Review: James Bond: 007 (2024) #2 from Dynamite

Javier E. Trujillo reviews the second issue of Dynamite’s 2024 volume of James Bond:007! Will it be more violent than the first?

James Bond rides public transit and fights for his life against a hit squad!

Plot

After his vehicle explodes in the last issue, Bond has to resort to the bus to get home, debriefing with Moneypenny on the way. Once he disembarks, he notices he is getting followed, which swiftly leads to a violent confrontation and several enemy combatants dead. Quick conversations with Felix and M means that 007 must track a scientist by the name of Stephen Vickers…to space.

Opinion

Ennis’ particular brand of humor and gift for the ol’ ultra-violence are on full display here. While some may find the situation of Bond on the bus alongside all the “commoners” funny (Moneypenny sure did), it felt to me that Ennis was thumbing his nose at 007’s snobbery. Yes, Bond likes the finer things, we all know this, but I’m unclear if it was just for the laugh or if Ennis was taking a dig at the character.

The action sequence in the middle of the book was expertly staged, particularly how Lobosco did the layouts, building up the suspense of 007 being watched prior to the attack. Once the bullets start flying, the gore and ridiculousness begin, too, which may stretch the boundaries of taste for some readers. I wouldn’t have expected to see an eyeball pop out like that in a James Bond comic, but here we are.

The climax may seem preposterous after the more (comparatively) down to earth 007 series by Philip Kennedy Johnson, but I had to remind myself who is writing this series and that Roger Moore went into space, too. It’s definitely going to be interesting to see what Ennis has planned for the next issue. At the very least, it seems like he’s having fun writing this.

I’m probably going to say this a lot over the course of this series, but Ennis’ style won’t be for everyone. I did find this more enjoyable than the first issue, but the graphic violence is sure to be off-putting for some tastes. Unlike Warren Ellis’ time writing Bond, Garth Ennis at least seems to be injecting some morbid playfulness into the bloodshed. Lobosco does a quality job on the art, letting the characters’ emotions shine through. I can only imagine what debauchery Ennis has in store for us in the next issue!