Dynamite Entertainment 2018
Written by Ales Kot
Illustrated by Luca Casalanguida
Coloured by Valentina Pinto
Lettered by Thomas Napolitano
I have been having a great time with Dynamite’s run of limited series featuring James Bond by all these different creative teams and this is one is right up with the best of them so far. I enjoy reading Ales’ work and see his point of view and perspective and this one is definitely one of the more interesting and unique ways to have this story unfold.
The idea, premise and execution of this story is beautifully done. While I don’t know how closely Ales and Luca worked together for this but the way that this comes across has some incredible moments to it and they start right from the first page. We want a good opening, we need it to gage whether or not we want to continue with the story, it has to grab your attention and leave you with a kind of anticipation to know the story behind the opening. So the imagery here is what grabs your eye and from there you are in.
For me I think that the way this has been approached is something we didn’t want know we wanted until we got it. I think this is something that Ales does extremely well and it’s always a pleasure to see how his mind works. He has a great eye and mind for storytelling and the way this book is structured and how we see the ebb & flow of information and action strewn throughout the issue. Not once is there a lull or a time that feels like a break it has this smoothness to the way it reads like the smoothest of whiskey tastes.
So the dialogue here is fantastic. There are two very different and distinct senses of humour on display here and it’s rather interesting to see them play off one another. I like this Dr. Vird because we’ve seen a lot of the Secret Intelligence Service over the years but I cannot recall meeting one of the Physio’s before today, well at least not in this capacity. So I do like that the aftermath of one of Bond’s missions, which Ales weaves into this with exceptional skill, being the main focus of what we see. It gives him this human element that we don’t normally get.
Luca has a wonderful eye for storytelling as we see through the use of page layouts and the way we see angles and perspective in the panels. There is some bold dark linework and then there is a softer touch when needed, the reception for instance, so that there is a real impact to the work. Plus that opening page I mean add a little hair to that chest and ship that off to me! I am a huge fan of the classic square jaw and scowl that seems to be a permanent feature on James face it gives off this feeling to you as a reader that conveys so much. Also that he doesn’t really skimp on the utilisation of backgrounds is lovely to see.
From undercover work to sitting on an exam table it doesn’t really matter where James is because he can command such a presence about him. Always the centre of attention even when not meaning to be is a rare trait to have and he has it in spades. There is another thing about this issue that I found to be of interest as well and that’s the feeling about why James was opening up to the Physio in the first place. The entire book has a certain feel to it and it being a Bond story you really get this vibe from what is happening which turns out to leave you with this anticipation of what you think is going to happen. Whether it does or not is something you’ll have to find out and experience on your own.
Another stellar start to a Bond tale from Dynamite with a strong creative team who bring something new to the table.