196 replies to this topic

[sharpshooter]

Not that I'm gonna argue against actual stories about Bond in WWII (still hoping the Young Bond novels get there eventually), but how many origins does Bond need? First there was Casino Royale, then the Young Bonds, now this?

I know what you mean, however I simply see it as showing Bond during different stages of his life. How he transitioned from different institutions (school and then the navy) until he finally arrived at MI6. I'm eager to see what they come up with, because this won't just be the typical run of the mill story. There's a sense of importance about it. 

 

At any rate, this continued support for the line seems to be in contrast with an article on MI6 that said the titles were in freefall and probably wouldn't last much longer.

Yeah, it's full steam ahead. That article didn't paint the full picture because it only had stats from Dynamite's distributor in the US.  It didn't include digital or foreign sales. The situation may not be as bleak as we think. 

[Harmsway]

Yeah, it's full steam ahead. That article didn't paint the full picture because it only had stats from Dynamite's distributor in the US. It didn't include digital or foreign sales. The situation may not be as bleak as we think.

Which is good, because (warts and all) this is a pretty exciting run.

[clinkeroo]

Can't stand Pierson's Bond.  I hope Origins tosses him under the bus the same way he did Fleming's Moonraker.

[OHMSS Spion]

Just hope ORIGIN respects John Pearson

 

While I enjoyed The Authorized Biography of 007, I find it doubtful that this new comic, Origin, will either acknowledge it or follow its story line. They probably won't go out of their way to contradict it, but I don't think the writers of the comic will be restrained by trying to keep everything in sync with the book. The Young Bond novels have already contradicted a lot of the details from the Authorized Biography of 007, so I doubt that it is the canon story of Bond's life at the moment (if there really is such a thing as canon in terms of Bond).

[sharpshooter]

I'm much the same. I think Pearson's book is great. It has an interesting hook and is one of the best continuation novels in existence. But if this comic ignores it I'm not going to care that much.

[OHMSS Spion]

Some more details on Origin:

http://www.ianflemin...gin-james-bond/

So it's definitely covering the WWII period, which likely means the Young Bonds will not cover that same time period, and possibly means they'll be coming to an end soon. Nothing in the article about the Broccoli family's involvement, so I still doubt that part of the Bleeding Cool article (and why would they be involved?).

I do like that they included the part of his obituary that covered WWII, showing that they'll draw inspiration from that, rather than say, the Pearson book. All in all I'm looking forward to hearing more details like creative teams and release dates.

[Dustin]

So...coming pretty late to the party I recently decided to give VARGR and EIDOLON a go. Phew, what can I say? It's not bad as such, only I felt something was lacking. Some nifty ideas that I liked, other things not so much. Bond spent definitely too much time on the panels toting his gun, but that's of course an effect of the action genre. I think over the two storyarchs at least three Bentleys must have perished. And maybe it all felt a bit too SPOOKS for my liking by EIDOLON. I can't help thinking this would have been actually better as a novel.

Overall, okay. Just one thing I can't get around: please, pretty please, don't draw sitting men in buttoned suits. You open your jacket when sitting down. Even Keith Richards does. And none of the characters in this comic are anywhere near as cool as Keith Richards. So.

[sharpshooter]

I do like that they included the part of his obituary that covered WWII, showing that they'll draw inspiration from that, rather than say, the Pearson book. All in all I'm looking forward to hearing more details like creative teams and release dates.

Yeah, that's cool with me. It's the safe and logical option. At the end of the day, Fleming is the source.

[billy007]

"Use continuity as a tool,not a guide"

 

                                            Denny O'Neil

 

I will always use Pearson's book as a continuation novel first, but its not carved in stone.

 

"When in doubt go back to Fleming."

 

                                           Cubby Broccoli

 

As a life long 007 fan and comic collector I'm really pleased with Dynamite's efforts although Black Box seems to be starting slow.

[sharpshooter]

As a life long 007 fan and comic collector I'm really pleased with Dynamite's efforts although Black Box seems to be starting slow.

It does have a rather casual feel, but I like the concepts. The henchman creating death masks of his defeated foes, for example, is rather macabre. The whole 'sex dungeon' altercation was amusing. I'm liking this more than Hammerhead. 

[Harmsway]

Black Box is the kind of Bond film I'd love to see again at some point: a light adventure with a throw-every-colorful-setpiece-in-there-we-can-think-of ethos. It's not as sharply-written as the Ellis arcs or Felix Leiter, but it's a lot of fun.

[OHMSS Spion]

Apparently there will be a Moneypenny one-shot comic.

http://on.io9.com/fxlZri3

Also, I brought it up before, but gonna bring it up again. Clearly these comics aren't going away anytime soon and they are, at the moment, the most regular form of Bond media that we're going to get. So can we get a comics sub forum?

(Let me know if there's another part of the forum I should pose this question as well)

Edited by OHMSS Spion, 23 May 2017 - 10:32 PM.

[Dustin]

Apparently there will be a Moneypenny one-shot comic.

http://on.io9.com/fxlZri3

Also, I brought it up before, but gonna bring it up again. Clearly these comics aren't going away anytime soon and they are, at the moment, the most regular form of Bond media that we're going to get. So can we get a comics sub forum?

(Let me know if there's another part of the forum I should pose this question as well)

We'll be looking into the sub forum thing, promise.

[sharpshooter]

Apparently there will be a Moneypenny one-shot comic.http://on.io9.com/fxlZri3

Just like the Felix series, I'm open minded about this. Dynamite are clearly committed to the Bond comics and are thoroughly exploring the world. This can only be a good thing.

[OHMSS Spion]

We'll be looking into the sub forum thing, promise.

 

Thank you! I appreciate that.

[billy007]

Moneypenny to get her own series?   Carry on.   I have never read any of the Moneypenny Diaries...  But I vaguely remember either a Starlog or Bondage article that had Lois Maxwell sitting at M's desk for a 007 briefing  Anticipating Dame Judi by close to 30 years.

[sharpshooter]

I enjoyed Service. It's not the best and it's not the worst. This version of Bond was very much in the spirit of Roger Moore which I liked. It actually made me rather emotional because the great man's spirit lives on. Considering the topics and tone of Service (which I don't really agree with, but that's not a deal breaker) Service still managed to have a sense of fun. It doesn't tackle its themes with any real depth, and the usual Bond tropes are still there to enjoy. I wouldn't want this art style to be the norm, but I didn't have a problem with it either. Overall, I think the story was a success and I'd like to see another one-shot at some point. 

[Harmsway]

I like SERVICE. It's closer in tone and Bond characterization to the Ellis stories than BLACK BOX or HAMMERHEAD.

I'd be up for Gillen to do more.

[sharpshooter]

Felix #5 was good too. It was all out action but it never felt like filler. I like how they've fleshed out who Felix is as a person. He's not perfect. He makes mistakes. But he never gives up. He's a likeable character to follow, and I'm hoping he gets another series after this. 

[Marcin]

I must say I really enjoyed Service. I didn't expect much (don't know why really). It's certainly not a masterpiece, but solid, entertaining comic book with interesting story and some really good moments. I was impressed with how Gillen managed to develop a story on 48 pages. My favourite part is Bond's "investigation". Just one page, without any text. Brilliant.

By the way, does anybody know what are sales records of Dynamite's comics? Are they satisfactory?

[Harmsway]

We don't know what the digital sales are, but print sales are underwhelming. That said, Dynamite doesn't seem to be slowing down at all.

[Dustin]

I suppose the licence to produce these original adventures must have cost a handsome sum, so Dynamite will definitely want to make the most of it.

Personally, I've only read Ellis' two storyarchs as yet. Can't say I was overwhelmed, sorry. They are solid but I expected more.

Spoiler

For example, when you mention an ultra-secret government installation with steampunk equipment to keep Britain's forces operational in case of an EMP-attack, then I think we should see it in action, not just as a backdrop for a shootout. Also, when we use a SPECTRE-sleeper-cell that infiltrated the UK's security services, why not go the whole distance? Let them stage a coup, let them take over and start rounding up undesirables.

Where to use such a concept if not in a comic?

Instead, VARGR and EIDOLON are relatively conventional stories in the Bondverse. They are solid, yes. But they are nowhere as engaging as they could have been. Bond is a bit of a one-trick-pony, simply outgunning his adversaries. That's not really so sensational, QUEEN & COUNTRY for me was on the whole much more engaging.

I think the branching out with Felix Leiter and Moneypenny is also due to get a bit more variation into the theme. Bond comics will always be a niché product in the market, mainly for fans and not so much for the mainstream readership. As long as the fans are okay with these stories they will likely keep producing them.

[Marcin]

We don't know what the digital sales are, but print sales are underwhelming. That said, Dynamite doesn't seem to be slowing down at all.

Oh, too bad. Let's hope they won't change their mind because they're doing a really good job. Mostly.

Edited by Marcin, 10 June 2017 - 07:57 PM.

[sharpshooter]

 

We don't know what the digital sales are, but print sales are underwhelming. That said, Dynamite doesn't seem to be slowing down at all.

Oh, too bad. Let's hope they won't change their mind because they're doing a really good job. Mostly.

 

The contract is for 10 years, and I'm guessing/hoping they're going to honour the contract. 

 

Black Box #4 was more of the same and that's fine. I think this arc would read even better in a collected volume as opposed to individual trades. 

[Orion]

small detail about the sales - the figures ONLY count US sales on individual comics. Most sales in the field actually come from TPB's, as they are sold in more places such as Amazon, Waterstones or HMV, and, with the exception of Service and possibly Hammerhead, these comics blatantly are written with the collected edition in mind. In regards to Dustin's observation about comics only really appealing to hard-core Bond fans, I would mostly agree, however I think this has occurred to Dynamite as they have purposefully hired big names in comics to write them, the sort of writers who actually bring their own fan base with them.

[Marcin]

I didn't know it's a 10 years contract. Thanks.

[Dustin]

A full decade with the license to produce original Bond stories as well as remake Fleming's books in graphic novel format - that is a very long time and, as Orion rightfully points out, on top of it Dynamite attracted big names for this project. All of that suggests their Bond comics will be firmly established with a mind to stay for the entire length. I don't think fans need to be concerned about the sales figures; Dynamite will surely earn good money with these.

[sharpshooter]

Most sales in the field actually come from TPB's

I agree with that. I know of fans who are interested in the comics but prefer to wait for the collected volumes. 

[OHMSS Spion]

This is an issue with the comics industry in general, as sales are notoriously hard to track. Between being unable to account for digital sales and trade paperbacks, and Diamond Comics Distributors not releasing any real figures of sales to the public, it's actually hard to tell what's really selling well. So hopefully this means that Dynamite is making a lot of money on their James Bond comics and they will continue to produce them.

Edited by OHMSS Spion, 13 June 2017 - 08:19 PM.

[Orion]

https://www.amazon.c...=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

​Cover and a release date. It's may not be a final cover, but I'm liking the 50's pulp fiction style it has.