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!

A new documentary entitled Wonder Woman: The Untold Story of American Superheroines, which focuses on the growth and development of superheroines through comics, war, feminism, and the Riot Grrl movement of more recent years, will be showcased at the South By Southwest (SXSW) film festival.

While the documentary spends time on Wonder Woman, from the trailer which you can watch here below, it appears that the documentary is truly about feminism and how gender roles are displayed in popular culture depending on society’s attitude towards women at the time. The documentary is being directed by Kristy Guevara-Flanagan (Going on 13) and features appearances by Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman), Lindsay Wagner (The Bionic Woman), Kathleen Hana from punk band Bikini Kill, Gloria Steinem, Trina Robbins, and more to discuss the impact of pop culture’s portrayal of women in media.

The Six Million Dollar Man
The Complete Season One
DVD
TimeLife

I recently had a chance to view the series The Six Million Dollar Man Season 1 on DVD. The classic show follows the adventures of former astronaut Colonel Steve Austin (Lee Majors), who was horribly injured after crashing an experimental airplane. Austin is rebuilt with bionic parts. He has a bionic arm, eye, and two bionic legs. He can run at incredible speeds, has superhuman strength in his bionic arm and can see over great distances.

Colonel Austin repays his debt to the people who built him by going on secret missions. I remember watching reruns of this show as a child and playing with my brother’s Steve Austin action figure. This DVD set brought back a lot of those memories. The Six Million Dollar Man was a fun, action-packed show. Some of the effects seem a little dated. There was a fight scene between Steve Austin and an alligator that looks hilarious now. However, the show still retains its charm.