MacGyver Returns...Sort Of
By: Andrew Hines
I'm a huge MacGyver fan, born two years into the show's amazing 7 year run. Part of why I'm such a fan is because Mac always struck me as being a sort of Batman without the cape and tights. He's the everyman with a lot of know-how and more than a few aces up his rolled-up sleeves. I've been waiting for 20 years for anyone to do the series justice, though it never occurred to me to do it as a comic mini-series. Oh and I should mention, 20 imaginary points for anyone who can give me Mac's name plus the season and episode it was first mentioned.
The two writers for this piece of literary history are longtime Doctor Who comics author, Tony Lee and a man who needs no introduction, Lee David Zlotoff, the creator of MacGyver way back in 1987. The writing is wonderful and starts off with the same narration as every episode in the television series. The dialogue is wonderful, the pacing fits and the recipes for "MacGyverisms" are pretty much exactly as they were in the series. Yeah, "MacGyverism," it's a real thing. The writing makes it feel just like the series I grew up watching.
The art from Will Sliney, who covers everything from pencils to the colors, isn't bad. Well, mostly not bad. Ciaran Lucas' cover captures Mac's look well enough, but doesn't get him looking close enough to Richard Dean Anderson as I'd like him to. That's pretty much what's wrong with Sliney's work. They've got everything around him looking great, even the hair and the stubble, but the face just isn't quite right. The effects look good, but they're not the star of the show.
In all, this ranks as a "B+." The script is fantastic and I can't wait to see where it takes us, but without the art to fully help it along, it doesn't live up to its full potential. If the face were "right", it'd be an "A+," 100%, out-of-the-park home-run. It's a good book, but just not a great book.
Angus MacGyver; series finale. I was in 7th grade when the series started. I managed to carry a swiss army knife to school every day for 5 years with out getting caught. I still carry one today.
Right season, wrong episode. The first time we learn his name is a bit earlier, in kind of a funky episode. I’ll reveal it after a few more attempts.
Really!? I have a distinct memory of that being the last MacGyver episode ever. Have I been mistaken all these years? Or have I just romanticized the memory? Or am I just old? Tough to say for sure.
Anyway, thanks for the heads up. I’m going to have to pick up this series. Not too concerned about the face not looking like RDA. He ceased to be MacGyver (to me) and became an actor playing a part after I read a TVGuide interview in which he confessed to locking himself out of his house and breaking in by throwing a bench through a window. I’m just thrilled to see the character revived.
Yah–is this available through Amazon? I don’t know the title of the episode, but I was remembering a hyper, somewhat goofy archaeologist who had some rants about patriarchy and met her goal at unearthing secrets of an ‘Ambrose’ in an episode like a cross between Raiders, Phoenix, and the Goonies. She looked at his driver’s license and said, “Is THAT your NAME?! I think I’ll just call you MacGyver.”
You’re thinking of the two part opener for season 5, Legend of the Holy Rose. Never mentioned his first name, though.
id rather read a Macgruber comic
I think the episode is called “Good Knight, MacGyver”? If I remember correctly he learns of a man called Angus Mac’Iver, and mentions that they share the first name.
Yeah, I’m thinking he got hit on the head or something and went back in time and learned the name of his great-great whatever grandfather whom he was named after: Angus.
We have a winner!! Technically, however, it was the second of that two-part episode.
Was never a MacGruber fan.
Pardon my getting off-track, Jeff, but WOW!!! I never realized that you were that young! Me, I was about 10 when the show started.
This is Andy, one of the contributors. The reviews are something El Jefe lets me do for the community.
Wasn’t this a time-traveling episode (if memory serves)?
In the same way that St. Elsewhere and Dallas’ “Who Shot JR?” were time-travel based. In other words, it was one long dream sequence.