James Bond doesn’t even show up until you’re surprisingly deep into the new comic book series that bears his name.
The first issue opens with a man on the run. We see this man’s terrified, panicked face. We see his desperation. We don’t see his pursuer, but we soon realize that the man on his tail is relentless and terrifying and will stop at nothing to catch him. When James Bond reveals himself after several pages of dialogue-free cat-and-mouse, it’s with a kind of brutality you’d expect from a horror movie monster. Soon, 007’s target is dead and a murdered 00-agent have been avenged. But it’s a nasty scene. It’s not fun. It’s ugly. Bond has always been a proficient killer across every medium in which he’s appeared, but there’s something different here. Something meaner. Something colder.
Dynamite Entertainment’s James Bond 007 isn’t the first comic series to star Ian Fleming’s iconic spy, but it’s the first in quite some time. They’ve spared no expense: writer Warren Ellis, of Transmetropolitan and Planetary fame, and artist Jason Masters, a veteran of Marvel and DC Comics, ensure that this is no lousy, licensed cash-in. This feels like an event. Their first issue, the first in a six-part miniseries (enigmatically titled VARGR), announces its intentions loudly and early. This isn’t a photocopy of Sean Connery or Daniel Craig. It isn’t even a basic translation of Fleming’s original character. This Bond is its own thing, borrowing bits and pieces from other interpretations, but ultimately standing alone.
After that gruesome opening sequence, the Ellis and Masters take us into a familiar set-up. Bond returns from his mission and swings by the MI6 offices. He flirts with Moneypenny, annoys M, picks up some equipment from Q, and plans for his next mission. But while this template will be familiar to anyone with a passing interest in the Bond movies, the details leave a very different taste in your mouth.
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