Writer: Kevin Smith with Phil Hester
Artist: Jonathan Lau
Colors: Ivan Nunes
Letters: Simon Bowland
Publisher: Dynamite Comics
Release Date: 08/24/11
Price: 3.99
We can rebuild him, better…stronger…faster…. These words resonated from the classic introduction to the Six Million Dollar Man, the television show upon which this series is based. To be clear, the series itself is based on a novel called Cyborg so now we’re talking a story two steps away from the source material, I’ve never read the book but from what I remember of the show it was Steve Austin (The Six Million Dollar Man) versus commies, robots and Bigfoot. So lets see what we get.
Big Foot, or as I like to call him. Uncle Ted
First off, six million for a cyborg sounds like a deal nowadays, so the title change to the Bionic Man is more apt to have staying power. Most of the iconic parts of the story are intact, Steve Austin is a test pilot, Jamie Summers is around as an already established love interest for Steve, Oscar Goldman is the scientist in charge what seems to be the newest in army aircraft and also a secret agenda. Bionics…we know, big whoop. So here we have it, the classic elements all ready to be updated to todays standards by any writer up for the job. So who gets a shot at it, Kevin Smith. Ugg….
Lets be clear here, I feel Kevin Smith is a talented comedian and writer but he NEEDS to step away from his comfort zone of toilet humor. Its all over the dialogue of characters that shouldn’t have it. Steve Austin making his grand debut in comics on the toilet, no way. Smith portrays him as a pilot who doesn’t seem to care this is his last day and one of his biggest test flights all in one. Already fast friends with Oscar Goldman, Steven Austin doesn’t know what Goldman does as is primary job and doesn’t seem to care. Thats fine, but certainly as a high ranking and highly thought of pilot Austin shouldn’t be the sort of half caring man he’s shown as.
The pacing of the comic itself wasn’t where I would have liked it either. The story begins with an action sequence setting up what will only be our ongoing mystery regarding Bionics and possible test subjects preceding the events of this book. Other then that we have page after page of Steve Austin going poop, brushing his teeth, flirting with his girlfriend and taking the long way to his job that will, as we all know, lead to his becoming the Bionic Man. The issue doesn’t even end with the crash, only the classic “She’s breaking up, she’s breaking up” screams as Austin plummets towards the earth. Honestly, couldn’t they have speed this up a little bit. I was really looking forward to this series and if the remainder of the first storyline is as unimpressive as this i’ll be passing on it. Lets just hope the next issue takes it up a notch.
comicjunkies 