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The Six Million Dollar Man: Fall of Man
The year is 1979. Iran has seized American hostages. Columbian drug cartels run rampant. Amid this deeply troubled world, Steve Austin - the legendary Six Million Dollar Man - is America's best hope in its fight against innumerable enemies. When Steve discovers disturbing secrets in OSI's past, he uses his cybernetic upgrades to rebel against the agency... but he'll face plenty of threats, like an enemy cyborg, lasers, and ninjas!
Reviews:
"A call-back to the original television series with a fresh, exciting new story." - Word of the Nerd
"A sleeper success for a seventies reboot that feels like it's rebuilding a franchise." - Multiversity Comics
Reviews:
"A call-back to the original television series with a fresh, exciting new story." - Word of the Nerd
"A sleeper success for a seventies reboot that feels like it's rebuilding a franchise." - Multiversity Comics
- GenresGraphic NovelsComics
128 pages, Paperback
Published April 18, 2017
About the author
Van Jensen
174 books111 followersVan Jensen is the acclaimed author of the award-winning GODFALL trilogy (Grand Central). The sci-fi/thriller genre mashup series is in development for TV with Academy Award winner Ron Howard attached to direct and Jensen serving as executive producer.
Jensen was born and raised in the farm country of Western Nebraska where he wrote and drew stories as soon as he could hold a pencil. He became a newspaper crime reporter, then a magazine editor, and eventually an author of comic books and graphic novels. He has written some of the world’s biggest characters, including James Bond, Godzilla, and The Flash, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern for DC Comics. His original graphic novels include ARCA (IDW), Two Dead (Simon & Schuster/Gallery 13), Two Dead (Dark Horse), and Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer (Top Shelf/IDW).
He also writes and produces for film and TV.
Jensen was born and raised in the farm country of Western Nebraska where he wrote and drew stories as soon as he could hold a pencil. He became a newspaper crime reporter, then a magazine editor, and eventually an author of comic books and graphic novels. He has written some of the world’s biggest characters, including James Bond, Godzilla, and The Flash, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern for DC Comics. His original graphic novels include ARCA (IDW), Two Dead (Simon & Schuster/Gallery 13), Two Dead (Dark Horse), and Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer (Top Shelf/IDW).
He also writes and produces for film and TV.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 20, 2026
"I'm not playing by the old rules anymore . . . " -- Colonel Steve Austin, our bionic title character
That above-included quote is one of the indicators that Dynamite's The Six Million Dollar Man: Fall of Man graphic novel does not quite work as well as their previous volume Season Six. Again set in 1979 - as if this was an extension of the 1973-1978 hit TV series by Universal Studios - the dark plot leans a little too heavily into some conspiracy activity that feels more cynically 21st century than period-appropriate for that unique decade that saw such intrigue-laced cinematic gems as Chinatown, The Parallax View, and All the President's Men. While the action scenes are quite good - the opening moment has Austin falling from an exploding cargo plane without a parachute (how he ultimately survives was humorous), and the exceptional third chapter is entirely an extended chase and fight scene atop the passenger coaches of a speeding locomotive - the plot and its increasingly heavy-handed dialogue are at times too obvious. There were some nice stylistic touches, however, such as a villainous henchman named Caidin (a tip of the hat towards Cyborg author Martin Caidin, whose 1972 paperback was used as a basis for the TV series) and Colonel Austin repeatedly being mistaken for David Hasselhoff by German citizens during a jaunt into Berlin . . . although that is an odd anachronism, referencing 'the Hoff's' big appearance at the fall of The Wall some ten years later.
That above-included quote is one of the indicators that Dynamite's The Six Million Dollar Man: Fall of Man graphic novel does not quite work as well as their previous volume Season Six. Again set in 1979 - as if this was an extension of the 1973-1978 hit TV series by Universal Studios - the dark plot leans a little too heavily into some conspiracy activity that feels more cynically 21st century than period-appropriate for that unique decade that saw such intrigue-laced cinematic gems as Chinatown, The Parallax View, and All the President's Men. While the action scenes are quite good - the opening moment has Austin falling from an exploding cargo plane without a parachute (how he ultimately survives was humorous), and the exceptional third chapter is entirely an extended chase and fight scene atop the passenger coaches of a speeding locomotive - the plot and its increasingly heavy-handed dialogue are at times too obvious. There were some nice stylistic touches, however, such as a villainous henchman named Caidin (a tip of the hat towards Cyborg author Martin Caidin, whose 1972 paperback was used as a basis for the TV series) and Colonel Austin repeatedly being mistaken for David Hasselhoff by German citizens during a jaunt into Berlin . . . although that is an odd anachronism, referencing 'the Hoff's' big appearance at the fall of The Wall some ten years later.
March 28, 2017
Actually not bad. Filled with anachronisms though that bugged me. If you're going to set this in 1979, no one is going to have cell phones, even ones the size of bricks. Also, David Hasselhoff wasn't popular in Germany until the 80's after Knight Rider and maybe even Baywatch. I really liked the issue set on the train. It worked very well as a story telling device.
Received an advance copy from Dynamite and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Received an advance copy from Dynamite and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 27, 2021
The first chapter captured my attention. Chapter three is an impressive ride on a train.
Many of the characters seem cookie cutter predictable.
The art is passable.
I do like the subtle ideas of man versus machine. How much is Steve still a man with all the cybernetics in him?
Many of the characters seem cookie cutter predictable.
The art is passable.
I do like the subtle ideas of man versus machine. How much is Steve still a man with all the cybernetics in him?
May 7, 2017
I am not entirely sure what I was expecting with this graphic novel. When the original Six Million Dollar Man T.V. movie first came out I was enthralled. Even though it took about $1.25 to make it, and in some scenes it shows, this was a great adaptation of Martin Caidin's novel, Cyborg. (Which I immediately went out and purchased). The follow up T.V. movies were pretty good, especially Wine, Women and Song. Their success lead to the T.V. series and, in my opinion, the crown jewel episode of them all, Population Zero. Sadly , although I was an avid watcher, the aura that was captured in those early efforts began to wane. Years later I had read Kevin Smith's adaptation and was fine with it, but had very high hopes for this story. Unfortunately, it left me with the feeling that either it or I have lost that original captivation for the character.
The art in Fall of Man captures Lee Major's looks very well so kudos to Ron Salas for that. However, the story seemed to be uneven and I never got that, "laugh in the face of danger" attitude or the poor man's James Bond quips, that Steve Austin used to make. To be fair, I am no longer the teenage boy that was enthralled with someone running 60 Mph. Perhaps this book was in the same vein and it is me that has moved on from the exploits of a bionic man. I am not sure, but I do know that while okay, it did not take me back to the early 1970s show that I loved so much.
The art in Fall of Man captures Lee Major's looks very well so kudos to Ron Salas for that. However, the story seemed to be uneven and I never got that, "laugh in the face of danger" attitude or the poor man's James Bond quips, that Steve Austin used to make. To be fair, I am no longer the teenage boy that was enthralled with someone running 60 Mph. Perhaps this book was in the same vein and it is me that has moved on from the exploits of a bionic man. I am not sure, but I do know that while okay, it did not take me back to the early 1970s show that I loved so much.
May 9, 2020
As a kid, I watched old re-runs of the Six Million Dollar Man (along with Charlie's Angels, Courtship of Eddie's Father, I Dream of Jeannie, etc.) and honestly, I can't remember a darn thing about that show that might make this nostalgic in any way, shape, or form. That doesn't mean it's bad that it tried to play to some notes of nostalgia. There were certainly some great 70's character designs and costumes here. Also, the threat of technology being woven too deeply into society, err interactions, err out actual bodies... That's a legitimately timeless question and one probably discussed back then (and also like pretty much every cyborg has ever faced as a personal dilemma--Am I more human or robotic and who's actually in control?--but I digress).
I read this as single issues and the standout issue story was a fantasticly presented fight scene that happens on and inside a fast-moving train. Oh, the "train fight"! What a trope! But c'mon, they pulled it off over an entire single comic issue. That was amazing.
As a whole though, I have no idea who some of these characters are. Again, like my memories of watching re-runs, they were forgettable, but maybe that's exactly in the style of the 70's TV shows. And the "mustache-twirling" of the bad guys really reminded me to just sit back and enjoy this for exactly what it is... It's a fun, lighthearted, action-centered romp in quasi-bellbottom pants and some turtlenecks with a great train fight scene that still gave us the fireball-explosion-background-that-the-hero-walks-away-from moment albeit as a mid-season jolt instead of a season-ending climax. Ah, loving the tropes!
I read this as single issues and the standout issue story was a fantasticly presented fight scene that happens on and inside a fast-moving train. Oh, the "train fight"! What a trope! But c'mon, they pulled it off over an entire single comic issue. That was amazing.
As a whole though, I have no idea who some of these characters are. Again, like my memories of watching re-runs, they were forgettable, but maybe that's exactly in the style of the 70's TV shows. And the "mustache-twirling" of the bad guys really reminded me to just sit back and enjoy this for exactly what it is... It's a fun, lighthearted, action-centered romp in quasi-bellbottom pants and some turtlenecks with a great train fight scene that still gave us the fireball-explosion-background-that-the-hero-walks-away-from moment albeit as a mid-season jolt instead of a season-ending climax. Ah, loving the tropes!
March 2, 2018
I much prefer the last graphic novel. It had all the elements that made the series great! I was hoping that this would be a continuation of that special collection. Gone are Jaime, Sasquatch, even Rudy. Here we have Steve with something in his head seeing everything and hearing everything he does. While it was nice to read a new story and some of the action and art design was really good, the story was a mess. Steve and Barney seem to be the only bionic creations in this one. I see he faces GI
Joe in the next series. I for one would like to see how Fortress (the theorist group lead by Lyle Stenning from the Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman) originated. I can only give this one 3 stars no more. And Hasselhoff was not popular until the 80s with Knight Rider.
Joe in the next series. I for one would like to see how Fortress (the theorist group lead by Lyle Stenning from the Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman) originated. I can only give this one 3 stars no more. And Hasselhoff was not popular until the 80s with Knight Rider.
January 1, 2023
"The Six Million Dollar Man: Fall of Man" by Van Jensen (writer), Ron Salas (artist), Mike Atiyeh and Caitlin McCarthy (colorists), Taylor Esposito (letterer), Ron Salas (original primary covers and collection cover artist) (Dynamite Entertainment, 2016; originally released in single issue format as "The Six Million Dollar Man: Fall of Man" #1-5 (July 2016 to November 2016). Thoughts: Completely ignores story in "Six Million Dollar Man: Season Six" (released prior to this one). I bit of a darker, more "adult" story dealing with an enemy trying to convince Steve Austin that Oscar Goldman and the OSI have secret plans to create an army of bionic soldiers, causing Steve to go rogue. Also, Steve starts hearing an unknown "voice in his head" spurring him on to normally uncharacteristic actions. Barney Hiller appears here (again, completely ignoring what happened to him in "Six Million Dollar Man: Season Six". The art is good for the story being told but, again, is a bit too "out there" for a "Six Million Dollar Man" story. I gave this three out of five stars on GoodReads.
January 5, 2023
2.5 This didn't give me all the feels I wanted as a fan of the TV show, and Steve's chest wasn't drawn hairy enough... But there was some puff in the story of other cyborgs being developed and the idea that since Steve exists and works they'll never stop trying for lightning again....
February 24, 2019
Fun retro story
This is an action-packed story with good art that entertains from start to finish. Good entertainment for fans of the TV series.
This is an action-packed story with good art that entertains from start to finish. Good entertainment for fans of the TV series.
May 12, 2022
I was actually surprised at how good this was.
March 22, 2025
Robots! Robots everywhere!
With the amount of plots available, the constant retreat to 'Robots Everywhere!' is dull.
With the amount of plots available, the constant retreat to 'Robots Everywhere!' is dull.
April 19, 2017
This was a blast! I was a huge fan of $6 million man and bionic woman as a kid so am gleeful that this story is set in the original world of the 1970s. Even though being set in the past, the art and writing kept a modern feel to the story at the same time. An action-packed plot involving terrorism and traitors within the OSI itself. A fast-paced read that had me hooked from the start with tons of conflict. I certainly hope there is a follow-up.
May 3, 2017
meh. didn't love it didn't hate it. meh.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews