BotTalk Reviews

A family argument breaks out on a rented houseboat.  Chet and his sister Laura take shots and jabs at each other, each placing blame on the other.  The next day it continues until Laura and her husband cannonball into the water.  The husband comes back for his brother-in-law.  Chet dives in only to come up in a darker version of reality, while his sister and brother-in-law find a somewhat nicer reality.  Chet's new friends turn on him.  At the same time, his sister realizes she wouldn't trade the slightly nicer world for her brother.  She dives in to save him, comes back up only to smack into the false bottom of the boat.  Looking down at her is Chet, unable to break through to her. In a way this feels like a take on 'The Bewitchin' Pool' the final episode of the original series.  Only here we get a better world and its shadow.  Honestly, the dialogue between Chet and Laura is insufferable.  It feels very of the moment and just goes...

The Omega will soon head out toward Babel.  A conference will determine the future of the Federation, the trip will take the Omega four months... but everyone else, twenty three years.  Before they leave First Officer 'Wowie' has a disappointing family reunion.  He returns over the years and time moves on.  His family grows bitter, Earth slowly recovers but the future appears bleak.  Wowie returns to the Omega and says that Kirk should be in charge. The situation on Earth, at least the political climate, feels very 'of the moment'.  We see those who lived in comfort now living with fear.  This issue is focused on 'Wowie'.  we get to see his family life, his personal doubts, and how he sticks to his guns in the face of opposition from his family and others.   seven out of ten.

Chapel reunites with her friend, no longer under control of the Seed.  In space the Enterprise is intertwined in vines.  Pike confronts the Seed controlled Una.  He manages to speak directly to the Seed, informing them their jailers are long gone.  Enterprise fires a beam at the surface that frees the trapped prison ship.  Later, Chapel and Una beam down to a 'boring' planet with The Seed, presenting them with a new home. I feel like this five issue mini is the first or second draft of a Strange New Worlds episode.  There are some interesting ideas, with an unusual setting.  But as I have said there is something lacking in its portrayal of our characters.  Scotty especially, but even the modern take on Chapel feels off in this series.  The resolution is very Trek.  Talking with the Seed and resolving the situation.  Much appreciated as opposed to a pew pew sfx battle.   six out of ten.  

Is this the end of Angry Vine Woman? So Chapel rescues her friend, her team, and La'An Noonien-Singh and they are then rescued by Spock and Anime drawing Scotty. Meanwhile in space the crew work to solve the mystery of the Arken and work toward a solution for the angry vine woman, all of which tie up nicely. And good thing too, because this is the type of story that would get old if it got dragged out. And the solution and how they worked it all out is classic Star Trek, and then how it wrapped up with the plant creature by working out a deal instead of running in with phaser firing and blowing everything up, was also very good. Again this would’ve been better as a 5 part season 3 story instead of the seasons more weaker episodes. 8/10

Last time on issue 14! The Cerritos visited Laapoonia, sent down an away team led by Jack Ransom where they were suddenly trapped on planet as Cerritos was suddenly attacked by a strange battleship. And now here is 15 with the away still on the planet attempting to find a way off, in orbit Cerritos is getting slaughtered by the much more advanced strange ship.  Eventually a small shuttle from the planet commanded by the away team attacks the strange ship, and Cerritos makes its escape straight into a cliffhanger. So here we are with part two and we seemed to have forgotten all about D'Vana Tendi being mad about T’Lyn for some reason, and the senior officers on the planet are now stupid. But only we can follow the lower decks main characters of course. We still learn nothing about the mystery ship except that it’s advanced. Well advanced compared to Cerritos, which is not a Prometheus class ship or anything. Really the thing hurting the story is the truncated length of comic books o...

Species 8472 chase Voyager as the Doctor attempts to make more nanoprobes.  Janeway has Voyager take a hit from the Borg cube, defending their new allies against 8472.  As reinforcements come in, Voyager takes out three bioships.  The assault against the ship intensifies.  The planet killer beam is charged and fired on the Borg cube, with Seven and her new allies beamed away at the last moment.  Janeway surrenders when 8472 promises the Voyager crew will live.  They are taken to a base where they meet Boothby and Archer... and Admiral Paris. A lot going on this issue and it feels intense.  The Doctor struggles to produce new assimilation nanoprobes while under attack and dealing with the ailing Tuvok.  I will say the Borg who were severed from the Collective get little to do here except dodge weapons fire.  The appearance of 'Boothby' and Archer from an episode of Voyager is much appreciated.   seven out of ten.

In a medieval setting a fortress is under siege.  During the attack an armoured knight opens the gates and stands ready with a modern gun.  He opens fire.  In conflict with the leader of the opposition the knight is defeated by his own weapons and the victors enter the fort.  Behind enormous doors we see a tank, a WWII plane and seemingly an atomic bomb.  The victor meets the face of God, a fast food drive through character with a speaker in its stomach.   The art for this issue is great.  The story, however... just doesn't fit The Twilight Zone.  I could see it in Eerie (1966 Warren Magazine) or Creepy (1964 Warren Magazine), but it just doesn't have that 'it' factor that says The Twilight Zone.  That doesn't mean it is bad.  Not at all.  It is a fine story.  I just think that it would fit in better elsewhere.   six out of ten.

Sato gives Kirk command of the Omega and he immediately springs into action, giving various orders.  The Omega speeds back to Earth only to find it has been bombarded by the Warp Cores from the Klingon Fleet.  Sato challenges the Klingon Fleet Commander to single combat.  He eventually defeats his opponent and sends the Klingons to their death while Kirk questions Agnes.  Earth, having been devastated, breaks aways from the Federation and is now an independent world.   The distinction between Sato and Kirk is further displayed here.  Kirk jumps into action, giving orders the moment he is given command.  Sato hesitates at the very idea of bloodshed but ultimately, kills the Klingon Commander and later, spills even more blood.  The last panel is... certainly something.  Nothing I expected.  Given that the Klingon situation has been resolved and Earth has declared independence I wonder where the story goes from here.   seven out of ten...

In space the Enterprise is pummelled by the drones but Uhura manages to send out a signal.  The drones begin to target each other.  On the planet Spock, Scotty and D-6 sink further underwater and discover a plant enveloped spaceship while Chapel battles The Seed.  Spock mind melds with a giant octopus that gives the backstory of The Seed.  Chapel is beaten and imprisoned as The Seed prison ship rises from the depths to confront the Enterprise, with a possessed Una in command. This is the most interesting issue of Seeds of Salvation thus far.  D-6 continues to feel like an annoying Star Wars character, making wisecracks constantly.  We get a callback to better Trek with Spock mind melding with a non-humanoid lifeform here.  The Seed backstory is unremarkable really.  The stakes were raised this issue on multiple fronts though.     six out of ten.

Here she comes, an underwater tree again! Sentient vines that control minds this gonna conclude this time or is gonna continue to another issue again? ahhhhh ahhhh ahhhhh ahhhhh  Underwater Sentient vines woman! And it will! It will continue to issue 5, but we have a moving plot now. So we continue underwater with Christine Chapel fighting the vine people while Spock, Scotty, and D6 fight then make contact with the giant squid in only the way Spock would. In space Enterprise works out a solution to stop the Arken drones, then come face to face with another larger ship, which is where we will have to wait for the next issue. This actually a pretty good story that would have been a good addition to season 3 instead of some of the episodes we got. Vine woman is hell bent on some good old fashioned vengeance! 8.932/10