Review by C.J. Bunce
The 70th year of Ian Fleming’s James Bond continues with a collected edition of the 13th comic book series from Dynamite Entertainment. England’s famous super spy is back in Ian Fleming’s James Bond: Himeros, this time trying to get the goods on a sex trafficker who has formed a network of wealthy interests across the globe. Bond must protect this latest Bond villain’s talented, survival-trained majordomo, who can testify to all of it. Can he keep her safe and bring down the entire network of criminals before the network can get to her?
Written by Rodney Barnes (The Mandalorian) with artwork by Antionio Fuso, Pierluigi Minotti, and Giogio Pontrelli, Ian Fleming’s James Bond: Himeros is neither Fleming’s classic Bond nor Daniel Craig’s movie Bond, but something closer to the vintage Bond action-filled comic strips. This is a great James Bond, adapted for today, with all the familiar tropes, and the book is available now at your local comic shop and to order here at Amazon. Best of all, Dynamite has included Francesco Francavilla’s evocative covers for the series.
The story is strong. The artwork also starts strong, but when there are hand-offs to multiple artists, continuity becomes a problem, and that happens here. Fortunately the action doesn’t require detailed artwork, so the back half of the book, even if delivered in a style that seems rushed, wraps a completed tale. But you may wish heavy hitters Greg Smallwood or Phil Noto were doing the interior art on this series.
Bond books practically (if not actually) have their own checklist they must complete to get Bond right, and this story ticks all the boxes.
Take a look inside at this preview:
Along with Bond’s 70th anniversary, Dynamite is also making available to retailers and fans again the wide range of James Bond graphic novels produced to date.
The library–most reviewed here at borg over the past decade–includes works from creators including Benjamin Percy, Warren Ellis, Andy Diggle, Greg Pak, Jeff Parker, James Robinson, Vita Ayala, and many more.
Add Ian Fleming’s James Bond: Himeros to your pull list at Elite Comics or your local comic shop now. It is also available for pre-order now here at Amazon, arriving soon.
