One supposes it was inevitable that James Bond be spun into the world of newspaper comics, as he was for nearly 30 years in England. That doesn’t mean it worked for all that time, as JAMES BOND: POLESTAR — the latest collection of these strips — shows.
POLESTAR is comprised of five original story arcs, all consecutive and from the 1980s. The first installment continues the proud 007 tradition of odd titles by being called “Flittermouse,” and it pits literature and film’s favorite superspy against a horde of vampire bats in a spooky old castle.
The titular tale “Polestar” places Bond in Arctic territory, where he finds a nude woman mysterious frozen upright in a block of ice. Sharks and narcotic gas figure into “The Scent of Danger,” while deadly reptiles reign in “Snake Goddess.” That one and the final “Double Eagle” are drawn by Yaroslav Horak, whose art pales compared to John McLusky, who’s responsible for the first three.
A couple of interesting things here:
• Bond sure does get laid a lot. Keep in mind, these are newspaper comics, yet chicks are taking off their shirts and dresses for him every few pages, baring their breasts and wearing nothing but skimpy panties. Nothing graphic is ever shown, but still, you’d never see that in U.S. papers.
• Reading these adventures in two- and three-panel increments with 24 hours in between would be maddening. I don’t know how you’d follow it, especially because in several strips, absolutely nothing happens. That makes Titan Books’ black-and-white collections like POLESTAR essential for those who want to follow 007′s broadsheet exploits.
The book also contains a pointless introduction by Bond girl Valerie Leon, an essay on Ian Fleming’s Goldeneye estate and a more welcome article on the comics in Chile. If you dig POLESTAR, there’s a checklist in the back of other volumes, which now measures 15. —Rod Lott
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF JAMES BOND:
• FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE by Ian Fleming
• OCTOPUSSY AND THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS by Ian Fleming
• ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE by Ian Fleming
• QUANTUM OF SOLACE: THE COMPLETE JAMES BOND SHORT STORIES by Ian Fleming
Related posts:
- Quantum of Solace: The Complete James Bond Short Stories
- James Bond in the 21st Century: Why We Still Need 007
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Better Than Bond
- The Moneypenny Diaries
- BOOKS 2 FILM >> Casino Royale
