Six Million Dollar Man-based comic by Kevin Smith launched

[23skidoo]

Even with all the websites and forums, occasionally I still get the thrill of "where the hell did that come from?"

Such as visiting my comic shop today and seeing a new release by Dynamite Comics called The Bionic Man, by Kevin Smith.

Sure enough, it's his take on Steve Austin. Presumably he had to use this title because Universal owns the Six Million Dollar Man title, and Cyborg is owned by DC (for the Teen Titans character). Still, it's cool to see a new comic out. The last time they tried this was in the 90s when Jim Shooter solicited something called Bionix which was to feature reimaginings of Steve and Jaime Sommers, but it never got past a few pages of preview in Wizard or some such publication.

I haven't had a chance to read the new comic yet, but I wonder if Smith is basing it on his mid-90s screenplay for the never made SMDM movie?

Finding it (and IDW's 2011 Doctor Who annual) took some of the sting out of buying the 904th and final issue of the original Action Comics which also came out today.

Alex

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Is KS writing the storyline? Should be interesting if he is, I've loved most everything he's done.

Is anyone familiar doing the art?

 

[davejames]

Did he have to give Steve and Jamie new names as well? Because anytime I see one of these comics where they took a familiar property and then had to change almost everything about it that I remembered, I lose interest.

Like those Ghostbuster comics with the characters who look NOTHING whatsoever like the original actors. lol

 

[Christopher]

Like those Ghostbuster comics with the characters who look NOTHING whatsoever like the original actors. lol

Do you mean the ones from the '80s that used the character designs from the animated series The Real Ghostbusters? That was just because the actors wouldn't license the use of their likenesses. Which is pretty commonplace, but it doesn't mean the rest of the concepts can't be faithful.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I picked it up but have yet to read it yet, it is based on his "Six Million Dollar Man" screenplay. Dyanamite is also publishing his "Green Hornet" comic based on that screen play which is one of my favorite comics on the shelf right now and it's currently being written by Phil Hester. Phil Hester is writing this and the art is from the amazing Jonathon Lau who also draws the "Green Hornet" book.

 

[23skidoo]

As Admiral Young correctly states, it's based on the screenplay Smith wrote in the 1990s. Steve Austin, Oscar Goldman and Rudy Wells are all present and named. Jaime Sommers appears but is not identified by name (she's a blonde schoolteacher who is engaged to marry Steve - in Smith's original screenplay she was identified as Jaime so there's no illusions who this is).

It's not a bad start. The cover art for issue 2 has Steve looking a bit more like Lee Majors than he does in the comic - none of the characters really resemble their TV counterparts. Rudy seems to be based upon how Rudy was depicted in the Charlton comics. Oscar resembles Ioan Gruffudd. Jamie doesn't really look like Lindsay Wagner - she's probably closer to Kristen Bell in this. But the good news is the exaggerated physiques that were planned for the Bionix comic haven't been carried over.

Looks cool - I'll be buying the next one.

Alex

 

[Admiral_Young]

^ If the characters resemble certain actors then it is a pretty good bet those are whom Kevin probably intended to use if it would be made today. He has stated that he approached Jake Gynhenhall to play Britt Reid Jr. and that is who Green Hornet resembles in the comic.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Sure enough, it's his take on Steve Austin. Presumably he had to use this title because Universal owns the Six Million Dollar Man title,

My thought was that there is no way that Steve's enhancements are only costing six mil in 2011.

Just like how Tony Stark started out as a "millionaire" in the 60s, but is now a "billionaire". You have to move with the times.

 

[JoeZhang]

As Admiral Young correctly states, it's based on the screenplay Smith wrote in the 1990s. Steve Austin, Oscar Goldman and Rudy Wells are all present and named. Jaime Sommers appears but is not identified by name (she's a blonde schoolteacher who is engaged to marry Steve - in Smith's original screenplay she was identified as Jaime so there's no illusions who this is).


Alex

She's identified as Jamie in the comic as well.

 

[Christopher]

^As Jamie (which would technically be a different character name) or Jaime? (She was originally going to be called Jamie Sommers, but Lindsay Wagner misspelled it as "Jaime" on a chalkboard so that became the official spelling -- so today we have a number of thirtysomething women named Jaime, including one of my former editors.)

 

[Guy Gardener]

Took me three skimming passes to find it...

Jamie.

 

[23skidoo]

Sure enough, it's his take on Steve Austin. Presumably he had to use this title because Universal owns the Six Million Dollar Man title,

My thought was that there is no way that Steve's enhancements are only costing six mil in 2011.

Or even in 1990-whatever when the screenplay was done. The screenplay, however, retained the title for a plot-based reason that I can't state here because as not many people will have read the screenplay (which was circulated in shops selling movie scripts - that's where I bought my copy in 1999 - and is online if you look hard enough) to explain why the title was retained would be a major spoiler for the comic if it follows the same plotline.

Having said all that, I agree that the title on its own doesn't make much sense, but I do wonder how many SMDM fans are going to miss this because they don't make the connection. I certainly passed it by at first and only went back on my "second scan" of the new release rack and Kevin Smith's name attracted my attention. Only then did I go, "wait a minute..." It might have been a better idea to title this "Steve Austin, The Bionic Man".

Still - minor quibble. Word of mouth - like this - is how most comics get sold these days anyway.

Alex

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Is KS writing the storyline? Should be interesting if he is, I've loved most everything he's done.

It's based on Smith's 1996 screenplay. Phil Hester is adapting it to comics format.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I enjoyed it. Phil Hester does a great job of capturing Kevin's style of humor and nuance from the screenplay and Jonathon Lau is one of my favourite artists right now. I love his sharp and clean style. I'll be following this as well.

 

[23skidoo]

^As Jamie (which would technically be a different character name) or Jaime?

I just checked and it's "Jamie". Oh well!

^ If the characters resemble certain actors then it is a pretty good bet those are whom Kevin probably intended to use if it would be made today.

When I read the script I saw Ben Affleck as Steve and Joey Lauren Adams as Jaime because at the time the script was written/circulated they were part of Smith's Askewniverse acting troupe and Affleck did have a Lee Majors thing going (certainly he got pegged to do a number of action films). I also remember reading years ago some gossip that Chris Rock - yes, that Chris Rock - was being considered for the part. It's possible - because Rock was also part of Smith's team at the time - that he might have been under consideration.

One good thing to say is whether Affleck or Rock had actually made the film, remember how close we came to Jim Carrey making an all-out comedy film based upon SMDM. I know the Bionic Woman remake gets knocked around quite a bit, but this is case where one can legitimately say "it could have been worse".

Alex

 

[Davros]

The original book which inspired it all is an interesting read, but is very dated in some of the adventures he has. A Soviet Union supported Egypt being one that comes to mind.