The Bionic Woman: Season Four #2 Review

After an okay first issue, The Bionic Woman: Season Four #2 has a lot to do. It needs to set the pace, keep us engaged and let us know the direction of the title. As far as comics go, this one has potential but is it still too early to judge it as a whole?

The official description from Dynamite:

After a dangerous encounter with a new enemy, Jaime Sommers finds herself in a strange new place! Trouble lurks around every corner in an idyllic little town, and our heroine is cut off from her O.S.I. support system. What are the bizarre secrets being concealed by the people of North Eden?

If there’s one thing I like about this issue, it’s the pacing. Season Four #2 doesn’t dawdle. Right from the start, it jumps into the plot and develops at a nice enough pace. Similarly, it’s fleshed out enough that there are jsut the right amount of details to keep people satisfied – everything else is either teased later, or unimportant. The whole result is a very rounded package that, despite a few flaws, really gets to grips with the comic format.

In terms of writing, some of the dialoge comes across as unnecessary, but I guess Jaime has to say something during a fight. Brandon Jerwa is a capable writer, although the period and tone of the title do sometimes come in the way. This issue plays up the homely life of small town America, which newer readers might not get. Likewise, the attempts to define Jaime as a capable woman are well justified, but her image is often juxtaposed against house wifes or other cyber-women. It’s somewhere between a strong female lead and just throwing women in and calling it done. Still, I think it’s on the right track.

As for the visual treatment, David T. Caberra offers good pencil work. His sketches aren’t the most detailed, but they get the point across. Facial features, for instance, are sometimes kept simple – especially with Jaime – but I think that works here. Nothing feels forced or over drawn, which makes the whole issue easier to read. Similarly, the use of color is varied enough to keep me sustained and ensures the pages look a little different from one another, all thanks to Sandra Molina.

All in all, this is a good second issue – not perfect, but easy to pick up, read and enjoy. So far, so good then.