44 replies to this topic

[zencat]

Ah, I see there are already copies in the Amazon Marketplace. Never mind.

BTW, try as we might, Righty007 and I could not find Titan as Comic Con, even though they were listed as being there.

[DAN LIGHTER]

Blimey Zencat, with your post record you dont need to double it up fella!

Do many people collect the Titan Bond comics here? I have often picked them up and had a flick, but never purchased one.

[Simon]

Mine arrived yesterday.

So, amazon.co.uk are shipping.

Fascinating article about the trials for various other artists working from the same scripts. Comparisons between McClusky and an unknown artist on the Dr No story. To be frank, I was torn between the two artists.

There was also a trial for another story which never came about in the Express archives.

Have yet to start the stories.

[zencat]

Got a notice from Amazon that the US ship date is now Sept 8.

[Simon]

Not sitting front of the collection, does that wrap it up for Titan?

[pgram]

I think not, if I remember correctly.

I agree about the intro, the unused strips were quite interesting (btw, I prefer them to McLusky's artwork).

Just read the first story, the Girl Machine. Nothing too special, once again. First part of the story involves the usual Lawrence-style detective work, with the usual amounts of nudity. Doesn't make much sense, but it's ok. The second part is about Bond escaping from a palace in the middle east, and helping an Arab emir to escape with him. Nothing special, either, nothing new, filled with cliches. Still, action is depicted at a nice pace, and is easy and enjoyable to read. Horak is good as always. The story, for those Modesty Blaise readers amongst us, reminded me of Willie the Djin, which was syndicated 3 years earlier. The titular Girl Machine has a very minor part in the story, and I think it was for the better, even though it was a somehow interesting idea.

Will write about the other two stories as soon as I read them.

Edited by pgram, 12 August 2009 - 03:16 PM.

[Simon]

Ok - will have to look to see what is left.

To be honest, I preferred the other chap's drawing too. McClusky's work by comparison seemed a bit too spidery. If, as was suggested, the drug induced sleepiness panel was the reason for him Not getting the gig, I think this is unfair. Perhaps the writing was misinterpreted, but the detail and creativity suggested some better work.

That said, I think I preferred McClusky's Bond depiction.

[pgram]

Ok - will have to look to see what is left.

To be honest, I preferred the other chap's drawing too. McClusky's work by comparison seemed a bit too spidery. If, as was suggested, the drug induced sleepiness panel was the reason for him Not getting the gig, I think this is unfair. Perhaps the writing was misinterpreted, but the detail and creativity suggested some better work.

That said, I think I preferred McClusky's Bond depiction.

The camera angles were better, I thought, in the other chap's panels. More interesting, more dramatic. I 've always found McClusky a bit flat. The fight onboard QE from DAF springs to mind, and Wint throwing the knife.

I agree with your comment about Bond's depiction, but then again, for these specific panels only. There are some others during McClusky's tenure, which were much worse.

[zencat]

Not sitting front of the collection, does that wrap it up for Titan?

No. We have Nightbird next year.
http://thebookbond.b...ht-in-2010.html

[pgram]

Finished the 2nd story yesterday night. I found it better than most of the Lawrence stories, even though it didn't make a lot of sense (as usual). It was obvious that Lawrence went back to some previous stories for inspiration (like TMWTGG). The fantastic element is again prominent; so is nudity. Horak's work is very good, even for his own very high standards.

Spoilers.
Bond and Suzi Kew have to assasinate a member of a spy network. When they succeed they take a leave, go to jamaica, where Bond is abducted and used in order to help (by means of hypnosis, a la The manchurian candidate or OHMSS) the abduction of a scientist. He does, and then is released. He has no memory of what's happened. When he recovers, he finds out he 's been bugged, so he pretends to have been turned and that he wants to join the spy network (we 've seen this before, but I don't remember in which story). He arranges the abduction of another scientist (a girl, this time, that doesn't hold her clothes for very long, as you 've imagined, no doubt), in order to sell to the spy network. It works, and bond, having infiltrated the network, kills the arch-villain, Attila, with the help of a Q device. At the end he gets the girl.

[Simon]

Not sitting front of the collection, does that wrap it up for Titan?

No. We have Nightbird next year.
http://thebookbond.b...ht-in-2010.html

Ah, many thanks sir.

[pgram]

The third story, The Nevsky Nude, was definitely worse than the other two. Kids abduct a minister, using King Arthur's legend as a cover, but are used by KGB for their own sinister agenda.

The story seemed very familiar but I can't remember if it reminded me of a previous Bond story, or a Modesty Blaise one.

[Qwerty]

The Girl Machine James Bond collection released in US

Titan's latest comic strip collection now shipping from Amazon.com

[TheSaint]

Just finished reading it. Enjoyable stories but I loved the unseen art from the archives. They don't list the artist who did the Dr.No sample but he was good. Ron Embleton's work was great! Either would've been preferable to Harry North's effort.

[Qwerty]

Just waiting for mine to arrive any day now...