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...

SOLOMON KANE: THE SERPENT RING part 3: Till death do us part The false Jesuit minister Father Goncallo and his novice, Mbondu are guiding Zarza, Nico Cassini, Abramo Bensaid, Diamanta Bensaid and Solomon Kane deeper into the Kingdom of Ndongo. The Aragonese, Rolando Zarza (thorny shrub in Spanish), a disgraced Knight of Malta, is still in charge of the expedition. Solomon Kane is still protecting Abramo and his daughter, Diamanta. Mbondu mentions that Abramo's brother-in-law, Paolo Laurenti brought evil on the Ndongo and that Kane and Co are here to take this evil away. The Ndongo attack, stuffing the sky with arrows, shouting "Father Goncallo must die!". Saurez and a helper get killed.   Nico gets an arrow in the shoulder. Zarza shoots Mbondu's chieftain (the one who was directing the attack). The Ndongo retreat. São Manços mission, Jesuit ministry up the Kwanza River, Kingdom of Ndongo, Africa.  Diamanta takes care of Nico's wound. Nico suggest that they should ...

Fearing retribution for visiting the seraglio of the king of Ophir, a young Conan wants to pull out of Ianthe (Capital of Ophir) ASAP. A moribund soothsayer gives Conan a gold coin. A cutpurse grabs the coin, Conan easily takes it back. Curious about the coin, the Barbarian visits Yaktan the Scholar. Yaktan mentions Cities of Gold (Hyrkania & Khitai) beyond Turan and the Vilayet sea. To help him traverse these Eastern Lands, Yaktan provides Conan with an ancient map. After weeks of searching in vain for treasure, finding Yaktan's map useless... Conan's supplies are diminishing. Conan dispatches the armoured kidnappers of Lian (apparently a Princess of Khitai). Conan sleeps with Lian. The next morning, the corpses of the snatchers have vanished and only one horse remains. After three days of travelling Lian leads Conan to her abandoned city. Lian uses demonic sorcery to release an Ogre, Conan beheads Lian, the Ogre turns into a gold neckless wearing twin of Lian and a malevo...

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...

Sword-brothers, sword-sisters, your local spinner rack is finally showcasing another stupendous new issue of SSOC!  64 pulsating pages of barbaric savagery in black-and-white printed on newsprint! Inside this breathtaking magazine you will find the following scintillating gems: Eye-popping art pin-ups: Conan the Barbarian by Doug Braithwaite Conan the Barbarian by Adam Gorham Conan the Barbarian by Gabriel Rodriguez Conan the Barbarian by Jonathan Wayshak Conan the Barbarian by Juan Alberto Hernández (The Twelfth Labor of Breckinridge Elkins) CONAN: TREASURE OF THE VERMIN QUEEN! by Dennis Culver and Chris Burnham Conan & young Fleek are after the valuables of the VER-MEN cult. Fleek has an ulterior motive... he actually wants to liberate his beloved, Delah, from the cult.  Fleek intervenes before the VER-MEN can sacrifice Delah. The cult leader calls upon his Bug Queen. Conan breaks his sword on the Queen's hide. The Queen tosses all three of our heroes into her den... whi...

SOLOMON KANE: THE SERPENT RING part 2: Deliver Us into Evil  São Manços mission, Jesuit ministry up the Kwanza River, Kingdom of Ndongo, Africa.  Jesuit priest Father Goncallo is writing to his provincial superior, Leonel Florencio, about Mbondu's ghastly discovery: the skull of a Serpent Man (straight from the King Kull tales). Sha-Kabet, priestess of Set appears on his doorstep. She demands that the cranium be returned to her. Sha-Kabet introduces Father Goncallo to his evil double/twin. Father Goncallo tries an Exorcism Prayer on the diabolical duo, this flatters the sorceress so much that she incinerates Goncallo with his own oil lamp.  Ghetto Vecchio, Republic of Venice.  Diamanta and her father, Abramo Bensaid learn from a maimed Kane that Paolo Laurenti (Abramo's brother by marriage) has "passed on". Solomon keeps mum about the specifics.  Abramo tells the Puritan about the ancient and accursed Serpent Ring of sorcerer Thoth-Amon. Flashback begins: Birgu ...

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...

SOLOMON KANE: THE SERPENT RING part 1: Dead Man's Promise  Abramo Bensaid is writing to his wayfaring brother Paolo Laurenti, whom he has not heard from in 1.5 years. Abramo mentions Paolo's employer, Rolando Zarza (thorny shrub in Spanish), a Knight of Malta. Kingdom of Ndongo, Africa. Paolo is attacked by the owners of the artifact that he has stolen. Eight of Paolo's helpers and one marinheiro (Portuguese sailor) are murdered. Paolo shoots at his aggressors with his flintlock and flees to the safety of a Portuguese caravel sailing ship. The Barbary Coast. Solomon Kane (aka The Sword of Vengeance), the wandering Puritan from Devonshire is now a "Sea Dog", a privateer on an English galleon (Captain Wheeler's ship: The Reprisal) in the service of Queen Elizabeth (Elizabeth I). Wheeler, who has a license to attack and capture vessels belonging to "enemies" of England, decides to attack the Gaviota (seagull in Portuguese)... a Portuguese caravel. Alway...

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...