BotTalk Reviews

The Phantom takes Christine deep beneath the Opera House.  He tells her they can never again return to the surface, that he was the one behind everything.  He tries to calm her down by playing the violin when she has a revelation, the Phantom is her father.  She removes his mask and is astonished by his disfigured face.  The inspector arrives to save Christine.  The inspector pulls a gun on the Phantom, the Phantom saves Christine as the underground begins to collapse on the Phantom.  Christine picks up the mask of the Phantom and drops it into the water as they make their escape. At the risk of repeating myself with some of the adaptions I feel there is little new here.  It is the basic story we know, no real twists or turns... save one.  In this version the Phantom is Christine's father.  This is such a late development as to be almost baffling.  The art, which has been a highlight, at times feels muddled and confusing in several pages...

Last time on hit Paramount plus Streaming show Star Trek Academy (caaaaaaancelled)! Our cadets are marooned on a planet that had been devastated by the Burn, meanwhile our officers were on the ship with nary an option in how to rescue them. So the kids are still on the planet, they argue amongst each other. The adults are on the ship also arguing amongst each other.  Jayden and Caleb agree that Genesis doesn’t listen and going alone is dangerous. Meanwhile on the ship the chancellor of the war college decides to take a shuttle and find the kids himself. His attempt to go is dangerous as the planet wrecks his shields. And there is more than one stranger on the planet. Who could they be? Guess we’ll find out in issue 3. This comic manages to tell a story planet-side without dialogue, they have to communicate by writing in the dirt while also holding to convention on the ship.  It may not seem like it but this does move the story forward, albeit slowly.  See, again this stor...

War ends? Next on Void Rivals! The Quintesson War comes to an end for now in issue # 30 of Void Rivals! Void Rivals is Robert Kirkman’s 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 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. Penciler Andrei Bressan and colorist Patricio Delpeche join Robert Kirkman for the sixth and final part of “Quintesson War”. In this instalment, Darak and Solila are finally reunited as the Quintesson War grinds to a halt. An even greater threat is on the horizon, so perhaps it is time to seek out new allies… So uh, who won? Oh, the Quint...

Who's tight-lipped like the T-1000 Terminator, more menacing than The Mummy (1959), slicker than Swamp Thing, more indestructible than The Blob (1958), immortal like Caltiki (1959) and obscure like X the Unknown (1956)? It's The Sludge from the pages of Lion (a British weekly boys' comic)!  1965. Radiological pollution contaminates a Sargassum... The Sludge is born! The Sludge (a luminous, sentient jelly-like substance) covers and takes over a large commercial liner, everyone aboard abandons ship. Reporter Bill Hanley (more macho than Clark Kent) and photojournalist Rick Slade (more experienced than Jimmy Olsen) of the Montreal (in the Canadian province of Quebec) Argus (an homage to the Argus camera company? To the Canadair CP-107 Argus built in Montreal?) newspaper are our investigating heroes. The slimy, glowing vessel rams into the Port of Montreal, The Sludge oozes onto a pier, the liner disintegrates. The Sludge gives itself a spooky humanoid form. Photojournalist Ric...

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...

eBook by Adam Rose Cover by Alex Horley (aka Alessandro Orlandelli) Chapter illustration by Patrick Zircher  From Titan Books and Heroic Signatures Spoilers! Spoilers!  In Althunia, young Kull of Atlantis is a slave of Eldor (clearly NOT the heroic guardian of the book of living spells) the Game Warden. The Althunian Skull Forest. A hunting party of FOUR men goes missing, sheep are being mutilated. Kull must find and terminate the culprit: the Beast of Skull Mountain, if he is successful in his mission, he'll be released from slavery. An elk points Kull to a hidden trail, Althunian runes on a tree indicate that the Skull Beast's den is above the clouds, so up the mountain Kull goes. Crows attack from above, Kull finds three decapitated wolves, Kull knows one of them: Tiber the Grey, Kull buries the three canines. Kull meets Orgon the Bounty Hunter who is also looking for the Skull Beast. FOUR decaying disciples/slaves of the immortal Beast: Gar (a diminutive of Garou?) and his...

eBook by Shaun Hamill  Dedicated to Shaun's father, Rick Hamill Cover by Guillem H. Pongiluppi  Chapter illustration by Patrick Zircher  From Titan Books and Heroic Signatures Spoilers! Spoilers!  Solomon Kane is tracking "something" dark and evil from England. The "something" wounds Solomon in the leg and leaves him to die in the woods outside of the village known as Tywyllwch/Darkness in Wales. It's Yuletide, Christmas eve.  Four children are missing: Tacy (Rees' platonic girlfriend), Matilde, Howell and Philipe. Rees (an homage to Martin Rees, the fifteenth Astronomer Royal?) finds Solomon in the snow and drags him to his home. Rees' father, Hughe (a physician who also has a wife (Elys) and a daughter (Judithe)) thinks that Kane is the culprit behind the kidnappings, he threatens to poison the Puritan. Kane mentions that Puritans do not celebrate Christmas. Someone masquerading as the Mari Lwyd (the Grey Mare from the South Wales wassailing folk c...

Novel by Shaun Hamill Dedicated to Robert E. Howard (1906-1936) Cover by Nick Marinkovich Chapter illustration by Patrick Zircher  From Titan Books and Cabinet Licensing LLC Also available unabridged on audiobook from Blackstone Publishing, read by James Fouhey  Spoilers! Spoilers!  Kane, the Puritan wanderer/adventurer, is now in his fifties, with the help of N'Longa the African shaman/sorcerer, he concentrates his efforts on hunting vampires wherever they may be. Solomon takes a break from relentlessly battling bloodsuckers, he goes to the village of Baumstadt in the Black Forest of Germany (Shaun Hamill adapts Solomon Kane: Death's Black Riders) and kills a beast with great skeletal wings (like the Eremite from Hellraiser (1987)) and its supernatural rider. Kane receives a letter from a childhood friend, Catherine Archer, who is now married to Enoch (an homage to the biblical figure), has 4 children and is living in the English Puritan village of Windsend in England....

The Omega is summoned to Deep Space Hope with a message, a miracle breakthrough.  They arrive to find a Black Hole contained and the crew inflicted with madness.  Their lead scientist tries to meld with Sato.  On the bridge, Kirk is informed that the life signs of the away team have vanished.  Meanwhile, Agnes states that the outcome was always inevitable... assimilation.   We see the progression of time wearing on the crew, especially Captain Sato as he suffers yet another loss.  The Emerald Chain continues to grown as the Federation shrinks.  The space station scenes are spooky, with the art reinforcing it very effectively.  For several issues Agnes has sat back and did little.  Here, we see things seemingly fall into place for her.     eight out of ten. 

Creators : Joshua Williamson (writer), Andrea Milana (artist), Lee Loughridge (colorist), Rus Wooton (letterer) Story : Cobra Commander admires his latest achievement and sends Destro on a mission (despite his arguing otherwise).  We get a bit more background on Risk as he, Baroness and Stalker land in Badhikistan for a mission.  The reports say it is abandoned and that the people left it because it is haunted.  They start to see strange signs but eventually run into Destro, Astoria, and Mercer, who claim to have seen things also (both sides blame each other).  After a brief tussle, all but Risk are captured by various things.  Meanwhile. Crystal Ball looks on, having captured everyone with his tech.  Writing : An interesting story and right away Williamson has made Crystal Ball a bit more interesting.  Crystal Ball was never a fan-favourite character (or toy) so it will be fun to see what he ends up doing here.  We get some classic Cobra Commande...

It’s Elita Prime Time! A bold new era for the Autobots and this book begins! Robert Kirkman, chief architect of the Energon Universe, writes the flagship Transformers title and Jason Howard takes over as regular penciler for this new story arc with Mike Spicer on colors. Howard had previously drawn issues # 13 and # 14 of this book, along with many covers. In this thirty-second issue, Elita Prime and the Autobots that chose to follow her return to Cybertron via a space bridge portal and land in enemy territory. It isn’t long before Shockwave arrives with a welcoming party for them and a huge battle erupts! Can Elita prove herself worthy of the Matrix in her first major test as the new Prime? Fighty-fighty? Oh yeah, this entire issue is a big fight between Elita and Shockwave’s forces, allowing Jason Howard to showcase his artistic chops at action scenes. Things quickly become desperate for the Autobots and Elita Prime ends up having an “Open, dammit, open!” moment with her new Matrix t...

Creators : Larry Hama (writer), Andrew Krahnke (artist), Francesco Segala (colorist), Sabrina Del Grosso (flatter), Pat Brosseau (letterer) Story : In Sierra Gordo, the Joe team of Jinx, Dawn, Cover Girl, and Sherlock finish taking down a Terror Drome.  However, an explosion knocks Dawn around, revealing more memories from Snake-Eyes and Dr. Venom using his Brainwave Scanner on Snake-Eyes way back in issue 10.  On Cobra Island. Dr. Mindbender gets notified about these memories as well.   Writing : Hama easily wraps up the Terror Drome story while introducing a new problem for Snake-Eyes.  Hama introduced the world to Dr. Venom, Cobra's original mad scientist back in the early days of the comic's run in the 1980's and has continued to use the dead character and his brainwave scanner again and again.  He's a favorite villain that, while dead, just keeps coming back!   Art : It's nice to see Dawn without her mask on all the time in this issue.  Sometimes ...

CONAN & DRAGONERO part 1 (of 7): The Shadow of the Dragon While battling a gem stealing dragon (with a broken wing) in the Hyborian Age, Captain Conan and his soldiers are teleported by mysterious dark forces to Varliendár aka the "Land of the Dragons". Two moons are shining in the firmament. Algents (savage, mute, albino humanoids who inhabit the desolate ash plains of Varliendár) attack, two of Conan's comrades get killed. Even more Algents attack, Conan and his men run towards "The Great Wall aka Arcelonte", the immense barrier that extends from east to west along the northern border of Erondàr and separates it from Varliendár. The rest of Conan's comrades get slaughtered.  Conan is rescued by the Red Guards of the Wall, they think that Conan could be from the Kingdom of Raghnar. Conan is chained and incarcerated, a young sorcerer gives Conan a real-time translator pendant, so that they can communicate. Commander Deynar is in charge of the border outp...

aka Alien, Predator & Planet of the Apes CGD 2026 #1 (Comics Giveaway Day 2026). Strange visitors have arrived on the Planet of the Apes. Astronaut Arch overhears General Ursus proclaiming that "The only good human is a dead human!". Arch encounters wild humans, three soldier apes attack. Two of the apes start gunning down the men, a combistick/telescoping spear kills the third ape who was longing to lacerate a woman and her child, one of the other two apes starts shooting at the Predator, the Yautja slaughters the soldiers with his wristblades. What I did like: A sweet cover by Davide Paratore featuring Dr. Zaius! We get to see the statue of the Lawgiver. Arch says the famous George Taylor line: "It's A Mad House." from Planet of the Apes (1968). What I did not like: The ANSA (American National Space Administration) uniform of Arch is incorrect, the flag of the United States should be on her left shoulder. The Predator does not use his plasmacaster shoulder...