A View To A Kill in spectacular four colour 32 page vision!
Considering his universal popularity and Skyfall was one of the biggest hits of the franchise ever, it’s a little surprising that there aren’t any James Bond comics out at the moment… But not for much longer.
Launching this November alongside Spectre, Dynamite Comics are finally releasing the first issue of an ongoing comic book after announcing they acquired the licence from Ian Fleming Publications to make comics about 007 at last year’s San Diego Comic Con. The first story arc is due to run six issues and is titled ‘VARGR‘, which sees Bond returning to London to take on the work of a fallen 00 Agent but there’s a plot afoot which sends Bond across Europe into a trap.
Images courtesy of Dynamite. Credit below: Dom Reardon
Comics writing icon Warren Ellis (Moon Knight, Trees) is tapped to write the series and has promised a return to the darker, more cruel character seen in the novels. Notable for writing dislikeable and flawed protagonists like Spider Jerusalem from Transmetropolitan, Ellis stated years ago that Bond would be the only licensed character he would consider working on and he would certainly indulge himself if he ever got the chance. Indeed he has time for 007 as he sums him up as “England’s blunt instrument of international assault — the spiteful, vicious bastard of a faded empire that still wants the world to do as it’s bloody well told.” Drawing is Jason Masters who is making a name for himself creating art for numerous Batman comics. Dom Reardon will be adding painted artwork covers for the series.
Despite a very strong and rich newspaper strip history, as a comic book Bond has struggled due to mismanagement of the licence and publishers like DC Comics & Marvel not having any ideas what to do with him apart from loose adaptations of the films. Hell, 007 at one point ended up fighting dinosaurs! Here’s hoping the marriage between Bond, Ellis & Dynamite can produce something above that.
Source: Newsarama / Dynamite’s Twitter
