007: FOR KING AND COUNTRY #3 – Comic Review

007: FOR KING AND COUNTRY #3, from Dynamite Comics on 6/28/23, leads Bond, Gann, and Linus on a daring escape from MI-6 and Myrmidon forces. When Bond decides he needs one more ally, his risky gamble may be his downfall.

The Details

• Written by: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
• Art by: Giorgio Spalletta, Alessio Avallone
• Colors by: Francesco Segala, Agnese Pozza
• Letters by: Jeff Eckleberry
• Cover art by: Joseph Michael Linsner (cover A)
• Comic Rating: Teen+
• Cover price: $3.99
• Release date: June 28, 2023

Is It Good?

007: FOR KING AND COUNTRY #3 is pretty great for two specific reasons. Phillip Kennedy Johnson is firing on all cylinders in this series, and 007 fans are reaping the benefits.

When last we left James Bond, Gwendolynn Gan, and her tech-genius, Linus, the trio were ambushed by International forces near a cafe. Now, Bond, Gann, and Linus make a gripping getaway, and James decides he needs to enlist the help of a U.S. agent to help bring Fromm and Myrmidon down.

All the technical writing aspects are present for a taut thriller, such as rapid pacing, pinpoint dialog, twists, and turns, but it’s in two key areas where this issue excels beyond a standard comic.

First, car chases are hard, notoriously hard, to pull off in comics. Johnson’s script, combined with Spalletta and Avallone’s art, breathes life into the chase with cinematic panel transitions, popping action, and white-knuckled suspense. As you’re reading it, you can picture the chase playing out on the big screen, and that’s a high compliment for a comic.

Second, Johnson builds dramatic tension with a clever trick – making Bond’s circle of trust increasingly smaller. When the villains assail a hero from all sides, more allies provide a buffer, so the writer has to rely on increasing the villains’ displays of power to increase the tension. Here, the villains’ actions stay the same, but the number of people in Bond’s trust starts to crumble away, making what little buffer he has smaller, leaving him vulnerable and exposed. It’s a clever trick and super effective.

How’s the art? Gritty, taut, and brimming with drama. Special credit goes to Segala and Pozza for using color to set the mood and emphasize dramatic moments, especially through the use of colored surprise lines.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

Check out our 007: FOR KING AND COUNTRY #2 review to find out how Bond and Gann were cornered.

We begin, mid-cliffhanger, with Bond, Gann, and Linues surrounded by a combination of INTERPOL, Myrmion, and MI-6 forces. Bond leaps into his car, and charges the gunmen with mind-bogglingly precise driving, giving Gann and Linus a few precious seconds to hop in. The chase begins.

Eventually, the chase leads Bond to a dead end, where he leaps out of the car to provide cover fire from a sniper, 006. Gann flanks the sniper to disarm him, but 006 warns Gann and Bond that Gann is not who she says she is.

Later, Bond decides to enlist an old friend, Felix Leiter, to help in their crusade to bring Fromm and Myrmidon. With Linus’s expert technical help, Bond makes it back to the U.S. where Felix is waiting to meet him. We conclude the issue with the trouble with disguises, a meeting place, and an extra gun.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.

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