JAMES BOND: 007 #6, by Dynamite Comics on 6/19/24, concludes 007’s hunt for a WMD and the Russian agents responsible for its theft when he gets caught in an explosion too big to outrun.
Credits:
- Writer: Garth Ennis
- Artist: Rapha Lobosco
- Colorist: Jorge Sutil
- Letterer: Rob Steen
- Cover Artist: Dave Johnson
- Publisher: Dynamite Comics
- Release Date: June 19, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 22
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of JAMES BOND: 007 #6:
Plot Analysis:
Garth Ennis puts James Bond in an impossible situation with an impossible outcome. Does that mean JAMES BOND: 007 #6 is impossible to read? No, but there may be one or two developments that are impossible to swallow.
When last we left 007 in JAMES BOND: 007 #5, he tracked the Russian camp responsible for field-testing the Stalvoda weapon to a location in the Syrian desert. After a betrayal from his guide, some quick thinking, and a whole lot of stealth, 007 confirms the weapon’s location and calls in an airstrike.
In JAMES BOND: 007 #6, we pick up with the last issue’s cliffhanger where Bond finds himself confronted by a very large Russian soldier. Bond is no match for his opponent’s massive strength, but he stabs the Russian up through his chin and into his upper palette. The damage isn’t enough to kill, but it does keep the Russian quiet.
The fight between Bond and the large Russian eventually attracted attention. Soon, a squad of armed Russians surround Bond, but his imminent capture is interrupted when air support arrives and begins strafing the facility with automatic weapons fire.
Amid the chaos, the large Russian with a knife through his jaw relentlessly pursues 007. Bond communicates directly with the fighter pilots and warns them to start firing again on his signal. He lures the big Russian on top of a supply truck and signals the fighters to cut the Russian in half.
Free from entanglements, 007 gives the fighters the exact tent location of the Stalvoda weapon. The fighters bomb the tent, sending a tidal wave of instant ice speeding in all directions. Just as the wave reaches Bond, he activates an electric signal device created by Vickers to disrupt the molecules of the Stalvoda wave and convert it into harmless water.
We conclude the issue with rekindling an old flame, concurrence on the thief who started this mess, and Bond’s signature method for cleaning up loose ends.
Character Development:
Garth Ennis cranks up the superhuman ability of James Bond to get out of impossibly sticky situations. They don’t call 007 a superspy for no reason, and if there was any doubt before this finale, there won’t be any after.
Artwork and Presentation:
Rapha Lobosco delivers the goods with artwork that’s visually energetic, fast-paced, nail-biting, and even a bit gruesome at times with an unexpected amount of gore.
That said, the choreography between Bond and the big Russian gets lost and confusing in several spots, reducing the entertainment factor in what should be the finale’s climactic conflict.
Art Samples:
Pacing and Structure:
Consistent with Rapha Lobosco’s energetic art, Garth Ennis’s script starts JAMES BOND: 007 #6 with a sprint and doesn’t let up until the brief epilogue. Ennis serves up a commendable example of stacking multiple conflicts to keep a grip on readers’ attention.
However, there are a few points in Ennis’s script that feel off.
First, the big Russian’s antics and the response by his fellow soldiers almost become comedic when nobody can understand what the big Russian is trying to say. Nothing kills the lethal tension quite like an unintentionally funny game of charades.
Second, Ennis crafted a scenario where high-speed fighter jets can cut down moving humans with near-pinpoint accuracy. The rule of cool almost gets invoked in the jet fighters’ shooting capability, but it’s too much.
Third, Bond’s ability to outrun, turn, and activate an electronic device to dispel instantaneous explosions of Stalvoda material is unlikely to the point of silliness. The ice should have overtaken him in less than a second. Sure, it makes for an exciting photo finish, but it’s (again) too much.
Fourth, Bond’s fight with the big Russian takes on unintentional (or was it?) comedic overtones when one of the fighter pilots is a former lover of Bond’s. Nothing robs the dramatic tension of a fight to the death quicker than a former lover teasing you about your performance during the fight.
Thematic Exploration:
Thematically, Ennis’s finale is nothing more complex than a basic hero quest. Even the drama is superficial, at best.
The Bigger Picture:
Historical Context:
Out of curiosity, we checked for the existence or rumored existence of a flash freeze weapon developed by the military to match the Stalvoda Project. Publicly, no such information exists, but several theorists have speculated that a freezing weapon would work similarly to the one described in this series.
Final Thoughts:
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JAMES BOND: 007 #6 ends the Garth Ennis-penned miniseries with a climactic battle, cool visuals, and all the loose ends tied up in a neat little bow. That said, Ennis incorporates more than a few hard-to-swallow wow moments that will have you rolling your eyes, and Lobosco’s fight to the death spirals into confusing choreography.
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