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jmbz38's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
depreydeprey's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this collection. I'm sure my least favorite corners of the Internet may take issue with the updates in this volume of having M and Moneypenny people of color but the change didn't distract or detract and having read every Ian Fleming James Bond other than Dr. No I don't think there is some inherent whiteness about either character I've ever been aware of.
This collection is an anthology of four comic stories from the James Bond Universe, each with a different writer/artist team. They are all solid, interesting and fall in line with the numerous Bond short stories Fleming wrote.
What I really responded to was the low stakes comic medium lets these authors and artists take some risks that we would probably never see on the big screen and as a result feel more grounded in the real world. The first story, Service written by Kieron Gillen who rocked my world with Young Avengers and illustrated by Antonio Fuso, feels like a little bit of commentary on US/British relations and how 007 might respond. I really liked it and Gillen took a smart and measured approach at a time when not many of us are either.
Moneypenny, written by Jody Houser and illustrated by Jacob Edgar, lets M's secretary out in the field for the first time I remember and adds real depth to the character.
Solstice is written and illustrated by Ibrahim Moustafa and feels the most like a throwback, 1950's James Bond short story and is set in Paris over Christmas while M by Declan Shalvey and PJ Holden is probably the most interesting and imaginative in the collection and follows M as he is called back to a "post troubles" Belfast where he is confronted with his past and potentially compromised as an agent. What I like most about M the story is it looks at real world events and pressures in a way most Bond stories never do and allows us a more nuanced look at the work and consequences of spying.
There are a number of bonus features with this collection and the best of these is Shalvey's page by page commentary of M. I learned more about the collaborative process of comic creation in that commentary than I have in a hundred podcasts and interviews.
This collection is an anthology of four comic stories from the James Bond Universe, each with a different writer/artist team. They are all solid, interesting and fall in line with the numerous Bond short stories Fleming wrote.
What I really responded to was the low stakes comic medium lets these authors and artists take some risks that we would probably never see on the big screen and as a result feel more grounded in the real world. The first story, Service written by Kieron Gillen who rocked my world with Young Avengers and illustrated by Antonio Fuso, feels like a little bit of commentary on US/British relations and how 007 might respond. I really liked it and Gillen took a smart and measured approach at a time when not many of us are either.
Moneypenny, written by Jody Houser and illustrated by Jacob Edgar, lets M's secretary out in the field for the first time I remember and adds real depth to the character.
Solstice is written and illustrated by Ibrahim Moustafa and feels the most like a throwback, 1950's James Bond short story and is set in Paris over Christmas while M by Declan Shalvey and PJ Holden is probably the most interesting and imaginative in the collection and follows M as he is called back to a "post troubles" Belfast where he is confronted with his past and potentially compromised as an agent. What I like most about M the story is it looks at real world events and pressures in a way most Bond stories never do and allows us a more nuanced look at the work and consequences of spying.
There are a number of bonus features with this collection and the best of these is Shalvey's page by page commentary of M. I learned more about the collaborative process of comic creation in that commentary than I have in a hundred podcasts and interviews.
stevenk's review against another edition
3.0
Four short stand alone Bond stories: Service (Gillen, Fuso), Moneypenny (Houser, Edgar) Solstice (Moustafa) and M (Shalvey Holden). M is a short story I've read before about a skeleton in M's closet that comes back from the past. Moneypenny in the Dynamite Bond Universe is a field agent that not only assists M but protects him from threats both internal and external on a trip to Boston. Service has Bond working to convince a skeptical US Secretary of State that the British spy services and humint is more valuable than he thinks on a trip to the UK. Solstice has Bond undertaking an off the books mission to Paris to eliminate a Russian spy. All of these stories have great action and developed the supporting characters as more action oriented than in the original Bond books or movies. The art does a good job of helping tell the stories and move the action along.
marksutherland's review
4.0
A collection of one shots that give a bit more insight into the supporting characters around Bond, most of which are probably better than they need to be. Definitely worth picking up if you enjoy the rest of the series.
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