Warren Ellis to produce new Bond comic books…

The comic book writer Garth Ennis has announced he is to write a new James Bond comic book for release in the late autumn. Wrting under his pseudonym, Warren Ellis he will produce the series alongside artist Jason Masters.

Ellis promises to produce a series which is very much in keeping with Ian Fleming’s original character. Bond lovers will know exactly what that should be; heavy smoker, hard drinker, usually unfit, cold and calculating. Think the opening salvo in Daniel Craig’s first outing in Casino Royale and you get the idea.

A ‘brutal, damaged Bond’ will appear in a six issue storyline called VARGR with scenes set in the back streets of London and Berlin. It is being published by Dynamite in conjunction with the Ian Fleming estate with Fleming’s great-nephew declaring it ‘an exciting new chapter of literary James Bond’.

Any such return to the original outing would be most welcome. I had high hopes for the films after Casino Royale but, as usual, they rushed out a second and then a third and the script for this new one seems all over the place.

I personally, would take it back to the sixties. Do away with the gadgets and take the grit of the Bourne movies with a sixties backdrop. Whilst it has generated hundreds of millions as a franchise it has run its course. Bond has no relevence in the modern world, spare him from fighting ISIS and go back to the Cold War. There are plenty of other versions for the under 14’s to enjoy, that or stick it on PlayStation for them!