The Six Million Dollar Man: Season 6 #2 Review


Six Million Dollar Man Series 6 Issue 2 alternativeI wasn’t too fond of the opening issue, so The Six Million Dollar Man: Season 6 #2 has a lot of ground to cover. That said, it seems very rooted in its direction so does suggest a strong future for the title?

The official description from Dynamite:

Steve Austin is back in action with an all new issue of classic bionic adventure! A government conspiracy has led to the closure of the Bionics Program forcing Oscar Goldman to reassign his most valuable agents and scramble for options. Without Rudy Wells’ constant maintenance and upgrades, it’s only a matter of time before Steve and Jamie’s bionic technology runs down and ultimately fails. NASA scientists study the otherworldly entity enveloping the Venus Probe while a strange alien hybrid takes its first steps on Earth and begins sowing the seeds of conquest. And while Steve faces a dangerous Russian wilderness to uncover the secrets of a new Cold War technology, MASKATRON faces off against the Seven Million Dollar Man! Welcome back to the age of bionic action with the return of the original Six Million Dollar Man!

Overall, I’d say this is an improvement from the last issue, if only because it dives into what the opening issue established. Although the title already pushed the space angle, the addition of Russian interests here really plays to the strengths offered by Six Million Dollar Man’s time period. Steve also isn’t punching sharks in this one so, while it plays with some old school science fiction concepts, the whole comic feels much more grounded in reality.

Still, it’s more of a slow-roller to what some might be used to, yet that doesn’t mean its devoid of any worthwhile action. Jim Kuhoric is showing improvement, however. As I mentioned, bringing the Russians to the foreground is crucial, but Steve Austin also appears much more rounded out as a character in this issue. Likewise, the building blocks for future developments are clearly here, adding more significance to minor scenes and events.

Similar, Six Million Dollar Man: Season 6 #2 is still looking impressive. It’s not vibrant, but Fran Gamboa’s colors show a lot of variety between each scene. Juan Antonio Ramirez also offers decent pencils and he understands facial expressions. Whether or not these characters are instantly recognizable to a fan of the show is something I wouldn’t know, but I’m able to tell who is who from page to page – a problem that occasionally bugged The Bionic Man‘s take on Steve Austin.

All in all, it’s still early days for this title but its starting to show promise. I’m still not entirely sure if this will hold major appeal to those unaware of the original show’s run, but its so far enjoyable and engaging without drowning in back-story or nostalgia.

OUR RATING
6.5
  • + Steve Austin is much more believable...
  • + Jim Kuhoric pushes the cold war themes
  • - Breaks up into numerous plot segments
  • - Not everyone gets the nostalgia for old-school sci-fi.

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