The depths of adventure.
Creative Staff:
Story: Jeff Parker
Art: Bob Q
Letterer: Simon Bowland
What They Say:
“CHAPTER THREE: ROCKET SEA” The epic account of James Bond’s exploits during World War II continues, by superstar JEFF PARKER (Suicide Squad, Fantastic Four) and BOB Q (The Lone Ranger)! Aboard a Royal Navy submarine, Lieutenant James Bond and crew encounter deadly German warships and bombers! Can the British crew keep their nerve and evade…or will they sink into a watery grave?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The James Bond Origin series delivered two very strong installments so far and the third one is very similar overall, though it’s less about Bond and more about his experience. It’s also one that tackles something that’s hard to do in comic form, though it can be done, as it delves into the submarine warfare world. Jeff Parker doesn’t have a huge role for Bond here overall but it’s something that shapes his experiences and that’s useful in itself. Bob Q has a lot of good stuff to work with in giving us sub warfare with a human face but he balances it well with all the action with the sub itself.
Two weeks at sea since being assigned to serve on the submarine, Bond and the others are doing well and getting a handle on things. There’s the curiosity with him getting some coded messages (approved) and working them out and we see how the sub is working to protect some of the the supply ships from Italian warships. The problem is that the one that they’re guarding now has become the target of a German warship in the area and it’s paired with a Stuka, which with its horrifying sound as it divebombs would be even more frightening out exposed in the sea like this. It’s engaging to watch as Bond notice some cues earlier than the other but it’s not something that in the end really helps him when you get down to it because he can’t make use of the information due to how quickly it all goes down.
Bond plays an even smaller role overall, though he does provide some critical information toward the end, as the rest of the book focuses on the fight against the German ship. It’s little surprise that the captain wants to take down the warship and then search for survivors but the whole thing is a larger trap with new mine technology at play that puts a real pincer on the submarine. It’s nicely tense as it unfolds and I really like the way that Bond is pretty much being bounced around and not saying much since he’s so new to all of this. Bob Q handles the action of the sub warfare well and I love the layouts and flow of it as it goes back and forth on who seemingly has the upper hand in the fight. It’s not super tense like Hunt for Red October but it’s definitely an enjoyable sequence that helps shapes Bond’s life.
In Summary:
I’m really enjoying this series overall and while this installment isn’t quite as strong as the first two it’s one that I can seeing working better as part of the whole and with what comes in the next issue. There’s always a lot of focus on the things Bond can do and how he does it but I’m really enjoying this particular experience in how it shaped him when there was little he could do beyond just experience it. Parker’s script keeps things moving along without a lot of fluff as it has the right air of tightness for the war while Bob Q’s work is just spot on great in capturing the period, expressions, and feel of the event. I can’t wait to see more.
Grade: A-
Age Rating: 15+
Released By: Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: November 14th, 2018
MSRP: $3.99
