Dynamite's Bond comics and graphic novels

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  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,051
    https://www.amazon.com/James-Bond-Himeros-Rodney-Barnes-ebook/dp/B09CHHPKDK/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=James+Bond&qid=1629068817&refinements=p_n_publication_date:1250228011&rnid=1250225011&s=books&sr=1-8

    Himeros #2:

    Issue #2 continues the comic book adventures of the world’s most famous spy – James Bond! While the setting exudes the allure of sun, sand and fun, this deadly island is no playtime retreat! Its sun, sand and misery for all those who visit, and up to Bond to put an end to the deadly circle once and for all!

    Featuring two amazing covers: Francesco Francavilla and the legendary Jackson Guice!
  • edited August 2021 Posts: 5,772
    Here's one cover, the other at the end of the week :

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  • Posts: 5,772
    And here's the Jackson Guice cover :

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  • Now that is a very cool cover. Looks similar to a setting that was used in the first Aquaman maybe?
  • Red_SnowRed_Snow Australia
    Posts: 2,494
    That rooftop and bell tower are giving me QoS vibes.
  • Posts: 5,772
    And here's the sollicitation and the covers for Himeros # 3 :
    James Bond continues to unravel the horror he's uncovered as he makes his way to the center of it all - Wilhelm's island - with the reluctant Sarah Richmond in tow. All the while: Kino continues to stalk the pair, awaiting his moment to strike!
    Featuring two amazing covers: Francesco Francavilla and the legendary Jackson Guice!
    Did you know: Ian Fleming was a well-known as a book collector. He founded The Book Collector the same year he published Casino Royale.

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  • Two interesting shots for the covers. One static and one caught in the middle of action. I think I'll be going for the Guice cover myself...
  • 00Heaven00Heaven Home
    Posts: 573
    Looks interesting. Looking forward to it. Some of the cover art released so far has been fab. It reminds me I need to get all six physical issues of the last run. Money money money!
  • It looks like we might be going back to the grittier tone of Vargr and Eidolon. If so, this should be a really good addition to the line.
  • ImpertinentGoonImpertinentGoon Everybody needs a hobby.
    Posts: 1,351
    In a strange twist of fate, I was just today wondering when Himeros #1 would be released and don't you know it: It's today! So I just bought it and the following will be a running commentary of my first read with maybe a non-spoiler conclusion at the end.
    Oh wow. Bond as Batman continues to go strong, huh? "In my quiet moments, I've asked myself if I, in fact, am the bad man." Yikes.

    Dutch ethno-nationalists using a Pokemon clone to smuggle data. I like it.

    Yep, that's Epstein. And he didn't kill himself.

    Guess the "Bad Man" wasn't Bond after all. It's Kino, our psychotic assassin henchman for this arc.

    "She's an above average marksman who excels in Aikido and Jiu-Jitsu." Of course she is.

    Action sequence is again a bit hard to follow spatially, but not as bad as the opening to "Agent of SPECTRE". I actually like the huge "BLAM" and "BRRT" lettering.

    "I understand why you did what you did." We are talking about child sex trafficking here, right? Oof.
    It seems like the fears that a Ghislaine Maxwell-type character is going to be the sympathetic damsel in distress. Or is she more of an Allison Mack? Both not good, I would say.

    Did Kino kill Barnes there? There are these weird ink blots and the one frame that suddenly switches to a white background, but it is unclear. Barnes is played up as literally "the Heavy", so it would be an interesting diversion from formula, if he bit it in the first issue and Kino is our sole antagonist and not just a henchman.

    Overall: Good, if slightly standard #1 I would say. Opening, exposition, action piece, cliff hanger, done. I am however very concerned about the moral positioning of our female lead. I was before and I still am. I trust Rodney Barnes to land that plane, but currently I don't see how her actions that we only get allusions to, could ever be redeemed. We'll see.
    The art is ok, I think. I didn't like Fuso's turn in "The Body" and I have to revisit "Service", but this is "Dynamite's James Bond" house-style, I feel. His Bond is clearly different to f.e. Casalanguida's, but overall, I think it is very much in line with other work. There is a weird thing where we sometimes get what I can only describe as ink blots on frames and it is a bit unclear why they are there. Sometimes they might be blood, but in other cases they clearly aren't. That's strange.
  • 00Heaven00Heaven Home
    Posts: 573
    Hmm, yeah. It's OK. Just OK so far and would have to agree with your points re: female lead.
  • So I don't always get to my comics store every week. Long story short: I just picked up and read 007: Himeros #1. I quite liked it. I'm in favor of realistic takes on Bond and this one is about as realistic as Bond gets.

    Yes, our female lead has a fairly dubious moral positioning, but we'll see how that plays out. If she chooses to testify (due in part to Bond's urging, I'd expect) then she becomes a more sympathetic character, no?

    And I have to say that there are indeed several instances of questionable "ink blots" in a number of positions on various pages. I suspect some sort of production error is to blame here. Still, all things considered, I think this is one of the better Bond #1s to come from the Dynamite imprint. I look forward to the rest of this storyline.
  • Posts: 5,772
    Synopsis and cover(s) for James Bond : Himeros # 4 :
    James Bond has survived a series of deadly assaults as he and Sarah Richmond make it to Wilhelm's island. Amidst the traumatic memories the island unleashes, will they find what they're looking for or does death continue to await them at every turn?

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  • w2bondw2bond is indeed a very rare breed
    Posts: 2,252
    Does anyone know how many issues there are? Can't find it anywhere.
  • ImpertinentGoonImpertinentGoon Everybody needs a hobby.
    Posts: 1,351
    Himeros #2 is out. I still don't really like it, I have to say.
    At least we now know that Bond thinks Ms. Richmond is guilty and reprehensible. That's a step forward, I guess.

    I still don't really understand, why he needs to protect her. It is, of course, never great for people to get murdered, but what exactly is the information they want to get from her? Something about a weapon's dealer who was in on the sex trafficking?

    The art is a bit suspect here at several points. Her face during the car chase is bad.

    The pacing and spacing of the action pieces is also not good. Kino (Kano? I've read this literally 3 minutes ago and can't remember) just showing up in the hotel room is pretty creepy - although I would have liked a little hint that you only realize when looking at the previous panels a second time. However, three people standing in a small hotel room; two of them elite assassins; multiple shots getting fired at pretty much point blank range and nobody is as much as hurt? And she can just leave the room to get the car at one point? And Kino is an elite assassin, but instead of killing his main source of trouble - Bond - when he has his back turned, he decides to style on Sarah a bit and do a slow execution or something?

    And that final piece of them jumping out of the car over however far of a distance without their pursuer seeing them and while having a casual conversation is also pretty bad.
  • 00Heaven00Heaven Home
    Posts: 573
    Himeros #2 is out. I still don't really like it, I have to say.
    At least we now know that Bond thinks Ms. Richmond is guilty and reprehensible. That's a step forward, I guess.

    I still don't really understand, why he needs to protect her. It is, of course, never great for people to get murdered, but what exactly is the information they want to get from her? Something about a weapon's dealer who was in on the sex trafficking?

    The art is a bit suspect here at several points. Her face during the car chase is bad.

    The pacing and spacing of the action pieces is also not good. Kino (Kano? I've read this literally 3 minutes ago and can't remember) just showing up in the hotel room is pretty creepy - although I would have liked a little hint that you only realize when looking at the previous panels a second time. However, three people standing in a small hotel room; two of them elite assassins; multiple shots getting fired at pretty much point blank range and nobody is as much as hurt? And she can just leave the room to get the car at one point? And Kino is an elite assassin, but instead of killing his main source of trouble - Bond - when he has his back turned, he decides to style on Sarah a bit and do a slow execution or something?

    And that final piece of them jumping out of the car over however far of a distance without their pursuer seeing them and while having a casual conversation is also pretty bad.

    Thanks for this IG. Just read it for myself and it's a bit on the nose with... shall we say "relatively current affairs" ... I have to agree with much of what you said. I want to also chime in and say:
    It's a comic so fight sequences are always a bit glammed up... But at the same time knowing Bond is not some run of the mill rank and file soldier and also that he has British military training... From what, exactly?! I found that kind of a funny assumption for him to jump to but I'll suspend my brain given it's a comic.

    It feels a little tired and the pacing a bit weird. Right now I'm feeling a bit bored and with the ending of this issue...:
    They're not going with neo-nazi types again are they? With a boat named the White Rose? We'll wait and see.

    I feel like they also robbed this specific bit from one of the movies:
    What Bond says to Madeleine in SPECTRE after the plane chase about "being the best chance of staying alive..." Though it's kind of a generic thing to say in the context of everything I suppose. It could also be that I watched SPECTRE so recently that it's really stuck in my mind right now.
  • I just finished reading Casino Royale and Edilon. Which books would you guys recommend?
  • ImpertinentGoonImpertinentGoon Everybody needs a hobby.
    Posts: 1,351
    I just finished reading Casino Royale and Edilon. Which books would you guys recommend?

    Have you read VARGR before Eidolon? If not, read that, as it is the first in basically this „continuity“ of Bond comics - although if you hated Eidolon you don’t need to bother with VARGR, they are quite similar in tone and style.

    In publication order, the next one up is Hammerhead. I like that one a lot, so I recommend it as a next step in the „main series“. After that there is a bit if hit and miss, but Hammerhead is a good next step and then you can maybe figure out what you like and don’t like.

    Then you also have the various side projects, spin-offs and whatnot. That really depends on what you are interested in in you Bond stories.
    Many people recommend the Felix Leiter spin-off and it really is very good. Kind of a noir detective/spy story set in Japan.
    I really like Origins, which is set during WWII and gives us stories of how a young James Bond became a spy in the first place.
    I think „Case Files“ and „Reflections of Death“ only really make sense when you have gotten to know these characters a bit more, so leave that to the side for now, even though some of those stories are really good.
    And if you liked Casino Royale the graphic novel and like or are interesting in Live and Let Die the novel, go with that as well. The story is the story and the art and execution are really good, I think.

    So, long story short: VARGR, Hammerhead, Origins, Live and Let Die and maybe Felix Leiter.
  • I just finished reading Casino Royale and Edilon. Which books would you guys recommend?

    Have you read VARGR before Eidolon? If not, read that, as it is the first in basically this „continuity“ of Bond comics - although if you hated Eidolon you don’t need to bother with VARGR, they are quite similar in tone and style.

    In publication order, the next one up is Hammerhead. I like that one a lot, so I recommend it as a next step in the „main series“. After that there is a bit if hit and miss, but Hammerhead is a good next step and then you can maybe figure out what you like and don’t like.

    Then you also have the various side projects, spin-offs and whatnot. That really depends on what you are interested in in you Bond stories.
    Many people recommend the Felix Leiter spin-off and it really is very good. Kind of a noir detective/spy story set in Japan.
    I really like Origins, which is set during WWII and gives us stories of how a young James Bond became a spy in the first place.
    I think „Case Files“ and „Reflections of Death“ only really make sense when you have gotten to know these characters a bit more, so leave that to the side for now, even though some of those stories are really good.
    And if you liked Casino Royale the graphic novel and like or are interesting in Live and Let Die the novel, go with that as well. The story is the story and the art and execution are really good, I think.

    So, long story short: VARGR, Hammerhead, Origins, Live and Let Die and maybe Felix Leiter.

    Thanks. I really like the Casino Royale and interested in Live and let die too. How about the black box?
  • ImpertinentGoonImpertinentGoon Everybody needs a hobby.
    Posts: 1,351
    I just finished reading Casino Royale and Edilon. Which books would you guys recommend?

    Have you read VARGR before Eidolon? If not, read that, as it is the first in basically this „continuity“ of Bond comics - although if you hated Eidolon you don’t need to bother with VARGR, they are quite similar in tone and style.

    In publication order, the next one up is Hammerhead. I like that one a lot, so I recommend it as a next step in the „main series“. After that there is a bit if hit and miss, but Hammerhead is a good next step and then you can maybe figure out what you like and don’t like.

    Then you also have the various side projects, spin-offs and whatnot. That really depends on what you are interested in in you Bond stories.
    Many people recommend the Felix Leiter spin-off and it really is very good. Kind of a noir detective/spy story set in Japan.
    I really like Origins, which is set during WWII and gives us stories of how a young James Bond became a spy in the first place.
    I think „Case Files“ and „Reflections of Death“ only really make sense when you have gotten to know these characters a bit more, so leave that to the side for now, even though some of those stories are really good.
    And if you liked Casino Royale the graphic novel and like or are interesting in Live and Let Die the novel, go with that as well. The story is the story and the art and execution are really good, I think.

    So, long story short: VARGR, Hammerhead, Origins, Live and Let Die and maybe Felix Leiter.

    Thanks. I really like the Casino Royale and interested in Live and let die too. How about the black box?

    Personally, not a favourite of mine. I think the art is a bit strange. The story is quite over-the-top. If you’re into that, go for it. I don’t like it that much.
  • I just finished reading Casino Royale and Edilon. Which books would you guys recommend?

    Have you read VARGR before Eidolon? If not, read that, as it is the first in basically this „continuity“ of Bond comics - although if you hated Eidolon you don’t need to bother with VARGR, they are quite similar in tone and style.

    In publication order, the next one up is Hammerhead. I like that one a lot, so I recommend it as a next step in the „main series“. After that there is a bit if hit and miss, but Hammerhead is a good next step and then you can maybe figure out what you like and don’t like.

    Then you also have the various side projects, spin-offs and whatnot. That really depends on what you are interested in in you Bond stories.
    Many people recommend the Felix Leiter spin-off and it really is very good. Kind of a noir detective/spy story set in Japan.
    I really like Origins, which is set during WWII and gives us stories of how a young James Bond became a spy in the first place.
    I think „Case Files“ and „Reflections of Death“ only really make sense when you have gotten to know these characters a bit more, so leave that to the side for now, even though some of those stories are really good.
    And if you liked Casino Royale the graphic novel and like or are interesting in Live and Let Die the novel, go with that as well. The story is the story and the art and execution are really good, I think.

    So, long story short: VARGR, Hammerhead, Origins, Live and Let Die and maybe Felix Leiter.

    Thanks. I really like the Casino Royale and interested in Live and let die too. How about the black box?

    Personally, not a favourite of mine. I think the art is a bit strange. The story is quite over-the-top. If you’re into that, go for it. I don’t like it that much.
    I see. Thanks for the recommendations.
  • I just finished reading Casino Royale and Edilon. Which books would you guys recommend?
    Hammerhead and Kill Chain are really good, perhaps Dynamite's best Bond publications in my opinion with the Leiter spin-off. Origins was nice: I wasn't expecting anything and I was pleasantly surprised. Regarding Black Box, it tastes like a Brosnan era story, it's quite different from Ellis or Diggle's down to earth titles.
  • I just finished reading Casino Royale and Edilon. Which books would you guys recommend?
    Hammerhead and Kill Chain are really good, perhaps Dynamite's best Bond publications in my opinion with the Leiter spin-off. Origins was nice: I wasn't expecting anything and I was pleasantly surprised. Regarding Black Box, it tastes like a Brosnan era story, it's quite different from Ellis or Diggle's down to earth titles.

    Thanks. Hammerhead looks interesting and Black Box too. I am a huge fan of the Brosnan era and I think I will enjoy Blackbox.
  • I just finished reading Casino Royale and Edilon. Which books would you guys recommend?

    Have you read VARGR before Eidolon? If not, read that, as it is the first in basically this „continuity“ of Bond comics - although if you hated Eidolon you don’t need to bother with VARGR, they are quite similar in tone and style.

    In publication order, the next one up is Hammerhead. I like that one a lot, so I recommend it as a next step in the „main series“. After that there is a bit if hit and miss, but Hammerhead is a good next step and then you can maybe figure out what you like and don’t like.

    Then you also have the various side projects, spin-offs and whatnot. That really depends on what you are interested in in you Bond stories.
    Many people recommend the Felix Leiter spin-off and it really is very good. Kind of a noir detective/spy story set in Japan.
    I really like Origins, which is set during WWII and gives us stories of how a young James Bond became a spy in the first place.
    I think „Case Files“ and „Reflections of Death“ only really make sense when you have gotten to know these characters a bit more, so leave that to the side for now, even though some of those stories are really good.
    And if you liked Casino Royale the graphic novel and like or are interesting in Live and Let Die the novel, go with that as well. The story is the story and the art and execution are really good, I think.

    So, long story short: VARGR, Hammerhead, Origins, Live and Let Die and maybe Felix Leiter.

    Thanks. I really like the Casino Royale and interested in Live and let die too. How about the black box?

    Black Box is really fun. It is the most comic booky out of all of them. As for one that hasn’t been mentioned, Solstice is fantastic. It’s a one shot so I don’t know if there’s any around, but it is in the James Bond case files and is well worth the price.
  • Black Box was easily the most fun of the non VARGR/Eidolon Bond comics I read. The dialogue is spotty, but it was a fun modern riff on the Connery style Bonds and captured the weird pop-art aspect of the Bond films in a way the other comics don’t (which for some reason feel even more mundane than the Fleming books, despite bits of blockbuster explosions). It even did a cool/creepy villain in a mask before NTTD. It’s not great, but I would have been happy to read a couple more adventures on that calibre. The others I’ve read like Hammerhead and Agent of Spectre are barely worth remembering imo.
  • ImpertinentGoonImpertinentGoon Everybody needs a hobby.
    edited December 2021 Posts: 1,351
    I hate to say it, but Himeros continues to disappoint me.
    This issue gives us some psychological inside into Bond, that I don't really need and don't really think fits the character.

    The rest of it is basically just treading water (some of the time literally).
    We start with Bond and the woman he has to protect being temporarily away from the killer hunting them and not trusting each other and we end the episode there as well, only that they are now on their way to the island.
    Michael Myers Kino will continue to appear wherever they turn up and the relationship between Bond and Sarah (?) will continue this way until she either does something to sacrifice herself or turns outright evil. I lean towards the former and they even seem to set up a romance between the two, which is weird.
    Also, not really interesting action. Again we have nonsensical gunplay with Kino just standing on a dock with a huge sniper rifle picking off every extra, but not even getting close to hitting his actual targets.
    Later we get some hand-to-hand between Bond and Kino in the water that could be cool, but is just yada-yadad with Bond just "losing" him off-page.
    I am starting to think Kino has to purposefully not stop them, that's how incapable this supposedly elite assassin is.
  • Posts: 5,772
    I realize I've been incredibly remiss in my duties. So, without further ado, here are the covers for issue 5 of Himeros :

    STL216342.jpg

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    And the synopsis :
    It's all led to this as Bond and Richmond face their last challenge. The most exciting James Bond adventure hurtles towards an explosive conclusion and we all know, not everyone walks away with their life...

  • 00Heaven00Heaven Home
    Posts: 573
    Just read it... Well, that was garbage.
  • Read Agent of SPECTRE and found it thoroughly underwhelming after a fairly promising setup. I feel like these comics have a tough time balancing between being too mundane and too ridiculous. A lot of the scenery and locations are pretty drab or mundane but the tech aspects go too far into sci-fi. The artists and writers should really go back and look at the Fleming books and Connery movies for making the locations come to life and providing memorable “sets” for the villains. That wouldn’t fix all the issues I have with these books, but it would at least make them more enjoyable to look at.
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