This past week saw the thrilling conclusion of THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN: SEASON SIX release from Dynamite Entertainment. Writer James Kuhoric discusses some of the ins and outs of the issue in some commentary for the last issue of the series. Check it out.
“Steve Austin, astronaut: a man barely alive...” Every time I hear the credits to The Six Million Dollar Man’s iconic opening sequence with that unmistakable Oliver Nelson instrumental theme music I get chills. Silly? Sure, but it evokes a very strong memory of the magic of childhood imagination in me and takes me back to a time when I looked at the world with much less cynical eyes. It was a time when I believed in the impossible. In my kindergarten brain I feverishly thought that a square jawed eyebrow raising hero could right the wrongs of the world and that maybe, just maybe, if I was lucky enough that one day I’d be bionic too. Of course I also thought I’d have a jetpack by now or at the very least a hover car. Call me crazy, but I’d rather be buzzing around like the Rocketeer than using an iPhone, but I digress.
We’re here to talk about The Six Million Dollar Man: Season Six #6. This is the last issue of the series for now, though the original SMDMS6 arc was plotted to be 18 issues. We originally wanted it to be very much like a multi-episode “season,” but alas sometimes even the most careful laid plans need to be altered based on the realities of the industry. That said, we did our best to make this six issue chapter as complete as possible and to give everyone closure on the many episodic threads that were running through the series. Stay tuned to find out where we will continue those arcs...
For any commentary I think you have to start with the covers. It has been one of the highpoints of my comic reading life to have worked with Alex Ross on this project. I’m a comic book fan first and Alex has done some of the biggest projects of the past two decades. Honestly I’m still shocked that he wanted my input for what to put on the covers and the results were even better than I could have hoped for (like – “jetpack” level if I dare say so). This last cover has it all. I could have seen this as a TV Guide cover back in the day. But central to it all is Steve and Jaime fighting back to back against a horde of robots and Fembots. All I can say is “bravo,” this cover sums up the spirit of the series perfectly. And of course we have to thank Ken Haeser for the charming “Lil’ Bionics” covers. I mean who doesn’t love Steve, Jaime, and Bionic Bigfoot whipping up on a bunch of Lil’ Maskatrons? Fun stuff all around!
Alright, on with the show we go...
Page 1
There should be something a little creepy about the surgical procedure here...we know where those bionics came from and if Steve finds out Oscar may have a whole new problem on his hands. You can understand the desperation of needing to get their main man back up and running, but even Rudy knows that some moral lines are being crossed here. Oscar has always been able to manage touch and go situations; I guess we will see what happens down the road.
Pages 2 – 3
Artist David Cabrera did a nice job of portraying Jaime in particular on these pages. I was a little worried about seeing Rudy actually pulling out the alien barbs; doesn’t he know you shouldn’t touch that stuff? Ah well, it was the 70s I suppose. We didn’t wear seat belts and never wore helmets either. I’m still not sure how I survived to adulthood.
Pages 4 – 5
I don’t know why, but something about the scientist holding the robotic leg with the high heels on it made me chuckle. It might be the look on his face...I think he may be considering making it into a lamp. But seriously, the sequence with Parker and Oliver Spencer is one of my favorites. There’s a moment of humanity in Spencer’s driven personality and then back to business. The 3, 2, 1 panel is very cool.
Page 6
Dr. Dolenz is a bit maniacal here isn’t he.
Pages 7 – 8
Classic 70s TV here in this sequence. It is great seeing Steve whole again, but there is no way he’s letting Jaime go on this mission without him.
Pages 9 – 12
I love this action scene! From start to finish I can see it play out as if we were watching the series. The bionic door smash to the use of Steve’s telescopic vision spotting the fire hose, this just needs the music and sound effects to be right out of the show. I especially loved the image for the ghosted slow motion run as Steve bolts through the facility. I’m a kid again watching this unfold!
Page 13
Oliver Spencer isn’t a likeable guy, but he is trying to do the right thing. He knows Maskatron is his responsibility. But despite the ability to make the control connection, he may be paying with his life for his aggressive attempt to shut the automaton down. And look where Maskatron is...San Angelo, California. Hmmm...
Page 14
Oscar to me was the perfect boss to have. Sadly...in real life I don’t think he exists at least not in my employment history. Here is a guy who is both a true friend and a loyal supporter. Sure he knows that he has to produce results, but he stands up for his people and you know he really cares more than just about getting the job done. Oscar took the OSI mole thing very seriously. Seriously enough to lose it in front of his boss, the Secretary of State. Fans of SMDM will recognize a few touches here – first you never see the Secretary, he’s always sort of faceless in the show. And second...that last panel is both homage to a classic SMDM episode and a clue about the true identity of the OSI traitor.
Pages 15 – 19
This is the climax of the episode where Steve has to face the alien version of his friend Joan Anderson. I think it is done in classic Steve Austin style. He uses his bionics to fend off the threat but always tries to save the person behind the conflict. It is just like Steve to give the oxygen to Joan and risk his life to save her. For his bravery he gets a hint that the woman he knows is still there beneath the surface. My only regret in this sequence is that we didn’t have space to show Jaime arrive, see Steve in the tank, and leap to the top of the structure. That’s just a fun sequence I play in my head as the scene comes to a close. Yeah...I do that a lot.
Page 20
I see this page as the last few minutes of the episode as we get the wrap up in classic 70s style. We aren’t sure what the future holds for Steve and Jaime, but I can tell you that things are going the right direction. There are problems and issues they have to work out, sure, but these two were meant to be together. More on that to come.
Page 21 – 22
And so here we are...the epilogues. These are the neat and tidy little summaries that show us what is coming up next on the Six Million Dollar Man. The funny thing is that I can hear the SMDM voiceover while reading these scenes. Next time on the Six Million Dollar Man...Barney Hiller has become something more than human. Will the robotics push his unstable mind over the edge? The Russians have a new Death Probe and it is out for Steve Austin’s blood. This time it’s personal... And Maskatron continues his quest to become human. Will he find the link to his future in the lair of Bionic Bigfoot? Tune in next time to the Six Million Dollar Man!
That’s it folks, I hope you enjoyed the series as much as I loved writing it. There are so many more stories yet to be told. Stay tuned to this Bionic Publishing Network for more Six Million Dollar Man!