In which Matthew vows solemnly not to make a “Shaken, Not Stirred” joke to describe his reaction to the comic… Your Major Spoilers review of James Bond #1 awaits!
JAMES BOND #1
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Jason Masters
Colorist: Guy Major
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Editor: Joseph Rybandt
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in James Bond: Created in 1953, by former Naval Intelligence Officer Ian Fleming, the written adventures of James Bond have not aged as gracefully as fans might have liked. Fortunately, beginning in 1962, Bond also made his way to the big screen, with new James Bond films appearing every few years since. (He even appeared during the opening of the 2012 Olympics, escorting the Queen to the opening ceremonies, leading to the wonderful sight of Her Majesty BASE jumping into London.) Bond has been adapted into comics before, but for some reason has never really caught the audience’s attention the way his movie adventures did. At least, not yet…
*Cue the theme song*
STARTS OFF BIG (AND VIOLENT)
Our story opens in the streets of Helsinki, as a strange man runs from an unseen pursuer. In a beautifully rendered 8-page sequence (one which is enhanced greatly by Guy Major’s perfectly chosen, moody colors), we see that, whoever this person is, he is being toyed with by a much more dangerous foe. He is struck with a cinder block, then attacked with a shovel in a brutal combat sequence that leaves him with severed fingers and a nearly bisected foot, after which he looks up in terror and asks who his opponent is. In return, he is told that he killed a man that he shouldn’t have, a man known as 008. “And I’m 007,” says James Bond, putting a bullet in the man’s heart. It’s a pretty shocking way to start the story, but there’s more shocks to be had if you’re only familiar with film Bond. In the cold, modern world, things are different for 007, to the point where M point-blank tells him to stay away from Moneypenny, as her administrative skills are more useful than his own. All the familiar moments are here (MI-6 headquarters appears, but as an antiseptic office suite; Q shows James a new gadget that turns out to be nothing more than a fragmentation bullet to more effectively take his opponents out of action), but with Ellis twists that recall the original novelised adventures.
A VERY REALISTIC 007
Most shocking of all, Bond’s weapon is taken from him, and will be shipped via diplomatic pouch, as he’s not allowed to carry a firearm on British soil, leaving James as little more than another intelligence agent. (After all, what good is a license to kill with no vehicle to apply said license to?) But the wonderful part is, it all works. From the drab lunchroom with its folding chairs, to the dirty streets of Helsinki to the filthy flats where the story’s maguffin (a new synthetic drug that seems to be poisoning its users) is first encountered, the whole thing is a very grounded, real world take on Bond’s adventures. Bond is called on the carpet for inefficiencies, his lady-killing ways are barely tolerated, and he will be shuttled to his next mission by a commercial airline, but it makes for a fascinating read. Jason Masters’ Bond is a square-jawed feller that reminds me of Ian Fleming’s descriptions ot Bond (famously described as ‘resembling Hoagy Carmichael’), and his action sequence is truly amazing work. Many times in comics, the work of the colorist goes unnoticed, but Guy Major’s work is the star of this story, perfectly framing the mundane moments and making the action sequences even more engrossing.
THE BOTTOM LINE: NOT MOVIE BOND (BUT NOT BAD)
The long and the short of it is simple: I expected Ellis, with his no-nonsense, stripped-down approach to many baggage-laden characters, to give us a fascinating Bond, but the strength of the art and the unexpected use of realism make this one a very worthy read. James Bond #1 isn’t a Connery or a Brosnan, but it’s still an entertaining take on 007, and one that has things in common with the first two Daniel Craig movies, earning a very impressive 4 out of 5 stars overall. I’d even be willing to recommend this to my friends who don’t like James Bond, but I don’t know that I actually have any…
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