The Bionic Man #17
Written by Aaron Gillespie
Art by Ed Tadeo
Colors by Thiago Ribeiro
Letters by Simon Bowland
Covers by Mike Mayhew and Ed Tadeo
Special thanks to Phil Hester
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: March 6, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

The Bionic Man #17 is a terrific action-adventure comic that totally works. Yes, almost every comic has action, but sometimes it’s hard to pull off. Thanks to the creative team, there are NO problems here.

Aaron Gillespie‘s writing is quickly improving with each issue. I don’t think he’s ever been a bad writer on this title, but some of his previous issues were a little lacking in the action department. That’s not the case here and #17 is pretty much wall to wall action and excitement. It’s got all the hallmarks of The Six Million Dollar Man TV series, just set in modern times and having Steve dealing with real world situations that are going on now. Great stuff!

The Bionic Man vs. The Bionic Woman #2
Written by Keith Champagne
Art by Jose Luis
Colors by Inlight Studio
Letters by Marshall Dillon
Covers by Sean Chen & Jonathan Lau
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: February 13, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

The Bionic Man vs. The Bionic Woman #2 is more of the same if you read the first issue. And that is – AWESOME!!! When you picture team-ups in your head, THIS is the kind of book that you picture. A well-told story that makes sense and brings together two of your favorite comic books into one epic masterpiece!!!

I said it last month, and I’ll say it again – writer Keith Champagne should be writing the monthly series for BOTH Bionic Man and The Bionic Woman!!! Champagne does an incredible job at portraying everyone in the “Bionic” universe with dead-on accuracy. Not only that, but he makes the audience believe, in this super-powered day and age, that having bionic ears, eyes, legs, and arms IS a legitimate super power. He’s done the incredible and updated a television series successfully into a fantastic comic. That is truly rare.

The Bionic Man vs. The Bionic Woman #1
Written by Keith Champagne
Art by Jose Luis
Colors by Inlight Studio
Letters by Marshall Dillon
Covers by Sean Chen, Adrian Syaf, Jonathan Lau, and Jack Herbert
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: January 16, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

WHY are you reading this review instead of reading The Bionic Man vs The Bionic Woman #1? Seriously. You might just be thinking “Oh, who cares about another crossover?” Really? Because THIS crossover makes SENSE! That’s why you should care!

I will say this right now: Keith Champagne should be made the regular writer of The Bionic Man monthly series as soon as bionically possible! Good Lord, this issue is incredible! This takes place before the current Bionic Woman series, and is a REALLY great take on both characters. There’s a lot going on, but not too much that you can’t follow or you get confused by too many characters. In fact, that’s one of the book’s strengths, Champagne doesn’t introduce a dozen new characters into the mix, he uses the main characters, their supporting casts, and a villain. Let’s be honest, that’s all you need. There’s some terrific stuff in this issue, including the classic Oscar having to talk Steve into going on the mission debriefing. And treadmill running. The book starts off really intensely, slows down in the middle to develop the story, then revs right back up again at the end to leave you hanging with a breathtaking cliffhanger. Nicely done!

Bionic Man #14
Written by Phil Hester & Aaron Gillespie
Pencils by Ed Tadeo
Colors by Thiago Ribeiro
Letters by Simon Bowland
Covers by Alex Ross & Ed Tadeo
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: November 21, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

The Bionic Man #14 features Steve Austin and Bigfoot. Do I really need to say anything else?

Phil Hester and Aaron Gillespie are REALLY turning things up a notch. For the first time, I’m getting the feeling that Steve Austin has a REAL personality and has a unique voice and character. And that voice and character is AWESOME!!! This issue is jam packed with goodness. You’ve got Steve Austin TEAMING UP with Bigfoot to take on a secret organization that builds robot Bigfoots. Yes, it’s as awesome as it sounds. The only thing that bothered me is Steve’s relationship with OSI and Oscar Goldman. Several characters state that Austin no longer works for OSI, yet he keeps going back there for repairs, missions, and other various things. But, that’s just a tiny glitch in what is a fantastic story.

Bionic Man #13
Written by Phil Hester & Aaron Gillespie
Pencils by Ed Tadeo
Colors by Thiago Ribeiro
Letters by Simon Bowland
Covers by Alex Ross & Ed Tadeo
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: September 26, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

The Bionic Man #13 continues the story that everyone’s been waiting for. Bigfoot. The creative team has taken a lot of liberties with this one, and it really pays off. They blindside you with more surprises than you can handle. And hey, it’s Bigfoot.

Writers Phil Hester and Aaron Gillespie really hit their marks this issue. It’s the second chapter in the Bigfoot storyline and it shows NO signs of slowing down. There’s some great twists and turns that you’ll never see coming, as well as a healthy mix of mystery, action, and surprises. In fact, the last couple of pages are quite shocking, and it’ll have you counting the days until the next issue. After the end of Kevin Smith’s adapted screenplay in this title, I was very afraid that the title would flounder around looking for its own identity, but thanks to Phil Hester, it has flown seamlessly into a fantastic title that I want to read every month, no exceptions. And, this going beyond my love for the franchise, this is a very entertaining comic, that excels because it doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. Look at the title and you know what you’re getting into, the writers know that and give you exactly what you want.