Bottalk Reviews

Creators : Dan Watters (Writer), Andrei Bressan (Artist), Adriano Lucas (Colorist), Rus Wooton (Letterer) Story : In the Republic of Darklonia, the Prime Minister's palace is under siege by insurgents and when his troops try to fight them, they encounter a Battle Android Trooper (B.A.T.).  The troops then realize more are being dropped into the city and the BATs defeat the troops.  The Prime Minister calls Destro and surrenders; Destro arrives and says his cousin, Artyom Darklon, will take over and the Prime Minister shoots himself to avoid what the mob might do to him.  Destro is then in call with Cobra Commander, who is upset about his actions in Darklonia and they get into an argument over how M.A.R.S. Industries is working with Cobra, not subordinate to Cobra.  Destro then visits an ancestral shrine and seeks guidance from his ancestors about what to do with the Energon.  Weeks later, at Darklonia's arms convention we're introduced to other arms manufacturers - Boston,

Omnibus by John C. Hocking Dedicated to lovers of sword-and-sorcery and especially fans who waited for the Living Plague for so long Cover by Jeffrey Alan Love  Illustrations by Richard Pace From Titan Books and Heroic Signatures Also available unabridged on audiobook read by Bradford Hastings Spoilers! Spoilers!  CONAN AND THE EMERALD LOTUS (1995) Stygian mage Ethram-Fal aka the Shemite Eldred the Trader, resurrects the dormant immortal resident of the abandoned Palace of Cetriss (one of the world's mightiest sorcerers), a hybrid of plant and predatory fungus with an insatiable appetite for blood with the blood of his insolent apprentice (freshly executed by Captain Ath, also a Stygian who is given an addictive reddish leaf as a reward). The carnivorous plant's seeds are the sole source of the Emerald Lotus, an addictive green powder that enhances the abilities of sorcerers. The only side effects are growing cravings, madness and death.  Akkharia in Shem, ruled by King Sumuab

Sisko manages to talk himself into the Pleroma, along with Dr. Crusher.  Later, they enter and are confronted with the various god-like members.  Many of them familiar.  Apollo, Trelane, a Metron, a Tholian, Charles Evans, the Guardian of Forever, and several others.  T'Lir asks the assembled beings to restore the Organians.  They vote on the matter and the resurrection of the Organians fails.  As Dr. Crusher searches for her son a new entity arrives in the Pleroma... Sisko's mother.  If he does not leave the universe will burn.   The members of the Pleroma are a who's who of god-like beings from across the history of Star Trek.  Most of them are from the original series, but we get Kevin Uxbridge from TNG, The Caretaker and M'Benga's daughter from Strange New Worlds.  Even the Tholian Bright Eyes from the previous Star Trek ongoing series.  They are certainly better behaved than I expected.  The Wesley Crusher aspect I find intriguing.  I guess they are going to s

Prepare for battle! That’s right! With Robert Kirkman’s Void Rivals having launched Skybound’s new Energon Universe, noted writer/artist rolled-into-one Daniel Warren Johnson takes the reins on the linchpin of this new initiative, a brand-new Transformers comic series! Well, he maintains the reins on the writing of this series at least, as does Mike Spicer on colors. Jorge Corona takes over regular penciling duties with a style that barely misses a step from DWJ’s previous efforts. In this ninth issue, the Autobots take the fight to the Decepticons and drive them off Earth and everyone lives happily ever after! ...Right? No, of course not. Things go horribly, horribly awry. Wry, huh? Sounds funny. I said “A-wry”! Optimus and crew venture forth in Bizarro Action Master Jetfire to take down the Decepticons, but the Decepticons now have an operational space bridge and access to Cybertron. New characters enter the battle for Earth, and the Autobots find themselves on the back foot again! I

Creators : Kelly Thompson (Writer), Marco Ferrari (Artist), Lee Loughridge (Colourist), Rus Wooton (Letterer) Story : In Monaco, Scarlett/Shana M. O'Hara infiltrate a mansion that is having some sort of auction and sees Jinx/Kimi Arashikage there as well.  Despite orders not to, Scarlett engages and frees hostages that were going to be sold to bad people (and it seems Jinx freed one as well).  Scarlett is let go from her special contract for breaking orders but discovers Stalker/Lonzo R. Wilkinson has broken into her house and has a job for her.  We find out that Scarlett and Jinx were roommates (and in special forces too) and developed their own set of code signals which Jinx had used.  We also discover that Jinx has been missing for 2 years and has infiltrated the Arashikage Clan in Japan.  Scarlett's job is to go and do the same.  She gets dropped off by Snow Job/Harlan W. Moore and fights some of the clan's ninjas before presenting herself to the Hard Master (whom Jinx

The Half-Century Bore  Written, Drawn and Lettered by James Stokoe Contagion  Written by Dan Didio  Drawn by Joëlle Jones  Coloured by Marco Lesko Of Gods and Con Artists  Written by Danny Lore Art by Sebastián Píriz In The Shadow of a God  Written and Drawn by Matt Frank  Poetry by Donny Winter Japanese Calligraphy by Maki Takarada In The Darkness  Written and Drawn by E.J. Su The Big One  Written and Drawn by Adam Gorham  Colored by Adam Guzowski Ain’t No Place For An Angel  Written by Casey Gilly Drawn by Liana Kangas Colored by Brittany Peer In Summation  Written by Michael W. Conrad  Art by Gegê Schall Aftermath Written and Drawn by Natasha Alterici

With Dukat dead Mariner assumes command.  Alexander is ordered to Sickbay but refuses and runs off.  Jake and Nog go after him and the three end up in the Holodeck where Jake begins a Klingon program.  Jake engages Alexander in combat and attempts to reason with him.  It works and Alexander goes to Sickbay while, on the Bridge, QJ apologizes to Jake and Nog for putting them in their current situation.  The Breen attack the ship.  Again.  Slowly, QJ's powers return and he solves the Breen problem.  The scene shifts and judge Q applauds his son.  In a brief epilogue Jake, Nog and Alexander are reunited with their families.   It feels like this comic needed another issue to wrap things up.  The end comes at almost a breakneck speed.  QJ's powers start to return, he gets rid of the Breen and we shift to Q congratulating his son.  After that, a very brief epilogue with our three other characters.  They were all to have learned a lesson... but did they?  It all feels very Saturday mo