The Bionic Man #11
Written by Phil Hester
Art by Ed Tadeo
Inks by John Lucas
Colors by Thiago Ribeiro
Letters by Simon Bowland
Covers by Alex Ross & Jonathan Lau
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: July 25, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Bionic Man #11 is the TRUE test of this series. The adaptation of Kevin Smith’s movie is over. The origin is done. From here on out, it’s brand new adventures and status quo for Steve Austin and friends. So, does the book still hold up?

First off, I can answer the above question with two words. Phil. Hester. It’s PHIL HESTER!!! OF COURSE it’s still going to be good!! I was very interested to see what would happen when Hester was allowed to create his own stories on this title – the result. Action, charm, heart, and one darn entertaining comic book. Some of the best comics that were ever written were HUMAN stories, they just happened to star a person that had a magic lasso, a magic ring, or could swing from building to building on a webline. This is exactly what we have here – a great story starring a man who’s part machine. After 10 issues of Steve Austin ripping other cyborgs limb from limb, stopping airplanes with his bare hands, and other feats of bionic proportions, it’s nice to see him with his family, and see how Steve Austin the MAN deals with the problems that they’re facing. A well thought out, heart-warming story and a refreshing change of pace from the last ten issues.

Artist Ed Tadeo is quite a change from Dynamite’s #1 artist, Jonathan Lau. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This is almost a total 180 in artistic style for the series, and again, it’s nice to have a change of pace once in a while. Tadeo does very well conveying the raw emotion in this issue. From facial expressions to body language, he hits all his marks here, that’s for sure. He also does a great job keeping the look and feel of the previous issues, it’s not a jarring change, more subtle than anything. While it might take a while for readers to get used to his art, I’m sure they will, and I can’t wait to see him draw some all out bionic action. There IS action in this issue, just not at the level of the previous ten. All said and done, a good start for Tadeo.

This issue reminded me a lot of a television episode. It focused mainly on Steve, and the bionics only came into play a couple of times (just like in some episodes of the series). It’s a great issue that’s going to leave you with a smile when you’re done. I look very forward to what the creative team brings to the table now that the movie adaptation is over.