Bionic Woman #3 Review

The Bionic Woman #3 succeeds, for the most part, in offering a different experience from The Bionic Man. This series definitely looks more action packed, although the main character might appeal to different readers than fans of Steve Austin.

First, the official description from Dynamite:

The Bionic Woman is smashing down mansion doors and kicking holes in yachts, dodging bullets in the tropics and turning super-spy in the Mediterranean, all in a frenzied quest to uncover the real secrets behind the Mission, and shut them down once and for all. But she’s not the only one on a hunt, and she’s about to find out that you should never kick a hole in a yacht you’re on and that not all bullets can be dodged.

The first noticeable difference with The Bionic Woman is in the action and writing. This issue is very fluid. The opening sequences certainly offer a great introduction to the issue, establishing the character of Jaime Sommers and her capabilities. The main difference between Sommers and Austin (of the Bionic Man) is that Austin is largely independent from his agency. Sommer’s, and The Bionic Woman comic takes a different approach, showing an agent dedicated to her job. This in turn transforms the nature of this title, showing a more military and action-centric title. This is certainly part of the charm of The Bionic Woman; its not simply a rehash of themes explored in The Bionic Man.

Yet, on the other hand, as the title suggests, The Bionic Woman goes to great lengths to point out that Sommers is, in fact, female. This really isn’t necessary, there is room and potential for this character to grow on her own regardless of gender. Not only is her gender used to subdue men, but even her close friend makes advances. Occasionally uses suit the story, but The Bionic Woman #3 often reduces Sommer’s talents to nothing more than eye-candy, despite the impressive opening sequences.  Steve Austin doesn’t get chatted up every issue, and it shouldn’t be any different here.

That said, the title is still successful in creating drama and tension. The latter scenes show more of Sommer’s psyche, as well as setting up the scene for future issues. In short, this is a great issue if you can get past the main character’s portrayal.