Bionic Woman: Season Four #4 Review

By Edward on Tuesday, December 23rd, 2014

Well, the last issue ended with a pretty big reveal, leaving Bionic Woman: Season Four #4 with something to live up to. Fortunately, as far as closing the first arc goes, it manages to get a great deal of things right.

First, the official description from Dynamite:

It’s the final issue of Dynamite’s Bionic Woman revival! Jaime Sommers will do anything she can to escape North Eden…but not if it means leaving the town’s innocent citizens behind. There are surprises around every corner (and we mean that), with plenty of bionic action and intrigue along the way! Guest-starring The Six Million Dollar Man!

All in all, this issue isn’t perfect, but it’s still good. It’s exciting, quick and offers a satisfying conclusion. Personally, I don’t think this title needs to even ‘guest star’ The Six Million Dollar Man (Steve Austin). At many times, Jaime comes into her own character and this issue certainly makes a good argument in that direction.

In terms of writing, Brandon Jerwa manages to pack a lot into one issue, even if there some areas feel brushed over. Confrontations and fights, for instance, seldom last more than a few panels. Still, Jerwa’s looking at the bigger picture and it’s hard to feel anything other than satisified near the end. The plot never strays too far, yet tries to offer enough depth – as well as develop Jaime as a protagonist – along the way.

Visually, I feel this issue could have done a little more with the setting. Last issue’s reveal was a fantastic one, but the lack of vibrant colour is a key problem with this issue. I don’t mind the night-time scenes in the town, but many of the exterior shots could of done with more vibrant sunlight, reflections or sun flare (not J.J Abrams levels, but a little). Still, aside from Sandra Molina’s timidness with colors, David T Caberra’s pencils do a fine job.

In short, this is an improvement. It tries some unique ideas and, for the most part, it succeeds. However, it leaves few hints for the future, so who knows where this issue is going next.