BotTalk Reviews

Sword-brothers, sword-sisters, your local spinner rack is once again showcasing 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: The Nemedian Chronicles by Gerardo Zaffino Conan the Barbarian by Jesus Merino (Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King) Conan the Barbarian by Luke Eidenschink Conan the Barbarian by Leonardo Manco (Slaine: Dragontamer) CONAN: MASSACRED MEMORIES by Jim Zub and Nicola Scott Hydal aka Hydallan (Conan's childhood friend from Conan the Barbarian (2023) #3) gets an origin story.  Flaskback! A young Conan kills a wild boar with a small pocket knife. Conan  mentions Padrac (from Conan the Barbarian (2023) #2).   Lyolf (from Conan the Barbarian (2023) #13) trains Hydallan. Conan disrespects Lyolf by mentioning that his teacher's best days are behind him. Battle of Venarium. The Aquilonian fort is now in the hands o...

SOLOMON KANE: THE LION ERRANT part 2: Love and Hate  The Chauragarh Fort in the Satpura Range. Chandra Shah ((????-????), Prince Vir's uncle, Dalpat Shah's younger brother and the master of the horse archers) informs his sister-in-law (the dowager queen Rani Durgavati) that Ramih Khan (Mughal general, regent of Sidhi) will be invading Garha. The Narmada River Valley. A mysterious black-maned Asiatic lion has been Solomon Kane's companion for six consecutive days. Qara Bahadur Khan (the occupying governor who serves the third Mughal emperor, NOT Baz Bahadur the last Sultan of the Malwa Sultanate) invites Kane to the palace of Jahaz Mahal in Mandu (now in Madhya Pradesh). The Chauragarh Fort. Kalyan Shah (Prince Vir's future father-in-law and the Master of the musketeers) will be arriving soon. Vir Narayan ((1545-????), son of Durgavati) tells his betrothed (Kamla Devi, daughter of Kalyan Shah) that he will not be fleeing from the army of the two Khans (Asaf & Ramih)....

80 restored and fully colored pages of barbaric savagery! Inside this magnificent full-color magazine you will find the following: Classic revitalized art pin-ups in stunning color: Conan the Barbarian by Tim Conrad from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #18 Conan ad by Tim Conrad from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #4 Conan the Barbarian by Tim Conrad from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #12 Original Cover Painting by Dan Adkins for Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #18 THE PEOPLE OF THE BLACK CIRCLE Chapters 3 & 4 by Robert E. Howard, Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala. (New Colors by GFB Group/GFB.it) Khemsa (a wizard who works for the Master of Yimsha) gives Conan his Stygian girdle (of great magic powers) and dies. Conan teams up with Kerim Shah (a spy of King Yezdigerd of Turan) to rescue Queen Yasmina of Vendhya (who wants the see the Black Seers of Yimsha dead). Conan uses the girdle to kill The Black Seers (the Four rakshasas of the Black Circle).  The Master of Yimsha kills...

Jim Zub's Cursed Shores Beyond part 1: Perilous Waters (with a snippet from the poem: The Sea (1923) by Robert Ervin Howard) The Western Sea. We are aboard Captain Quinn (an homage to Harley Quinn) Corvaxis' ship: The Briney Wren (a very salty songbird). Conan the Buccaneer, Valeria, Morley and the rest of The Red Brotherhood raid a Zingaran military ship (a ship that sinks other ships), the Zingaran captain yields and Conan and co. steal their cargo. Morley mentions that Valeria met Conan in Robert E. Howard's Red Nails novella. Morley wants to duel Valeria for a kiss, she wants his share of the Zingaran booty if she wins. A violent storm assails the ship. Conan's barbarian-sense starts tingling, he knows that a threat is approaching.  Conan sees an invisible man with glowing eyes (a Predator (1987) homage) murdering the first mate. The phantom kicks Conan's derriere. The ghost spares the Cimmerian... for the UPCOMING RITUAL. The glistening spectre knocks Conan out...

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 ...

64 restored and fully colored pages of barbaric savagery! Inside this magnificent full-color magazine you will find the following: Classic revitalized art pin-ups in stunning color: Conan the Barbarian by Mike Zeck from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #16 Conan ad by Pat Broderick from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #10 THE PEOPLE OF THE BLACK CIRCLE Chapters 1 & 2 only (Chapters 3 & 4 are next issue) by Robert E. Howard, Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala. (New Colors by GFB Group/GFB.it) Khemsa (a wizard who works for the Master of Yimsha) puts a curse on Bhunda Chand (Yasmina's brother... the King of Vendhya) for Yezdigerd (the King of Turan). Yasmina is forced to euthanize her bother. Queen Yasmina of Vendhya wants the see the Black Seers of Yimsha dead. Conan (now a chief of the Afghulis of Ghulistan) kidnaps Yasmina to regain his seven Afghuli headmen who were captured by the Vendhyans. Gitara (Yasmina's treacherous maid) tells her boyfriend wizard Khemsa abou...

The Free Comic Book Day prelude to this Fall's epic event: Conan: Tides of the Tyrant-King! Jim Zub's Grim Tidings The Hyborian Age of Conan. The borderlands between Zingara and Argos, CONAN OF CIMMERIA and some sell-swords are fighting raiders. Next to the "CRAZED BIRD" tavern, Conan cripples one of the sell-swords for disrespecting a woman. Disgusted by the way the mercenaries are behaving, the chivalrous barbarian leaves Captain Keegan (an homage to The Adventures of Two-Gun Bob)'s unit. A servant of Thulsa Doom is seeking Conan, his mission: to slay the Cimmerian who slayed his master (way back in Conan the Barbarian (2023) #12). Looking at the ocean (Kathulos is know as "The Son of the Ocean"), Conan senses a forthcoming conflict. Montfaucon-d'Argonne, France in 1918 (from Robert E. Howard's Skull Face). American, World War I soldier Stephen Costigan (the cousin of Sailor Steve Costigan from Savage Sword of Conan (2024) #10) survives the Meu...

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: Bêlit the Queen of the Black Coast by Nick Marinkovich Conan the Barbarian by Jordan Raskin CONAN: DWELLERS OF THE OASIS part 1: Deserted Goods and Shifting Sands by Jim Zub and Ivan Gil (Conan: Scourge of the Serpent) It's only eight months after the events of "A Witch Shall be Born". Turan on the shores of the Vilayet sea. Conan is still the leader of a band of Zuagir bandits. Conan and his raiders decimate the Turanian soldiers of King Yildiz. Conan is still suffering from his wounds, he remembers Queen Taramis of Khauran, Salome (an homage to the one who asked for the head of John the Baptist), Constantius aka The Falcon, his crucifixion (as seen in the Conan the Barbarian (1982) movie), Olgerd Vladis...

48 restored and fully colored pages of barbaric savagery! Inside this magnificent full-color magazine you will find the following: Classic remastered art pin-ups in stunning color: Conan the Barbarian by Jeffrey Catherine Jones from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #5 Conan the Barbarian by Tim Conrad from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #13 Conan, Bêlit & Red Sonja ad by Pablo Marcos from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #23 BLACK COLOSSUS by Robert E. Howard, Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala. (New Colors by GFB Group/GFB.it) The mysterious ruins of Kuthchemes. Shevatas (a Zamorian master-thief) finds a treasure. Thugra Khotan, the dark sorcerer who had reigned in Kuthchemes three thousand years ago, wakes up and kills Shevatas.  Khotan, who wants to rule the world, renames himself Natohk, the Veiled One; for his features were always masked.  Natohk amasses an army of nomads and teams-up with a rebellious Stygian prince (Katuman/Kutamun). Natohk lusts for princess Yasmela...

48 restored and fully colored pages of barbaric savagery! Inside this magnificent full-color magazine you will find the following: Classic remastered art pin-ups in stunning color: Conan the Barbarian by Frank Brunner & Steve Leialoha from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #14 Conan ad by Gary Groth & Bob Kline from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #7 SHADOWS IN ZAMBOULA by Robert E. Howard, Roy Thomas, Neal Adams and the Tribe. (New Colors by GFB Group/GFB.it) In the desert city of Zamboula, Aram Baksh offers a sleeping Conan to his business partners... a group of starving cannibals from Darfar. Conan kills four cannibals and saves Zabibi/Nafertari whose lover Alafdhal/Jungir Khan (who is wearing the ring with the jewel called the Star of Khorala) has been drugged by Totrasmek. Conan strangles Baal-Pteor the Strangler. We learn that Nafertari wants the ring for herself. Conan kills Totrasmek. Jungir Khan gets cured. After rearranging Aram Baksh's face and voice, Conan offers Aram B...

Scourge of the Serpent part 4 (of 4): Unity or DEATH. The epic new Conan event from Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics is over. Kirowan, Kull and Conan are now in Set's dimension. The mysterious Set siren appears before our heroes. The siren is disappointingly just Set (the Great Serpent) in human form. Our heroes morph into their future selves: John Kirowan loses his right eye (Battle of the Black Stone #4), King Kull loses his flesh (Conan the Barbarian (2023) #10) and Conan the Barbarian loses his freedom and youth (Conan the Barbarian (2023) #25). Set introduces our heroes to a Woeful dark god who has awaken from his slumber... The Woeful Eye/Shuma-Gorath is coming to earth (as revealed in Conan: Spawn of the Serpent God). Set remarks that the "END WAR" is upon us. We see an extremely unlikely future... Kirowan, Kull and Conan accompanied by their serpent-descendants are fighting the Black Stone Beasts of the Woeful Eye (last seen in Battle of the Black Stone #4). To...

Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane, the dour English Puritan Swashbuckler, gets a revised complete collection of his classic Marvel suggested for mature readers sword and sorcery adventures.  The omnibus is available in two versions: with a Mike Mignola dust jacket (available everywhere) or with a direct market Howard Chaykin dust jacket (only available from comic book stores). Inside this magnificent hardcover you will find the following: Stories in full color: Kane versus looter Le Loup (Red Shadows by Robert E. Howard, Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin) Kane versus looter Le Loup (Red Shadows by Robert E. Howard, Ralph Macchio, Steve Carr and Bret Blevins) Kane versus a werewolf (And Faith, Undying... by Ralph Macchio and Bret Blevins) Kane versus kidnaper Sir George Banway (Blades of the Brotherhood by Robert E. Howard, Ralph Macchio, Bret Blevins and Al Williamson) Kane versus Prince Ali-Ben Ar (The Prophet by Ralph Macchio, Mike Mignola and Al Williamson) Kane versus vampires/zombie...

48 restored and fully colored pages of barbaric savagery! Inside this magnificent full-color magazine you will find the following: Classic remastered art pin-ups: Conan the Barbarian by Mike Zeck from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #15 Conan the Barbarian by John Buscema from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #15 Conan ad by Gil Kane from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #5 THE DEVIL IN IRON by Robert E. Howard, Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala. (New Colors by GFB Group/GFB.it) Terror on a time-lost isle! On the uninhabited island known as Xapur the Fortified, Conan the Barbarian protects Princess Octavia from a gigantic snake, the iron-skinned giant Khosatral Khel (the ancient from the Abyss, the god of Dagonia) and Jehungir Agha (lord of Khawarizm).  A 1976 INTERVIEW WITH CONAN ARTIST JOHN BUSCEMA conducted by John Collier & John Wren What I did like: The giant sleeping snake that tried to eat Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Conan the Barbarian 1982 film was taken from THE DEVIL...

Scourge of the Serpent part 3 (of 4): Behind the Mask. The epic new Conan event from Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics is almost over. The Thurian Age of Kull of Atlantis (from Robert E. Howard's The Shadow Kingdom). Gonar the Seeker (from Kings of the Night) reminds the reader once again that the impossible to comprehend verity is that time and space do not exist, that EVERYTHING is transpiring NOW. The Hall of Society, King Kull sits upon his throne and gazes upon the courtiers, the ladies, the lords and the statesmen. The King of Valusia wonders... are they all shape-changers plotting his demise? Chief councilor Tu alerts his King that the hour of the council is at hand. Kull and his Pict ally, Brule follow the councilors to the council room.   The door of the council chamber is now closed, all seventeen councilors place themselves in the order of their rank before Kull's dais. Brule remains by Kull's side. The councilors begin moving toward Kull. Brule utters the words...

Scourge of the Serpent part 2 (of 4): Words of Power. The epic new Conan event from Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics continues. The Thurian Age of Kull of Atlantis (from Robert E. Howard's The Shadow Kingdom). Gonar the Seeker (from Kings of the Night) proclaims that time and space do not exist, that EVERYTHING is happening NOW. Brule the Spear-Slayer reminds Kull (the king of Valusia) that Serpent-Men, similar to an actor donning a mask, can resemble anyone they decide to impersonate. Uncounted centuries ago, we see the race of men who battled with the grisly beings of the ELDER UNIVERSE. Men in combat with hideous monsters, vanquishing a planet of frightful terrors: the bird-women, the harpies, the bat-men, the flying fiends, the wolf-people, the demons, the goblins, the wolf-men and the serpent-men. To conceal it from view, Brule picks up the carcass of the doppelgänger of chief councillor Tu and vanishes with it through another secret door. Kull wonders... Are the people of V...

64 restored and fully colored pages of barbaric savagery! Inside this magnificent full-color magazine you will find the following: Classic remastered art pin-ups: Conan the Barbarian by Alfredo Alcala from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #1 Conan the Barbarian by John Buscema from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #17 Conan ad by Jeff Aclin from Savage Sword of Conan (1974) #24 THE FROST GIANT’S DAUGHTER by Robert E. Howard, Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith. (New Colors by GFB Group/GFB.it) The uncensored version. Atali, Ymir's daughter lures Conan into an ambush, the barbarian cuts down Atali's brothers and the frost-giant retrieves his offspring.  OGRES, NYMPHS, AND ROCK STARS. SOME THOUGHTS ON THE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN by Patrick Zircher (Solomon Kane: The Serpent Ring) The Z-Man waxes lyrical about The Tower of the Elephant and The Frost-Giant's Daughter. CIMMERIA (a poem) by Robert E. Howard, Barry Windsor-Smith and Tim Conrad. (New Colors by Jão Canola) Conan wrestles a wol...