If you've been reading THE BIONIC MAN from Dynamite Entertainment or are familiar with the different versions of the show, you have an idea who the Bionic Woman is. Earlier this month Dynamite officially announced THE BIONIC WOMAN series would be debuting in March.
With this being Paul Tobin's first time working with Dynamite Entertainment, we had the opportunity to speak with him on his plans for the new series.
Comic Vine: First of all, is it Jamie or Jaime?
Paul Tobin: It's Jaime! Definitely. I've seen her birth certificate and gym membership.
CV: In THE BIONIC MAN #1, Steve Austin (the Bionic Man) is engaged to Jaime and she's a fifth grade teacher. How does she go from teacher to ending up in Paris, on the trail of the "The Mission"?
PT: Ahh, well... that's the tale, ain't it? There's a lot of back story to be brought to light, such as Jaime's relationship with OSI and Steve Austin, as well as her relationship with who she used to be. I'll be exploring these aspects of her character, and of how she went from Point A to Point O, in the evolving storyline. Some big secrets to be revealed.
CV: Where will this book fit in with the current BIONIC MAN? Will the books have a separate feel or will there be tight continuity?
PT: A bit of both, really. THE BIONIC WOMAN is definitely its own book, with its own feel, supporting cast, etc. But Jaime and Steve live in the same world, and lead similar lives, so their paths do cross from time to time, and it's not always going to be for the best. It's like when you break up with someone... suddenly you're running across them EVERYWHERE it seems, and the heartache won't go away, and you're wondering why they're laughing as they're buying oranges, or you're wondering why they're driving a taxi when you're bounding across Parisian rooftops and running through traffic, dodging incoming fire and trying for a good angle on the rooftop snipers. We've all been there.
CV: Originally (I believe) she only had a bionic arm, legs and ear. Will she have the same bionic parts?
PT: She does have all of those. Yes, indeed. Does she have anything else? Well... all women are mysteries, and Jaime is a bit more mysterious than most, and her bag of tricks is far more interesting.
CV: Will the first issue feature her getting the bionic parts or will she already have them?
PT: She already has them as we begin. We wanted to get right into the action... to explode her life onto the pages. I think the story of how she became bionic is important, but well enough established that we don't need to revolve a storyline around it at this point. There ARE some secrets to be told, still, about it, though... and those will come in time.
CV: Because she came from a sports background, Jamie had some advantages over Steve with the bionics. Will that still be the case?
PT: I think they both have advantages over each other. Steve wins in terms of sheer power, but Jaime wins in enough other categories that I think she'd be the one holding the trophy in the end.
CV: What kind of warranty does she get for her parts and how often do they need to be maintained/tuned up?
PT: Oh man... I could tell you stories. Tune ups. Upgrades. I've gone with her to the insurance agent. Well, her NEWEST insurance agent. She's been through like twenty of them since I became friends with her. And her mechanics have put all their children through college thanks to Jaime. In fact, I believe the mechanics are just handing out free scholarships at this point.
We'll be sure to keep an eye out for THE BIONIC WOMAN #1 in March.
