Dynamite Entertainment 2019
Written by Vita Ayala & Danny Lore
Illustrated by Eric Gapstur
Coloured by Roshan Kurichiyanil
Lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
A fake is only the beginning…James Bond is forced into a world he doesn’t understand. Counterfeits, smuggling, following impossible trails to invisible villains. Can he learn to trust others for help, or will the mission leave him behind?
I am totally digging the way that this is being told. I love James, well the book and the comic book version of James Bond. I feel there are so many more angles and perspectives that can be encompassed through this medium of storytelling that you just cannot do in film and television. To see this particular story where last issues cock-up is now coming into play as something neither James nor Brandy foresaw coming. I like it though it has all the right elements of creativity and imagination in play that keep the reader on their toes. They really have done an amazing job with the writing here and incorporating such an intricate web of lies and thievery so that neither Brandy nor James is going to be in their element throughout this. Though I would've suspected nothing was outside James' purview.
The story & plot development that we see here is laid down extremely well thanks to how we see the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information. They have utilised an interesting mix in who we see revealing what and when so that while we never have the bigger picture we do see how some threads are exposed. I like it, it wets the appetite beautifully for what's still to come and it still builds tension and intrigue throughout the book. The character development is pretty darn marvellous as well. While we see James as we know him, for the most part, we get new characters whom we've never seen before so there's a whole world to explore and it is fantastic. Plus the way that we see all of these very different and very strong personalities interact with one another is pretty enjoyable. The pacing takes us through the pages revealing the twists and turns along the way all of which works together to create such a great ebb & flow to the book.
The sheer amount of creativity and imagination that comes out of they're minds is really something to be celebrated and it's why, I for one, keep coming back for their storytelling. Also I like the idea behind the story as well as the execution of the layers within in.
The interiors here are absolutely delightful. There is this really impressive blend of minimalist and tastefully full of backgrounds. So the mix of linework and colour work is done is so superbly as they work so perfectly together. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show this marvellous eye for storytelling. The composition inside the panels and how we see depth perception, scale and that sense of size and scope to the book is extremely nice to see. I love seeing the attention to detail in the characters faces and facial expressions along with the body language as it really does enhance the characterisation. The colour work is nicely rendered as we see so many varying techniques in play here.
The way that this progresses and how we see certain skill sets come to light as well how being so damn stubborn and insubordinate is going to ruin a mission. Just when I thought James had earned his respect and they would listen to him, well Brandy who apparently can't listen to anyone. I am thoroughly enjoying the entire dynamic we see and continue to see it go places it was never meant to go. These are the reasons why James Bond will never go out of style.