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I think some of this comes from the expected scope of these stories. Batman lives in a city, which is relatively easier to explore in both character and geography for a story than the entire world of James Bond. When they do new Bond content, it should be as big as possible - big characters, big locations, big action. That's what Bond is. Batman is already a quiet detective in the shadows, so you can explore those shadows. Bond is more open world, out in the open, and that's harder to nail down for a story, which is why it's probably best they stick to Bond in his world, and not try to build that world up around him while he's missing!
What I'm saying both those Batman examples are works that took the creative opportunity to expand on those versions of the character and their worlds. They already had audiences who were invested in that film/tv show, and even if it expanded viewership, it didn't try to target a fundamentally different audience. That's the ideal way spin offs should work in my opinion. Even Young Bond was more for mid teens and had that connection to Fleming (so yes, a slightly younger readership, but more or less at the 12-13+ age range kids generally need to and will be to get into the films or even Fleming books. An 8-12 target audience is bizarrely low for this character, and I think it'll really struggle with some of the themes/ideas inherent in Bond. It's a tricky character to water down without losing something or relying on secondary characters. Simply put this feels way more James Bond jr than Young Bond).
To be honest, if it were made a bit more clear this was an older version of Fleming's Bond (perhaps set in the past even), and centred around him a bit more, as well as being written for a slightly older YA reader, I think this would come off as more worthwhile. To be fair obviously no one's read it yet, and that could be the case, but like IFP's other spin offs I don't get the sense there's enough there to get the specific target audience they want for this. YA novels are already oversaturated, and this concept is strikingly unoriginal anyway. The implication is that Bond's barely in this and it's about these other teenage characters. What about Bond will attract readers to this, and what about Bond in these books will readers take away about the character? Ideally it won't be that he's just an old dinosaur who can't work gadgets, which I think is a bizarre thing to say from a PR standpoint anyway, or at least ill judged.
This spinoff appeals to no existing Bond fans. And yes, if a spinoff focused on say Pussy Galore (or Never Dream of Dying's Le Gerant or Gardner's Sukie Tempesta) it would be mocked (because unlike comic-world, there aren't that many important, reoccurring characters), but it would appeal to an existing audience of Bond fans who already enjoy the story and the character/style. That's why say something like the 00 stories or the Felix Leiter spinoff have the potential and this doesn't.
Curious about this too.
From the way it is worded I think it must be the latter: that there's some sort of issue stopping them using him. That's my take on it anyway. If so, I wonder what that issue is? We know that Bond himself hasn't appeared as the main character in a literary Bond project since the Charlie Higson novella On His Majesty's Secret Service was released in May 2023. So perhaps there's a deeper reason for all of these spinoff projects appearing one after the other with Bond not featuring in his usual way?
Yeah it does feel like a hint, doesn't it? Especially as they say they're addressing his absence which people have been asking about, which is a real world thing. It's hard to tell as they slip between talking about real things and authors and their playful fictionalised world with M etc.
I do kind of wonder if Eon had put the brakes on new projects featuring Bond himself after NTTD and wanted a general pause on the character. Might even explain why First Light went off the radar for so long too.
This may be the reason. Try to cover all possible bases.
Yes, that's what I had thought myself and I remember you mentioning this possibility before. Possibly some exclusivity clause could be at play where Bond can only appear in the background before the character is relaunched in the films with a new actor. As you said before, Eon have the say over IFP and what they do now so it certainly seems possible.
I think it's most likely the other way around in that nothing substantive featuring Bond can go ahead on the literary front until Bond 26 is released.
In a way it would actually be pretty odd for Danjaq to be licensing out Bond on projects at the point they knew would be released under the tenure of Amazon: if I were Amazon I probably wouldn't want that as Bond would likely be my property at that time. So it's probably kind of natural we haven't seen him for a while.
But now that’s over we’re seeing 007 starting to be used again. It's likely taking time to catch up because Amazon are probably figuring out what they want him to be used for, and IFP and other licensees are making new relationships with the new rights holders.
It is similar to why we got Colonel Sun in 1968. We'll get a new Adult Bond novel soon.
I think you’re missing the point that every adaptation of Batman or Bond, that’s not written by the original creators, is a new creation in need of proving itself on its own merits. Both BTAS and The Batman had to demonstrate to audiences why they were worthwhile. Just as the primary appeal of any story featuring Batman is, in fact, Batman, the hook of this story is Bond as a mentor.
Whether or not there’s an audience for this work is yet to be known. But not attempting to build new audiences or entice current fans with new takes seems to be counterintuitive to artistic creation and financial success. I’m not saying this will be Shakespeare, or Fleming, but I’m saying that endeavors like this can be fun and have the potential to expand Bond’s reach, just as BTAS did when it was new and untested.
Interesting observation. What do you mean by that? I'm intrigued as Colonel Sun is my favourite Bond continuation novel.
A mission to retrieve a stolen British bioweapon results in a devastating chemical explosion, killing hundreds of civilians as well as 009. Guilt stricken and with his job on the line, M - Sir Miles Messervy - attends the sight of the explosion with a team of chemical weapons experts in an attempt to rectify the situation. Things soon take a dark turn, however, as the bioweapon's toxins bring the victims back to life, and an army of walking, flesh eating zombies descend upon the world. Can M and his team stop them in time before the contagion spreads?
"A wholly necessary addition to the world of Bond", says Simon Ward, Publishing Director at Ian Fleming Publications, "This book will appeal to fans of James Bond and Zombie Horror novels alike, drawing on the themes of responsibility, leadership, and the dark side of Britain's past. IFP look forward to seeing this novel adorn the bookshelves of our loyal readers or, failing this, those of your local charity shop."
I'm surprised there aren't more odd James Bond comic crossovers or oddities. At least that I know of... for all I know there could some strange 1960s comic out there where Connery's Bond teamed up with Scooby Doo...
But I agree, it's a bit odd that this sort of stuff is coming from what are meant to be the guardians of the Fleming-Bond literary legacy.
Books and comics are probably the most appropriate genres for this project, given the relatively low stakes. Anything aside from Fleming is fan fiction of a type. Pick and choose what you want to absorb. Like every Batman fan or Star Trek fan or Star Wars fan does. Whatever sticks will stick. Whatever doesn’t will be a footnote. But one does hope for the best results.
They licence James Bond 007 from MGM, so you always need the approval of the licensor. IFP don't own Bond.
It’s probably quite simple - if these spin offs are any good, people will read them, spread the word, and they might be a relative success. But having read some of IFP’s output - even when it was Bond focused - I’m not entirely sure they’re very consistent.
I think by publishing Colonel Sun, IFP could keep the copyright on Bond. I'm not sure what the legal terms are for it. Anyway, it was better that IFP got the rights over Ann Fleming. She could have just as bad for Bond as Kevin McClory.
That's very interesting, I haven't heard that before, will have to read up on it. That would be Gildrose rather than IFP of course.