In JAMES BOND: AGENT OF SPECTRE #4, available from Dynamite Comics on June 9th, 2021, 007 takes refuge in Athens on Blofeld’s estate to lure Titania Jones into a trap. Unfortunately, his plan may have worked too well.
The Details
- Written By: Christos Gage
- Art By: Luca Casalanguida
- Colors By: Heather Moore
- Letters By: Simon Bowland
- Cover Art By: Butch Guice (cover A)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: June 9, 2021
Was It Good?
It was thrilling.
Up to this point in the series, the sum total of action has taken a back seat to the intrigue and tense moments occasionally peppered with hand-to-hand fights. In this issue, it’s big, loud, crazy action that takes up almost the entire issue.
Just because it’s all action doesn’t mean there isn’t good writing. Bond gets his quippy wit in during a car chase, and his line delivery is spot on to keep Blofeld thinking Bond is completely on his side while still manipulating the situation.
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The art is gritty and hard-boiled with hard edges and sharp corners. Casalanguida’s art exemplifies the square-jawed hero without veering too far into Dick Tracy’s comic strip territory. Here, the colors from Moore stand out because we shift to the bright and sunny Mediterranean and away from the long, noir shadows of the previous issues. It’s a subtle shift that feels exactly as it should, like a change in scenery.
Overall, this is an exciting issue with pitch perfect writing and exceptional art.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We pick up after the events of the last issue with Bond as a fugitive for the “murder” of Felix Leiter. Titania Jones and Ernst Stavro Blofeld both interpret the killing as a point of no return for Bond, and each assumes he must go along with them for protection.
Get caught up first by reading our JAMES BOND: AGENT OF SPECTRE #3 review here.
Blofeld arranges Bond safe passage to his private estate in Athens, and Bond “pretends” to discover a bug Titania placed on him before he left. As soon as he reveals the bug to Blofeld, all hell breaks loose.
Titania Jones brings in a small army of attack helicopters, assault teams in tactical armor, and spy drones to find her prey. Meanwhile, every agency and police force in Greece is in Blofeld’s back pocket. The end result is a small war with mountain chases, explosions, and the most effective use of a deck umbrella ever integrated into an action scene.
Eventually, Bond and Blofeld make it to a smaller, private island with an underground base where Blofeld uses his tech personnel to reverse trace the bug to find Titania’s location.
We conclude the issue with a double-cross.
How Does It End?
Some enemies are closer than anyone expected. Blofeld’s army is susceptible to bribery. The enemies come face-to-face.
Final Thoughts
JAMES BOND: AGENT OF SPECTRE #4 is a near-perfect action comic that fits in with the very best Bond films. The writing is clever and amusing without getting cheesy, and the art packs a punch.
Score: 9.5/10
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