Has 007 abandoned MI6? Dynamite Entertainment’s recently released James Bond: Agent of SPECTRE #1 finds the ultimate gentleman spy hot on the trail of his most notorious opponent. After a series of covert operations and deadly undercover missions, Agent 007 comes face-to-face for the first time with arch nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld. These two legendary assassins seem primed to kick off their storied battle of good versus evil when Blofeld makes Bond an offer that he may not be able to refuse. Will James use his Licence to Kill in the service of SPECTRE or allow the clandestine organization to eliminate one of his closest associates?
James Bond: Agent of SPECTRE #1 is set in the present and depicts an older, wiser James Bond working for a new M and Miss Moneypenny. The British secret agent has been assigned the task of tracking down SPECTRE and putting an end to the murderous syndicate once and for all. The search leads Bond to a ferry in the middle of the British Channel. A fatal fist fight with an enemy operative results in the recovery of encoded documents that reveal the whereabouts of Number One, the leader of SPECTRE. Number One is none other than Ernst Stavro Blofeld himself.
Thanks to the recovered briefcase, Bond locates Blofeld in Paris. Blofeld gets the drop on 007 but instead of finishing him off, makes Bond a proposition. A young upstart agent in SPECTRE is orchestrating a coup to usurp Blofeld and take over as Number One. Blofeld cannot kill her outright without jeopardizing his status in the organization, but is willing to pay Bond fourteen million Euros to assassinate his competitor. When Bond voices his hesitancy, Blofeld informs 007 that if he doesn’t comply SPECTRE will kill the closest friend he has: Felix Leiter of the CIA.
Dynamite Entertainment’s James Bond: Agent of SPECTRE #1 is written by Christos Gage with art by Luca Casalanguida. The comic book character seems more directly inspired by Ian Fleming’s novels than the subsequent films, even sharing the written incarnation’s facial scar. For years, theories have circulated that the name “James Bond” is a codename given to multiple MI6 agents. The theory posits that each actor portraying the character on film is intended to be a distinct individual. It is unclear whether Agent of SPECTRE adheres to this theory, but M does allude to Bond’s “Cold War predecessor,” and this 007 seems to have never previously met Blofeld.
James Bond: Agent of SPECTRE is not the first story to depict 007 abandoning MI6 to accomplish his mission. Leaving Her Majesty’s Secret Service and joining up with Columbian drug lord Franz Sanchez in Licence to Kill is a memorable example. This betrayal was actually a clever ruse designed to dismantle the opposition from the inside. That said, the comic book portrays a middle-aged Bond who may genuinely be tempted by the prospect of a quick payoff and normal retirement. Will 007 do Blofeld’s bidding or is this another scheme to destroy SPECTRE? More importantly, will Felix Leiter become collateral damage in a high stakes game of metaphorical chess? The answers are sure to leave devoted Bond fans shaken and stirred.
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