Bottalk Reviews

eBook by Stephen Graham Jones Cover by E. M. Gist  From Titan Books and Heroic Signatures Spoilers! Spoilers!  Herdsman Jen Ro's French kissing cow rouses our blood caked Cimmerian from his slumber. Conan remembers being part of Shen-ga's raiding party, something must have turned sour on the battlefield because he realizes that he is now lost in the mountains. Conan collapses back to sleep in cowpats.  Conan finally awakens surrounded by cattle, and with Jen Ro's water, he washes the blood of battle from his body and loincloth. Jen Ro, a black lotus addict, cuts a steak from his narcotized cow's flank and miraculously heals the new wound with a mixture of glowing purple moss and black lotus. Jen Ro starts cooking the meat, but the starving Cimmerian can't wait and consumes it rare. Conan asks for more, Jen Ro goes to another drugged cow and brings more meat and wine.  Jen Ro mentions Trinnecerl, a village where he usually sells his purple glowing horned bovines. But

T'Lir recounts his time on Organia and how Kahless's weapon tore a hole in time.  How he chose to incorporate and be born as a Vulcan.  The hole in time worked backwards, destroying his people twenty two years ago.  T'Lir asks for help in getting to Pleroma, a Council of the Gods, so that he can repair the damage Kahless's weapon caused and save his people.  Later, Sisko finds himself in the Prophet space speaking with his mother.  She says he must not go to Pleroma. Sato and T'Lir have an argument and later she is approached by a Section 31 operative. Doing some mop up work from the Day of Blood event makes sense.  I'm not sure the drama from Sato is warranted though.  Sisko even describes it as 'high school level' and given the character interaction and bickering in the Defiant book, I've had my fill of it.  Sisko being forbidden from going to Pleroma is an interesting wrinkle.  We'll see how that plays out.  And with Wesley Crusher being name-

Back to Cybertron! 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 colours. Jorge Corona takes over regular penciling duties as of this issue, with a style that barely misses a step from DWJ’s previous efforts. In this seventh issue and the beginning of a new story arc, we are made known of how the war effort goes on Cybertron as Elita One leads a team to rescue… someone. Meanwhile on Earth, the Autobots deal with the fallout from last issue’s battle, Spike and Carly work through their grief in their own ways, and the Decepticons decide a change in leadership is necessary! So new art guy, yay or nay? I guess that depends on whether you were enjoying DWJ’s pencils, because Jorge Corona tries his be

What’s happenin’ in the world of Void Rivals? Void Rivals continues here with issue # 8! It’s Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici new sci-fi comic that tells the tale of two crumbling planets linked by a “Sacred Ring” (it’s not Halo), their peoples at war for generations. When a member of each culture are stranded together, the two find they must put aside their differences if they want to survive. This story takes place in the so-called “Energon Universe”, Skybound Entertainment’s new initiative to relaunch properties like Transformers and G.I. Joe within a shared universe that also happens to include the original characters and setting of Void Rivals. In this eighth issue, our titular protagonists Darak and Solila are on the run from Proximus, the deadly hunter. As Mobile Suit Gundam’s narrator would ask… WHO WILL SURVIVE? That Proximus dude looked cool. Hellz yeah he does! I’ve been in this sci-fi game a long time, and lemme tell ya- if there’s one thing people love, it’s armoured

eBook by Steven L. Shrewsbury Cover by Gary Gianni (that Raven helmet is pretty fly! Brân means Raven) Illustrations by Patrick Zircher  From Titan Books and Heroic Signatures Spoilers! Spoilers!  The past... We are witnessing the last great battle of Bran Mak Morn. Picts and Romans are fighting. Bran Mak Morn, of the blood of Brule the Spear-slayer (the friend of King Kull of Valusia who reigned thousands of years ago before Atlantis sank) kills a Decurion (a Roman cavalry officer). Alaric and Bran's son Gallam are also there. Old Scottish priest Father Rogan stirs Dr. Elijah Blackthorn from his vision/reading. Dr. B, a psychometric archaeologist with the Miskatonic Institute of Technology awakens in an ancient Scottish Episcopal church, the Rosslyn Chapel. Dr. B spots Purple sashes of Advent (violet is the colour of royalty) anticipating the arrival of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. Dr. B has a special talent, artifacts talk to him, he only has to touch them and their secrets

Jim Zub's The Age Unconquered part 1: Suffer Not the King of Wonders, starts here. Conan stabbed himself in the chest and died on the way back to his home planet? The End? Nope! Not the end. Conan gets The Terminator treatment and gets sent back in time by unknown mystical forces to the Thurian Age (The Age of Atlantis), the epoch of Atlantean King Kull of Valusia and his buddy Brule, the Spear-Slayer, a Pict of the Borni tribe. We see Brule once again piercing the loathsome Black Stone statue with his blessed spear from way back in issue #4. Lighting from heaven's grasp strikes the spear and the obelisk shatters. Time traveler Conan still alive with his clothes, horned helmet and Brule's sword, emerges from the destroyed Black Stone sculpture, you know, like in Ghostbusters with the charred Terror Dogs. Brule's Pictish warriors suggest killing the slime covered barbarian from the future. The Spear-Slayer stops them. A confused Conan does not remember Brule (from previo

Creators : Joshua Williamson (Writer), Tom Reilly (Artist), Jordie Bellaire (Colourist) Story : Picking right up where last issue left off, the Pit is being raided by Major Bludd's forces as Stalker is trying to stop them to no avail and is unable to contact anyone for support and Duke is being held at gunpoint by the Baroness as Rock 'n Roll and Clutch fight off more troops.  Duke and the Baroness exchange some words and Duke calls her bluff and they decide to (again) work together to get out of the situation.  Stalker arrives and updates everyone on the situation and they decide, seeing a hole opened in the floor, to go down deeper into the Pit to escape.  They enter an old garage/warehouse full of tanks and other experimental vehicles and Clutch and Duke come up with a plan.  Outside, Major Bludd returns, much worse for wear after getting shot and orders his troops to continue the fight.  Just then, a bunker opens and out rushes a Skystriker Combat Jet, APC [Amphibious Perso

The all-new PREQUEL to the original simian sci-fi classic from 1968 is almost over. Zira spies on the Hominidae empire, a city of gorilla soldiers. Cornelius (now with a completely healed shoulder) spots our favourite hippie chimpanzee Lucius. Zira wants to go to this new city to save her nephew, Nova doesn't want her to go.  Back to Hope's Point (the ruins of Yankee Stadium). Mutant leader Ivana tells Zira that they have been at peace with the Hominidae empire FOR GENERATIONS. Zira thinks that the Gorillas could be planning an invasion of her city (Ape City). Zira selfishly suggests to the mutants that they should attack the Hominidae empire first, before they too are raided. Sniper Kennard and Lyla like the idea of invading the empire. Clairvoyant Ivana reaches again telepathically into Nova's mind, this time using "The Wizard of Oz" as a template. Ivana mentions once more Mendez, the mutant leader living beneath the radioactive ruins of New York City from Benea

The Defiant bridge crew face off against the parasites, killing several.  Meanwhile, Sela is on route to the Defiant when her ship strikes a mine.  A message from her father is less than welcoming.  Later, he offers to restore her reputation within the Romulan government by working with him.  After a brief discussion about her mother she rejects his offer.  Meanwhile, the Defiant crew continue to battle the parasites, and argue with each other, when B'Elanna Torres attacks them.  She has been infected with a parasite.   This issue feels very rushed and jumbled.  The Defiant bridge crew continue to bicker with one another, mostly directed at Worf.  It feels out of place given their current situation though.  Instead of Star Trek it feels more like a Syfy channel action movie.  Sela's story is interesting but I'm unsure about her face turn.  It's not unwelcome.  Some of my favourite characters are those who seek redemption like Magneto.  I think it needs to grow and expan

Creators : Larry Hama (writer), Chris Mooneyham (artist), Francesco Segala (colourist), Sabrina Del Grosso (flatter), Pat Brosseau (letterer) Story : Cobra is investigating the remains of the three modified Vipers that Dawn took out last issue while Dawn is back at her parent's house, reporting to Duke.  She notices her neighbour, a Crimson Guard approaching but her parents take him out and she flees.  Duke now feels that they are in a position where they can act.  Elsewhere in the Pit, Mainframe, Airtight and Black Hat are examining the remains of one of the modified Vipers that attacked Snake Eyes and Scarlett.  One of the hands is still active and attacks but Stalker arrives and destroys it.   Elsewhere in the Pit, Spirit, Lady Jaye and Multo are preparing to take out the three modified Vipers stalking above before they actually discover the entrance and drop a nerve gas grenade down it.  After a struggle, the three Joes are able to stop the Vipers.  On Cobra Island, Serpentor K

Creators : Joshua Williamson (Writer), Andrea Milana (Artist), Annalisa Leoni (Colorist), Rus Wooton (Letterer) Story : Picking up where we last left off, Cobra Commander's companion is in the Florida Everglades looking for him as we go to the Commander, being attacked underwater by some alligators that are more than meets the eye.  We then see him get some assistance.  At a bar, Ripper and Zarana arrive and talk to the gathered individuals about "the juice" they have.  They know it's a fuel and they can sell it for a pretty penny.  We then see Zandar show up with Cobra Commander in chains.  They put him in a chain and try to take off his mask but Ripper gets zapped by it as Buzzer laughs and they get into a fight.  Torch arrives and tries to melt it off to little success.  They then each take turns torturing Cobra Commander for information and to try to get him to take off his mask but he remains silent.  When Zandar starts, Cobra Commander tells him his brother Zart