BotTalk Reviews

Sword-brothers, sword-sisters, your local spinner rack is once again showcasing another remarkable new issue of SSOC!  64 pulsating pages of barbaric savagery in black-and-white printed on newsprint! Inside this wonderful magazine you will find the following sparkling gems: Incredible art pin-ups: Conan the Barbarian by Valerio Giangiordano Kull of Atlantis by Geof Isherwood CONAN THE BARBARIAN & VALERIA OF THE RED BROTHERHOOD: THE SUNLESS ISLE part 1 by Patch/Patrick Zircher A direct follow-up to Robert E. Howard's Red Nails. Tascela, the princess of Tecuhltli lies impaled (by Valeria) on the floor. Old Tolkemec has been slain by Conan. The Xotalancas and the Tecuhltli have exterminated each other. Conan does NOT want to steal any of their possibly haunted jewels. Conan catches Valeria in his arms and they kiss. Conan thinks that they'll be on a ship before the Stygians open their ports for the trading season. The road to the coast is much too long. Conan of Cimmeria &...

Jim Zub's A Nest of Serpents part 2: Diamond in the Dirt It's Conan the Worm vs Krum-Va the Colossal. From his skybox, The Master of The Black Ring, Thoth-Amon and his buddies are barely being entertained.  Conan discovers that Krum-Va's ankle is his Achilles' heel. Conan kills Krum-Va and thus becomes the new slave-champion of The City of Magicians.  The power-hungry Athyr-Bast is pleased, finally one of her savage slaves is triumphant. The Lords of Kheshatta are taking notice too. To pass under the radar of the sorcerers, Conan uses a brilliant pseudonym: Amra from the Shemite city of Akbitana/Akbatana. Thoth-Amon wants to purchase the impressive Cimmerian, but Athyr-Bast prefers to keep the barbarian in her stable. Conan is not returned to his prison cell, he's told to "shower" for his mistress. In Athyr-Bast's chamber, the enchantress calls Conan her Diamond in the Dirt.  Off panel, Conan receives Weapon Training  (just like he did in the 1982 Cona...

SOLOMON KANE: THE SERPENT RING part 4 (of 4): Hell on Earth Solomon Kane refuses to be a tasty snack for a clan of spotted Hyenas. The Valley of the Serpent. Rolando Zarza, Nico Cassini, Mbondu, Hoto and Diamanta Bensaid have reach a guachimontón pyramid. Zarza, the disgraced Knight of Malta, makes it clear that he's the one who will possess the Ring since he's the dude who financed the expedition to the Kingdom of Ndongo. Inside the pyramid, Abramo Bensaid is the prisoner of the High Priestess of the Goddess Set, Sha-Kabet. Sha-Kabet scolds Abramo for desiring the Serpent Ring aka the Eye of Set. Sha-Kabet mentions that she's actually quite ancient and that Set placed a curse on the Serpent Ring to ensure her successor's worth. Sha-Kabet shows Abramo the past: We see Kull the Conqueror and Pictish warrior, Brule the Spear-Slayer fighting Serpent Men from "By This Axe I Rule!".  Thoth-Amon finding the ring in a nighted tomb a league beneath the earth, forgotte...

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...