Fun to read; powerful storytelling

Motor Girl Vols. 1 and 2 (Real Life and No Man Left Behind, respectively)
Abstract Studio
Creator: Terry Moore
Release Date: 2017

I am no longer a stranger to Terry Moore. I'd read and heard a lot about his epic "Strangers in Paradise" comic before I ever actually gave it a try. I hemmed and hawed with indecision, but picked up the digest-sized collections a time or two when I'd see them at shops. But they never seemed to have the first volume. One day I decided to take the plunge and just try the series. I tracked down all of the trades on either eBay or Amazon.

What I found was an incredible story about two women, their lives, their friends, their loves, etc. This was very much character-drive writing, and Moore was an excellent artist to boot. There was very little not to love!

To top it all off, not long after I finished reading the then-last trade of "Strangers," it was announced that Moore would be working on another story line titled "Echo." This title, oddly enough, also focused on strong female leads. It also had more of a sci-fi slant to it, while still being firmly grounded in the real world. In fact, late in the title's 30-issue run, it was revealed that "Echo" was set in the same universe as "Strangers" thanks to a common character. I collected that title as singles as they came out and enjoyed every issue.

Not long after "Echo" ended, Moore announced his next title, "Rachel Rising," would have a supernatural slant. I purchased that series in singles, as well, sticking with it well into the upper 20s. I still enjoyed Moore's strong writing, his beautiful artwork and his powerful female leads, even the undead ones, but it began to feel to me like the narrative of "Rachel" was beginning to meander a bit. Look back at some of my past posts and you can read more of my thoughts on Moore's previous titles.

But after I gave up on "Rachel Rising," I didn't heard about any more Terry Moore projects for a while. In fact, I failed to notice when "Motor Girl" was announced or solicited or released. I was happily surprised one day doing my comics order to see a new Terry Moore trade, and decided to give it a try.

I was glad I did. "Motor Girl" is "Sam"antha Locklear, a Marine Corps veteran fresh out of Iraq, where she was captured and tortured by the enemy. Back stateside, she now works in a Nevada desert junk yard where she prefers to be alone — except for the imaginary gorilla she calls Mike, her best friend; her boss, Libby, a grumpy but sweet old lady; and some comical little green men who land in her back yard with "engine trouble." Unfortunately, the arrival of the aliens brings some shadowy industrial/government types nosing around, too. And Sam is suffering from headaches and post-traumatic stress disorder from her ordeal in Iraq.

That first trade was everything I expected it to be. It was funny. It had a sense of drama and mystery. And there was also a sense of heavy foreboding regarding Sam's health. This book was definitely a keeper, and I kept watch for the second trade.

I was surprised to learn the month after I ordered that second trade that a "Motor Girl" omnibus would soon be solicited. That makes this the shortest Moore story I am aware of to date with only 10 issues to wrap up Sam's story. And I can confirm after now having re-read the first trade and reading the second trade that this is an incredible story about yet another strong female lead character.

Both volumes are great reads, and I am happy to recommend that anyone give them a chance. If you've read and enjoyed other Terry Moore Abstract Studio comics, you'll love this one, too. And If you've never tried his comics, this is a great one to start with. His work is deserving of your attention!

Sticking with original ideas and concepts

The Twilight Experiment tpb
DC Comics
Creators: Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, Juan Santacruz, Jose Luis Roger, Carrie Strachan and Phil Balsman
Release date: 2005

I got this book from a seller on eBay almost three years ago. When I buy out-of-continuity books like this one, especially trades, they often get tossed on a stack to be read when I have a chance. I didn't know anything about this title going in, so I imagine I purchased it because of the writers, Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray.

I don't always like comics written by this frequent writing duo when they tackle established characters. I guess sometimes their idea of what company-owned characters like the Teen Titans members would do or how they'd act in given situations don't always line up with mine. But I have liked a lot of stories this pair has written using their own, original characters. Don't believe me? Check out these previous posts on Hype, Book Smart and Time Bomb, all penned by Palmiotti and Gray.

This collected six-issue miniseries is no exception. It was printed by DC Comics, but takes place in its own universe, not the DCU proper. In this world, there were only a handful of super-powered beings, and when they all destroyed each other, they took a good chunk of Denver, Colo., with them. This story focuses on Rene Doyle, a troubled paramedic who lost most of her family in the Denver battle when she was just a child, and Michael, the super-powered son of one of the heroes who gave her life trying to stop the violence that day. The two meet by chance, but soon find out that not only do they have a lot in common, they may be the world's only hope of preventing another, even greater tragedy.

Another great story by a simply terrific writing duo — at least when they are writing their own, original characters. And there's nothing wrong with that!

It's all about respect for the source material

The Bionic Man Volume 1: Some Assembly Required tpb
Dynamite Entertainment
Creators: Kevin Smith, Phil Hester, Jonathan Lau, Ivan Nunes, Simon Bowland, Alex Ross and Jason Ullmeyer
Release date: 2012

Bottom line: I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and I owe it all to Scott Gardner.

I've talked before about what a mixed bag I often find licensed properties in comics to be. Some are really good; but others really, really stink. On top of that, while I like a lot of Kevin Smith's movies, his comics work has also been a mixed bag for me. I really liked his relaunches of Daredevil for Marvel Comics in 1998 and Green Arrow for DC in 2001. Can't stand his work on Batman, though. Batman: Cacophony from 2008 was horrid.

So when I heard the news that Dynamite Comics had secured the license and planned to resurrect the idea of The Bionic Man, I was skeptical. Hearing that Kevin Smith would be the writer didn't change my mind. And the tragically botched attempt at a "Bionic Woman" reboot on television from several years prior was the final piece of evidence in my mind. Modern creators weren't handling Steve Austin or Jamie Summers right. No need to waste money on this comic. Nothing good could come of it.

And I never had reason to second-guess that opinion. Not until I listened to Scott Gardner rave about the then-new title on an old episode of one of his podcasts, Comics Monthly Monday.

A brief aside: For those of you who didn't read my post on podcasts, in a nutshell, I'm anal. I like to listen to podcasts when I exercise. But when I find a podcast I like, I want to listen to it from the beginning. I have more than a dozen I like to listen to, but my time to do so is quite limited, and many of the creators involved have been podcasting for quite a while. Long story short, I'm listening to podcasts from several years ago, not current ones. Right now, I'm listening to early 2012 podcasts because I just finished the 2011 episodes of my favorite shows. And it was during the December 2011 episode of Comics Monthly Monday, I'm pretty sure, that Scott, one of the three co-hosts of the show, was raving about the issues of The Bionic Man that he'd picked up.

He spoke so highly of the book and its faithfulness to the heart of "The Six Million Dollar Man" television program that introduced most of us to the concept of cyborgs and Col. Steve Austin (Yes, I know the show was based on the novel "Cyborg" by Martin Caidin from 1972, but the vast majority of the show's fans only learned about the book after first watching the show it inspired.), that I decided to give the series a try in trade.

The opening arc takes no less than 10 issues, all of which are collected in this larger than usual trade paperback collection. And Scott Gardner was quite correct. This series is very, very good.

It isn't the 1970s television program re-presented in comic book form. It has been updated for a modern audience. But in updating the concepts, the creators involved did not lose sight of what made fans of the television program love the show. The name was simplified to The Bionic Man because $6 million doesn't carry the financial heft it used to, but Smith finds a way to work in a special significance for the figure in this modern story as well. Also here are the red track suit; familiar phrases like "Colonel Steve Austin. A man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology." and "We'll make him better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster."; Max the bionic dog; that cool sound effect from the show when Steve's bionics are being used. It's all here, maybe in slightly different contexts, but in ways that make sense in this new story while also showing a love for what has come before.

That's part of what makes this such a great comic. It's also why I liked the 1998 movie "Lost in Space" so much when it was not well received by most. That film had a lot of nods to the old TV show, while still forging its own path and finding a new story to tell. So many reboots or relaunches of old concepts today seem to say, "Let's take this old property and fix what's wrong with it." Well, if it was popular enough in its day that you are considering bringing it back, maybe you should have a little more respect for the old property. Maybe some of the ideas and concepts then will seem hokey today, but rather than poke fun of the property for that, find a new reason to make those elements relevant. Because quite often, those are the same elements that made the concept popular the first time around.

The Bionic Man is not an old episode retold in a new format. There are a number of changes and different concepts in this story that make it fresh. But it doesn't forget that there's a reason for the show's popularity. This book is well worth checking out whether or not you ever watched "The Six Million Dollar Man." I definitely think so. Thanks, Scott!