In Review: The Six Million Dollar Man (2019-) #2

Synopsis: Steve Austin thought he had an easy mission…drop by Japan, stop a bad dude from launching the missile, job done. That was BEFORE his cybernetic leg got chopped off. Now he’s gotta fight for his life, fending off countless samurai mercenaries while his body powers down.

Review: This issue picks up the story from where things left off last month, and the plot thickens.

The Story

Having found and sabotaged the missile. Steve and Niko are cornered and need to find a way out of the missile silo before it all goes up. Elsewhere in the complex the big bad is trying to broker a deal with the soviet union. His plan is to get revenge on the US by using the soon to be destroyed missile against Hawaii.

Will Steve and Niko be able to make good their escape?

The Artwork

David Hahn’s artwork presents us with lots of 70s style action as we see Steve take on a group of Samurai with only one leg and one arm. While trying to ensure that his companion is safely tucked away in a mining cart in which they hope to escape the silo. The design of the Samurai costumes is nicely drawn as is a Stebe Austin who appears to be hopping on one leg while carrying his other body parts in his one remaining arm for the most part of the issue.

Overall

This second issue evolves the relationship between an injured Steve Austin and his spying partner as they make a daring escape.

Christopher Hastings has gotten a pretty good grasp on the pulp adventure style of the classic Six Million Dollar Man series, but at times his writing of Steve’s dialogue seems to lack some of the “Oh boy! Gee whiz!’ nature that the character had in the series and in previous issues that continued on from the TV series. Some of this could maybe be excused given that it is an early adventure for Steve Austin, which is likely set shortly after the original pilot movie.

Despite that one little issue. I’ve found this to be an entertaining story thus far and have really enjoyed the idea of Steve being seriously wounded and having to make fast and dirty repairs to himself while on a mission. It is something we haven’t really seen in the comics, which was a feature in the TV series, but not as seriously so as we see in this book.

Overall. A solid second issue. Which ends with a fun and very dangerous twist.