The Bionic Man #12
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: August 22, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

When reading The Bionic Man #12, pretty much two words came to mind. HOLY. SHIT. Now, I doubt if BOTH those words will make the final edit of this review, and to my editor, I apologize for them, but honestly, reading the whole issue, that is what I was thinking.

There are certain fights that you will always remember. The parking lot fight in They Live. The opening fight in Casino Royale. The News Team gang fight in Anchorman. Rocky vs. Drago in Rocky IV. The runway fight scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, and now, Col. Steve Austin vs. Bigfoot. What we get from writers Phil Hester and Aaron Gillespie in this issue is basically a love letter/homage to those fights and from now on, The Bionic Man #12 will be known in years to come as “the one where he fights Bigfoot.” While I won’t go into spoilers, what starts off as another kind of story entirely turns into one of the best comic book fights that I HAVE EVER READ EVER. TWICE during the book I actually cringed, and that hasn’t happened since I was like 12.

The Bionic Woman #3
Written by Paul Tobin
Art by Leno Carvalho
Colors by Mark Roberts
Letters by Simon Bowland
Cover by Paul Renaud
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: August 29, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Comics don’t come more action packed then The Bionic Woman #3. From start to finish, you don’t really get a chance to catch your breath. I’ll be honest, I’m a mark for Steve Austin and Jaime Sommers, but I can’t get over how GREAT this comic is. It’s very far removed from your average licensed spin-off.

Writer Paul Tobin makes you forget that this is a licensed comic. He turns in the latest chapter in a fantastic story that takes Jaime all over the globe, in search of a team of people who are stealing body parts to sell to the highest bidder. And now, they want to go after Jaime and her bionic limbs. The action is fast and furious and Tobin does some GREAT characterization this issue. Even though Jaime’s lost most, if not all, of her memory, Tobin really gives us a sense of just who she is and what she wants and what she’s fighting for.

The Bionic Man #11
Written by Phil Hester
Art by Ed Tadeo
Inks by John Lucas
Colors by Thiago Ribeiro
Letters by Simon Bowland
Covers by Alex Ross & Jonathan Lau
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: July 25, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Bionic Man #11 is the TRUE test of this series. The adaptation of Kevin Smith’s movie is over. The origin is done. From here on out, it’s brand new adventures and status quo for Steve Austin and friends. So, does the book still hold up?

First off, I can answer the above question with two words. Phil. Hester. It’s PHIL HESTER!!! OF COURSE it’s still going to be good!! I was very interested to see what would happen when Hester was allowed to create his own stories on this title – the result. Action, charm, heart, and one darn entertaining comic book. Some of the best comics that were ever written were HUMAN stories, they just happened to star a person that had a magic lasso, a magic ring, or could swing from building to building on a webline. This is exactly what we have here – a great story starring a man who’s part machine. After 10 issues of Steve Austin ripping other cyborgs limb from limb, stopping airplanes with his bare hands, and other feats of bionic proportions, it’s nice to see him with his family, and see how Steve Austin the MAN deals with the problems that they’re facing. A well thought out, heart-warming story and a refreshing change of pace from the last ten issues.

The Bionic Man #10
Based on a story by Kevin Smith
Script by Kevin Smith with Phil Hester
Pencils by Jonathan Lau
Colors by Ivan Nunes
Letters by Simon Bowland
Covers by Alex Ross & Jonathan Lau
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: July 11, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

The Bionic Man #10 is the epic conclusion to the first arc of the series!! And believe me, it sure lives up to the hype. Ten issues building up to this one and you are NOT gonna be disappointed at all.

Writers Kevin Smith and Phil Hester bring everything full circle in this issue. Steve Austin faces off against the enemy he was destined to ever since issue one. While I won’t go into spoilers, it’s one hell of a knock-down drag-out fight. I really wish that this HAD been made into a movie, because seeing it on the big screen would be simply breathtaking. Like I said, Smith and Hester manage to bring everything full circle, and I mean EVERYTHING. At the end of the issue, all the storylines have been resolved, and they set up a new, surprising, status quo for Colonel Steve Austin. They send the book off in a brand new direction that should be, frankly, awesome. It’s been one heck of a ride getting to this point, but I can only see this book getting better now that the origin story is done and out of the way.

The Bionic Woman #2
Written by Paul Tobin
Art by Leno Carvalho
Colors by Mark Roberts
Letters by Simon Bowland
Cover by Paul Renaud
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: May 30, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Poor Jamie Summers. In Bionic Woman #2, she really gets put to the test of her new “powers.” This after thinking she lost her long-time boyfriend, Steve Austin, in a tragic explosion, then surviving an accident that left her almost dead. But thankfully, she got better. Better…stronger…faster.

Author Paul Tobin knows how to write two things really well: women and action. In a world where the only super powers that the main character has is being “really strong” Tobin makes this book exciting and intriguing all at the same time. Yes, being a cyborg isn’t really a huge super power in the current comic universe, but what I love about this is that Tobin MAKES it awesome in this world. One thing that I really like about the character of Jamie Summers is that she doesn’t feel sorry for herself. There’s no “I’m a machine, not a woman” tears or breakdowns or anything like that. Just straight-up butt kicking!