Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Bionic Woman, Brandon Jerwa, Byron Brewer, Comics, dynamite, entertainment, Jamie Sommers

"The Current Books Are Straight-Up Continuations Of The Classic TV Shows" – Brandon Jerwa Talks Bionic Woman

Published Sat, 19 Jul 2014 17:00:19 -0500

With the recent success of the Six Million Dollar Man: Season Six, Dynamite is taking the obvious next step and giving the Bionic Woman a fourth season in comics. Series writer Brandon Jerwa sat down with Byron Brewer to talk about what he has in mind for Jamie Sommers.

BYRON BREWER: This will be the second Bionic Woman series from Dynamite, the first being in continuity with its re-imagined Bionic Man series. But this is the actual continuation of the popular TV series, right? A fourth "season"?

BRANDON JERWA: Given that the book is called BIONIC WOMAN SEASON FOUR, I certainly hope so! Otherwise, I may have been writing the wrong story!

Jokes aside, you are correct. The first Bionic go-round from Dynamite was a modern reboot, but the current books are straight-up continuations of the classic TV shows.

BB: We have seen Jaime Sommers in Six Million Dollar Man: Season Six already. Will there be continuity between these books?

BJ: There is a sense of continuity, but you can read either series independent of the other. Not that you should skip out on either of them, of course. In fact, I'd check your local laws and ordinances – both Bionic books may actually be legally required reading in some states.

BB: Will the great fashions of the era, as well as the wonderfully cheesy sound effects and slo-mo be a part of this book as they are with Steve Austin's book?

BJ: I don't want the fashions to be distracting for the reading experience, but David Cabrera's been doing a great job of giving a strong sense of the late-70s-early-80s era in his art, but not going completely overboard. The "DE-NE-NE-NE-NE" sound effects are an integral part of the book, but I'm not quite sure how to address the issue of slo-mo action. I guess maybe you could try reading the action scenes at half-speed.

BB: How does the Bionic Woman, as a heroine back in time, compare with some of the femme fatales of our present era?

BJ: Jaime Sommers is far from dated. She's a timeless leading lady, with a strong moral center and a real sense of independence. Steve Austin is more of a weapon, a blunt instrument who doesn't ask a lot of questions; Jaime is every bit as powerful and capable in a fight when she needs to be, but she's definitely possessed of a deeper conscience than Steve is. They're both heroes, no doubt, but Jaime tends to ask "why" a lot more often than Steve does, and I think that's exactly why she's still an effective role model in the 21st century.

BB: Elephant in the room: Were you a fan of the original TV series?

BJ: 100% a fan of both TV shows. SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN and BIONIC WOMAN were appointment television for…well, pretty much everyone that I knew. It was family TV, and I was always thrilled to sit down and watch it with my parents, then talk about it at school with my friends.

BB: Will Oscar, the O.S.I., et al, be a part of this book? Who else might we see from "seasons" past?

BJ: O.S.I is front-and-center here, with Oscar, Rudy, Miss Callahan, and Chris Williams. Max the bionic dog is around, and issue 5 will have a few guest stars that hardcore fans will hopefully be happy to see. And yes, I suppose we can have Steve Austin drop in, but he's not going to be saving Jaime in a guest appearance. She can take perfectly good care of herself, thank you very much.

BB: Are you a fan of David T. Cabrera's art? How is he doing, translating TV "reality" into the comic book realm, not an easy task?

BJ: David's great! I don't know him personally, and we haven't had much direct interaction, but I'd happily work with him again. He's got a nice, clean style, and he clearly – *gasp* – reads the scripts before he draws them. Take note, editors: he appears to be rather fast with a pencil, too.

BB: Will we see Jaime get a signature big-bad, something Steve enjoyed on TV and is enjoying now in his Dynamite comic?

BJ: Hmmm. I suppose there's a chance for the fans to come away from this series with a desire to see more of the main villain, so let's say "yes" to that question.

For more on the Bionic Woman series, click here.

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