repairs and to restock. Bêlit brings corsair/boyfriend Amra the Lion aka Conan of Cimmeria to the Hidden Haven for some "quiet time". BÊLIT pays for pints of ale and a luxurious, private room. In flashback we see the mating-dance of Bêlit, whose fathers were kings of Askalon! Back to the Hidden Haven. Bêlit dances once again for Conan. They make love. Conan compliments Bêlit. Four brigands: Cass, Norl, a Gunderman mercenary and their leaderess attempt to murder and rob the Queen & King of the Black Coast. Only the leaderess survives the wrath of the pirates and to save her skin she mentions a precious artifact that can easily be stolen: The Fangs of The Serpent. Conan is not interested in running off with Stygian antiques... but Bêlit is.  À suivre. What I did like: A new arc begins with a new artis...

Battle of the Black Stone part 3: Quest into Darkness, the epic new Conan event from Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics is almost over. Only six Heroes remain, the Pict gate is behind them, the HEROES OF MAN are now deep into the Pictland jungles west of Conajohara. Brissa tells her tale from Savage Sword of Conan #4.  Our heroes are looking for the BLACK STONE BEAST's "source of corruption". Conan talks about his grandfather and past adventures. Brissa compliments multiple times the Cimmerian with the minuscule ego. Brissa reveals a tiny piece of the cursed BLACK STONE.  Slain scribe James Allison appears once again as an apparition, he's not only drawn to mighty, courageous souls, his spirit also can guide our heroes towards the source of corruption Solomon Kane is sure that he is on a mission from God, Dark Agnès de Chastillon is not so sure. Kane and Agnès converse in French, he mentions that he traveled along the Isère river in southeastern France... in 1574. Agn...

The adaptation of The Frost-Giant's Daughter aka The Gods of the North is finally here. Jim Zub's Frozen Faith part III: Gods of the North. In the plains, on the red-stained snow, Wulfhere lies dead with all of his weapon-men. Only one Vanir still stands, and it's not Bragi. Now only two players remain on the ice. It's Conan vs Heimdul. Conan murders Heimdul. Atali, the Frost Giant's Daughter, appears, the luster of her golden locks blind Conan. Conan thinks that Niord might have been ambushed. Atali compels Conan to follow her into the wastes of the north.  Atali's father, Ymir, calls upon his giant sons, the brothers of Atali, to annihilate an exhausted Conan. Conan rises to the challenge and slays both brothers.  Conan, still consumed by lust madness, finally catches the daughter of Ymir. The golden haired witch cries out to her unseen father to be saved from Conan's nympholepsy. Enveloped in a cold blue flame the Frost King's daughter vanishes. Hors...

Sword-brothers, sword-sisters, it is time to pay the venerable spinner rack another visit!  76 spectacular pages of barbaric savagery in black-and-white printed on newsprint!  Inside this magnificent magazine you'll find the following treasures: Jim Zub's introduction to his inescapable Battle of the Black Stone saga.  New Pin-Ups: Conan by Nick Marinkovich Conan by Fernando Dagnino Guerra Solomon Kane by Patrick Zircher Brissa by Dean Kotz  Conrad & Kirowan by Eryk Donovan Dark Agnes by “The Animal” Bob Anger El Borak by Mike Perkins  The Heroes of Man by Rob De La Torre CONAN THE BARBARIAN: BIRTHRIGHT IN BLACK by Jim Zub and Fernando Dagnino An homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). We are Beyond the Black River. The new Aquilonian province of Conajohara, Fort Tuscelan on the edge of the Pictish wilderness. Conan and friends are done fighting incredibly crazed, almost suicidal Picts. Conan decapitates their giant, he notices that the man mountain is weari...