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!

Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt #4
Written by Steve Darnall & Alex Ross
Illustrated by Jonathan Lau
Colors by Vinicius Andrade
Letters by Simon Bowland
Covers by Alex Ross & Stephen Segovia
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: December 12, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt #4 is one fantastic comic book! It’s got a very old school vibe, yet it’s set in modern times, making it one of the few properties that can actually work in modern day. Dynamite has done other pulp heroes and wisely left them in their original time frame, but the creative team proves that Peter Cannon can be updated for current times with great success.

Steve Darnall and Alex Ross bring you an action-packed, well thought out, fun, and entertaining comic to us this month. There is SO much going on in this book, it’s crazy. You’ve got about six different mysteries and subplots running at the same time, yet it’s never confusing or misleading. This issue in particular is a lot of build up to what’s coming, yet the writers are able to weave some great action seamlessly into the story without going out of their way and making it awkward. The character of Peter Cannon is SO interesting, I dare say he’s one of the most entertaining characters in comics today. He’s a modern day guru with deep, dark hidden secrets and he’s also headed towards a war that he probably won’t win. Yet, the character is never bogged down in needless self pity; he’s a true hero and there’s a lot of those missing in comics today.

Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt #1
Written by Steve Darnall & Alex Ross
Art by Jonathan Lau
Colors by Vinicius Andrade
Letters by Simon Bowland
Covers by Alex Ross, John Cassaday, Jae Lee & Ardian Syaf
Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt Ashcan
Foreword by Mark Waid
Written & Illustrated by Pete Morisi
Colored by Mike Kelleher
Pete’s Dragon
Written by Steve Darnall
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: September 5, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt #1 is probably one, if not THE MOST, original super hero story that you’ll read this year. Hands down, bar none. It’s a great change of pace from the “normal” super hero genre books that are being published right now. In short, pretty sure you’re gonna enjoy this one.

Where the heck has writer Steve Darnall been? I read a LOT of comics, ladies and gentlemen, but I haven’t seen his name in a looooooong time. And that’s a shame. In fact, after an exhausting internet search, I can’t find anything credited to him since 1999. Again, really a shame. I absolutely LOVED this book and so will you. It’s quite different from a lot of first issues, there’s no book length long origin, no “I shall be called THUNDERBOLT” moment, but there are panels and inner monologue that give us small clips and snippets of an origin, and the rest pretty much takes care of itself.

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.