James Bond Origin #1 NM Bob Q B&W 40-Copy Incentive Variant Cover Dynamite Jeff Parker

Description

James Bond Origin (2018 Dynamite) #1K
Published Sep 2018 by Dynamite Entertainment
Limited 1 for 40 Retailer Incentive Variant Cover
Writer Jeff Parker
Art and Cover by Bob Q

‘CHAPTER ONE: THE GREATEST DAYS’

At last, the definitive account of James Bond’s exploits during World War II! MARCH, 1941: Seventeen-year-old James Bond is a restless student in Scotland, an orphan, eager to strike out and make his mark on the world. But a visit by an old family friend coincides with THE CLYDEBANK BLITZ, the most devastating German attack on Scotland during the War. James will fight through hell to survive, coming out the other side determined to make a difference. He’ll find his calling in a new British government service, secret in nature… The ongoing epic kicks off, by JEFF PARKER (Future Quest, Thunderbolts, Batman ’66) and BOB Q (The Green Hornet)! 32 pages, full color.

The life of a spy legend must begin somewhere, and it’s at a boarding school during the beginning of World War Two for James. The Germans are on the march, on land, sea and in the air, and it is during a bombing raid over Scotland that young James Bond undergoes a literal baptism of fire.

There is an understandable urge in fiction to examine the origin story of characters, especially iconic characters like James Bond. Joining the dots, filling in the blanks, however you dress it up; the urge is real and undeniable. But is it the right thing to do?

It’s something of a shock to realize that the character of James Bond was born sometime in the 1920s, and came of age during the most terrible war ever. The modern cinematic take of the franchise, especially under Daniel Craig, has conditioned us to a technological base that’s almost futuristic, and not the bespoke, almost handcrafted world of the 1940s that writer Jeff Parker creates here.

Ian Fleming’s James Bond Origin #1’s framing device is a German bombing raid that occurred on March 13, 1941, over Scotland. Amidst the carnage and devastation, Bond and his school chums race to escape the resulting inferno, allowing for flashbacks to his school in the days before the Scottish excursion.

The version of Bond presented here is that of a determined young man, eager to learn more about his dead mother, from a teacher he befriends, Professor Keller, who knew her. At school, Bond starts up a judo club and stands up to bullies. He is perfectly willing to chase down two men who attack Keller and steal paperwork from him. All in all, he comes across as a perfectly decent fellow, with ambitions larger than simple boarding school.

The artwork feels like a throwback to an earlier art style prevalent in British comics in the 60s and 70s, with chiseled features, squared off jaws abounding. Clever use of panels pushes the action along, and is probably the best feature of Ian Fleming’s James Bond Origin #1.

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Bagged and boarded, near mint condition. 1st printing. More pictures may be in description.