James Bond – Page 3 – Now Read This!

June 9, 2007June 10, 2007

James Bond 007: The Spy Who Loved Me

James Bond 007: The Spy Who Loved Me Â

By Ian Fleming, Jim Lawrence & Yaroslav Horak (Titan Books)
ISBN 1-84576-174-X

The action goes into overdrive in this 007 compilation from Titan Books as the reprints of the 1960’s newspaper strips reaches the point where Fleming’s last work is adapted, promptly followed by all new adventures from adaptor Jim Lawrence.

The Spy Who Loved Me is fleshed out (Fleming’s novel is written from the view point of damsel in distress Vivienne Michel, and Bond does not appear until the last third of the text) into a taut battle of wits between Bond and Vivienne against a duo of deadly arsonists and hitmen, following the super-agent’s foray against a revived S.P.E.C.T.R.E. gang in Canada to provide a tense battle of wits and suitably gratuitous come-uppances all around.

Veteran strip writer Lawrence swiftly shifts the emphases from the tense, terse prose model to encompass the much more visual prerequisites of the illustrated story-form, and by the next adventure which closes out this volume, the action aspect has been given the spotlight previously awarded to the setting of scenes and building of tension.

The all original material begin with ‘The Harpies’ as Bond goes undercover at a defence contractor’s factory to rescue a kidnapped scientist and end the depredations of a deadly gang of female flying bandits. Both tales are illustrated by the uniquely stylish Yaroslav Horak, whose extreme design style and dynamic lines impart tremendous energy to scenes that must labour under the incredibly difficult restrictions of the three-panel-a-day newspaper format.

Stirring stuff from top-notch creators working on a legend of fiction. What could be better?

February 28, 2007March 30, 2012

James Bond 007: The Phoenix Project

By Jim Lawrence & Yaroslav Horak

Titan Books ISBN: 1-84576-312-2

Titan’s run of the newspaper strip Bond nears its inevitable conclusion in these tales from the mid-1970s, but the superlative work of scripter Jim Lawrence doesn’t slacken its pace or its grip on our action-hungry imaginations. The Phoenix Project examines some of the super-agent’s darker edges as he deals with the threat of a technological battle-suit that could revolutionise the way war is fought.

The Black Ruby Caper once again features a black lead heroine in a convoluted yet enthralling tale of duelling subversive organisations and a mysterious plot known only as Operation: Black Storm. As well as the usual fights and chases Bond has to use blackmail and coercion to achieve his goals. The exotic locales of Zurich, Paris and Ghana are no challenge to Horak’s gifted pens and brushes, and the increasing abundance of beautiful, naked women (it is the mid-1970s, after all) keeps everybody’s attention focussed.

Till Death Do Us Part is more traditional 007 fodder, as Bond kidnaps/rescues the daughter of a foreign â€œassetâ€ to prevent a scandal. This is notable more for the inevitable introduction of the eccentric gadgets that had become an increasingly large part of the film version than for the adventure itself, but there are still thrills and flesh aplenty on view.

The volume closes with the brief but enthralling The Torch-Time Affair, wherein the search for a list of Latin American communist secrets leads to bodies on the beach, breathtaking chases over roads and through jungles and an intriguing detective mystery as 007 must save the girl, get the goods and kill the villain. Or must he..?

All the glamour and menace of James Bond is here in abundance and the chance to see two comic strip masters at their peak is very welcome and oh, so satisfying.

February 3, 2007March 4, 2012

James Bond 007: Trouble Spot

By Jim Lawrence & Yaroslav Horak

Titan Books ISBN: 1-84576-269-X
Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ISBN-13: 9781845762698

Jim Lawrence strengthens his position as the premier Bond scripter with these tales from 1971-1973. “Trouble Spot” is a traditional tale of espionage as 007 replaces a lost agent in an effort to recover a mysterious box and prevent its falling into the wrong hands of the gloriously baroque Baron Sharck. His heroic efforts are abetted and hindered by the beautiful if morally ambiguous Olga and the blind wife of the agent he’s impersonating.

“Isle of Condors” features a rare (it is 1972, remember) black lead heroine and a kidnapping leading Bond to a plot to turn nubile young beauties into programmed assassins.

The contemporary fascination with the occult becomes grist for the creators’ mill in “The League of Vampires”, when Bond investigates a fashionable cult that is the mask for a plot to destabilise the British computer defence industry.

The volume closes with the racy “Die With My Boots On”, as 007 yet again tangles with the American underworld in search of the secret of a new designer drug that no-one can afford to ignore or possess. As usual there are thrills and glamour in abundance in plot that still form the basis for all those modern summer blockbuster movies. Sexy women, evil men and organisations, relentless action and hairsbreadth escapes make these timeless thrillers an absolute necessity for any fan of the medium.

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